Iowa of the Tiger

Army reservist, Cpl. Jesse Thorsen, may face legal trouble for this appearance at a Ron Paul Caucus Night event in Ankeny, IA on Jan. 3, 2012.

Des Moines, IA- Late into the night on January 3, presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were still going back and forth for the lead in the Iowa Republican caucus.

The votes were counted and by the end of the night Romney won by a historically low eight votes. Even though he placed second in the polling, Santorum’s finish in Iowa places him in what he calls a two-man race for the nomination.

Now that the Iowa caucus is over and Michele Bachmann has suspended her campaign, the remaining five candidates who focused their efforts on Iowa will move on to New Hampshire and encounter a new challenger at the state level: former Utah governor and U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman.

Huntsman, who won approximately one percent of the vote after essentially skipping Iowa, can find inspiration in Santorum’s finish in the Hawkeye State. Santorum focused on Iowa more than any other candidate, visiting all 99 counties—most more than once. Huntsman is employing a similar strategy in New Hampshire in an attempt to replicate Santorum’s recent success. “If you’re willing to get in a car and put in the hours that Rick Santorum is putting in and work it hard at the grass-roots level, you’ll have something to show for it,” Huntsman said.

According to the latest Reuters New Hampshire Republican primary poll, Huntsman is in third place with nine percent of the vote. He trails Romney, who holds 43 percent, and Ron Paul, who has secured 14 percent. Santorum, the candidate with the most momentum going into the primary, is in fifth, ahead of Rick Perry but behind Newt Gingrich.

In 2008, Sen. John McCain, who was the Republican presidential nominee last election, employed a tactic similar to Huntsman’s, also skipping Iowa for New Hampshire. McCain did well in the New Hampshire primary, obtaining first place with 37 percent of the vote. Although McCain and Huntsman both skipped Iowa, McCain somehow managed to receive nine percent more than Huntsman did. Huntsman has visited all 10 counties in New Hampshire, appearing at more than 150 events since he started his campaign last summer.

Huntsman worked for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush during their presidential administrations. Similar to Romney, Huntsman served as chief executives in officers in a handful of businesses. Romney and Huntsman share more than business experience; they are both Mormons, a fact that could significantly affect the outcome of the race if some conservative Christians continue distrusting the religion. Huntsman's statements concerning his belief in climate change and evolution could also potentially detract support from some of the conservative base in New Hampshire.

The Schoney family, of Clive, tell their two sons about the voting process on Tuesday night. This was their first caucus to attend as an entire family. Photo By: Sydni Dunn

CLIVE, IA -- For residents of Dallas County, the Caucus voting process is more than a political race – it’s a community event, a civic engagement lesson and a family tradition.

Hundreds of residents from precincts 1 and 2 cast their votes at the Seven Flags Event Center in Clive Tuesday night, contributing to the overall, yet narrow, victory of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Kelli and Dave Schoney, both of Clive, said the turnout appeared to be higher than observed for the 2008 election, and they praised the large, newly-adopted venue and improved organization. The couple said they never miss a chance to vote in the Caucus, adding “We love voting!”

But this year they brought along more than a ballot; they were accompanied by their sons Isaac, 6, and Andy, 8.

“I think it’s important to bring them to the caucus,” Kelli said, handing her oldest son a Rick Santorum pamphlet. “It’s training them to be involved in the future.”

The couple couldn’t settle on a candidate, as they argued back-and-forth between Santorum and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, but agreed the Caucus is a special event for the community.

This was evident as children ran around covered in campaign stickers and helped their parents stuff votes into the ballot box. Friends and family united in the convention hall, sharing opinions on candidates and visiting the concession stand for a quick snack.

“Everyone comes out,” Dave said. “It’s just what Iowans do.”

The event began with a mass registration of all voters, and campaign signs peppered the room hoping to sway any residents still on the fence.

Rows of chairs were lined in front of a massive stage displaying a PowerPoint presentation outlining the night’s process.

Following registration, the precincts were divided, assigned to separate sides of the venue, and the speeches endorsing each candidate began. Residents spoke on behalf of candidates Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Romney and Santorum. The only candidate to make a physical appearance was Perry.

The grassroots ballot vote subsequently followed, with winding lines of people waiting to approach a white voting box on a table in the front of the stage. One precinctwas assigned red ballots, the other white.

Des Moines, IA- Let’s face the facts, the country is demoralized. Unemployment rates are hovering around 9%, markets are unstable, and our national debt has increased $4 trillion under the Obama administration. In a time of uncertainty, undecided voters typically turn to the opposing party for solutions. For the most part, they are not getting it. While most of the Republicans do offer some alternative ideas, it is still establishment jargon.

There is one candidate, however, who has not flipped-flopped and offers different solutions that would send our troops home and establish a sound monetary system. His name is Dr. Ron Paul and establishment Republicans such as Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney are using scare tactics to discredit what lots of people see as the more intelligent candidate. These candidates are framing comments made by the congressman about the Iranian nuclear issue.

“Ron Paul’s foreign policy would invite terrorists to attack us!” A speaker at the Waukee caucus precinct exclaimed to the large crowd that gathered at Point of Grace church.

Really? I had no idea a non-interventionist foreign policy was a bad thing. What is so wrong with sending our troops home, saving money, and establishing stable diplomatic relations?

Americans have a tough decision to make and every candidate does have its flaws, but it seems Dr. Ron Paul is the only one who wants to shake things up. He wants to reestablish founding principles that made America so attractive to millions of immigrants.

Perhaps voters should take a brief history lesson before they rush to the polls.

I still cannot comprehend what just happened.

Romney beats Santorum by eight votes.

In the aftermath of the closest Iowa Caucus results in history, I go back to what I was absorbing at the Caucus site at the Point of Grace in Waukee, Iowa. Iowans were milling in through the doors waiting in line to register and receive their ballots. Many were seasoned caucus-goers, but for Chad Toyne, it was his first time.

He has lived in the area for years, but he used to think the caucuses were for the “upper echelons” of society, but now he says, “That’s not how it is.” When asked if he had a candidate in mind for whom he would cast his vote, he said he was waiting to hear what the speakers had to say before he made a decision.

Further down the line, some students were anxiously awaiting their first time to caucus as well. Alex Buckingham, 20, of Des Moines Area Community College, and Shelly Bruecken, 18, of Iowa State University, had come to participate for the first time since reaching voting age. Feeling excited, but unsure about what to expect, they talked to me and Leigh Phillips about what was about to take place.

“Living in Iowa, you feel like you’re in the heart of everything,” said Alex. Both had an idea of who they would vote for, but were open to the opinions of the speakers that were going to advocate for each candidate in the race for the Republican nomination.

The students’ parents had not been actively involved in the caucus process, but they had heard about it all their lives, and wanted to participate to gain the full experience. When asked if they thought the candidates would forget about Iowa and the months of courtship after tonight, both students insisted the candidates will remember Iowa down the campaign trail.

Leaving the students to their thoughts, we moved into the actual room where the voters were gathered to listen to the speakers giving last-minute speeches. Advocates pleaded with the voters as they regurgitated the rhetoric of the candidates that have been heard time and time again. Phrases such as “the only candidate to end big government” from Paul supporters and “the man who knows Iowa cannot be bought, but must be earned” from Santorum supporters resonated through the room at Point of Grace Church.

By far the most interesting speaker was an impromptu one for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, as she did not have a designated speaker for this caucus site. Instead of advocating for Bachmann, he engaged into a rant against Ron Paul, stressing he would “honestly” be okay with any of the Republican candidates, “except Ron Paul.”

After the speeches, we stuck around to catch a glimpse at the tabulation process, which was nothing more than caucus organizers sorting paper ballots into piles and counting them. I struck up a conversation with Ron Marr, a Waukee native who, after chatting for about ten minutes, revealed he was a lobbyist with an energy company for renewable resources. He explained that “everyone needed to get involved and vote,” because “it is that one vote that makes a difference.”

That phrase could not be more fitting in wake of the results tonight.

Finding myself in the presence of elite media stars has been a common occurrence in the past few days, but I once again found myself star struck on caucus night.

I was assigned to cover Mitt Romney’s campaign tonight, but five minutes after arriving at the swanky hotel hosting his campaign I was told I didn’t have the right credential to be where Romney was delivering his speech.

That was okay, though, because I got access to the best part of the caucus party—the press room.

The first person I saw when I walked into the press room was Donna Brazile. I just couldn’t quite believe that she was real and not flashing across my TV with a CNN sign below her. Reporters from every elite news outlet were sitting next to her, all making the front row of the press room into a front-line of media battlers.

I stood in awe, looking upon the rows and rows of reporters consumed in their writing and burrowed into their laptops as crystal chandeliers shone down on them. Occasionally, reporters would squint at the four giant projector screens hanging near the mahogany walls as the TVs switched back-and-forth between CNN and Fox coverage.

After realizing I was not moving, I walked down the aisle as smoothly as possible and collapsed into a seat in the back. While these busy reporters had no time to notice me, I still felt like I stuck out as an amateur carrying a steno and my iPhone with no laptop, no camera lenses and no Mitt Romney credential.

The press room had a strange vibe and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it – it was somehow calm yet tense, buzzing yet silent, relaxed yet cut-throat.

Then I started picking up on the accents. I was surrounded by journalists from across the world. Asians, Italians, Russians, Norwegians, French – just to name a few. The best press in America and throughout the world was covering this night. And I got to sit in the same room with them.

Since I had no laptop to pass the time, I did what reporters do best: observed. I felt so honored to be in this center of media and breaking news and journalistic excellence.

The more I observed, the more fascinated I became. To an ordinary person, this press room must have been a snore: a group of people watching TV and typing on their laptops. But I just couldn’t tear myself away from it as I tried to understand the dynamic.

It was easy to tell that these reporters were the seasoned pros. They carried their statuses lightly, but I noticed the serious edge they all had. At the same time, sitting in the same room as the reporters brought them more down-to-earth. Just like us, they had stenos, they drank water and they cracked jokes.

The reporter next to me looked exhausted as her eyes drooped, her typing hands slowed and she yawned as she typed. That’s when I noticed most of the reporters looked exhausted, another sign of their journalistic prowess.

Despite their fame, they were so normal, which baffled me even more. I saw a love triangle in action, as a blonde female reporter fawned over a sandy-haired man seated a few rows away from her. In the meantime, though, he was flirting with the two dark-haired female reporters behind him.

I couldn’t quite believe these games were happening in a press room in the middle of the Iowa caucuses.

A cell phone behind me rang, and I heard a reporter shout, “I’ll have it in 30 seconds, okay!?”

Now that was more like it: reporters rushing to make deadline.

As results started coming in, ears perked up and heads turned to watch the speeches by Gingrich, Bachmann and Paul.

The only time I would say the press room got loud, though, was when Fox’s Bret Baier cracked jokes on TV and the room thundered with laughter. Reporters must all share the same sense of humor.

While I didn’t get anywhere near the room where Romney delivered his speech, being in the press room taught me a great deal about journalism and, as so much of this trip has, inspired me.

I was still star-struck when I left the press room, but I was thrilled, inspired, and hopeful toward the day when I can be in that press room again, on par with the reporters surrounding me.

Waukee, IA- Up to a thousand voters gathered at Point of Grace Church in Waukee to decide which Republican candidate won the influential suburban area. As the big moment approached, many Iowans awaited eagerly in lines to cast their votes.  As the actual vote came closer, representatives of the candidates including Rick Perry himself made a final plea to the influential precinct.

“I really don’t know yet. I’m just gonna decide when I cast my ballot.” Brenda, a Waukee housewife said to me.

Growing up in rural southern Louisiana, I never realized how important face-to-face campaigning was until I came to Iowa and experienced the caucuses first hand. After hearing the speeches, I got a sense that voters were leaning toward candidates who spent a great deal in Iowa.

“I heard Romney and Santorum speak at the state fair and it really came down to those two. I just made up my mind on Santorum but it was tough.” Norm, a Waukee resident explained to me.

James Keller, a local businessman, explained what he went through. “I’ve seen Romney and he seemed very knowledgeable. I also think he’s the biggest threat to Obama.”

Congressman Ron Paul came in at a close third and was raised by his mass popularity with the youth of Iowa, but his decision to spend New Year’s Day in Texas may have come at a price.

“I really like Ron Paul’s ideas but I never got a chance to see him to see if he could explain his weird foreign policy. I’ll be casting my vote for Gingrich.” Jesse, an Urbandale resident said to me.

Establishing recognition is the name of the game in the Iowa Caucus and without retail style politics, the candidate is bound to fall behind.

Nick Thayer,3, begins counting down the years until he can participate in the Caucus. For now, he'll just campaign... even if the sign is upside down.

WAUKEE, IA — As caucus locations began to fill up Tuesday night, Iowa residents took time to talk with their neighbors and reflect on their decisions before finally casting their vote.

But while thoughts on candidates varied, many voters agreed that the most attractive characteristic a candidate could possess was the ability to beat President Barack Obama in the election in November.

Diane Jones and her husband, Wayne, participated in the caucus for the second time at Point of Grace Church in Waukee, Iowa.

The couple said they were both undecided before walking into the church and would cast their votes after hearing from representatives for each candidate.

But there was one thing they were sure of — they will not be voting for Obama in November.

“I’d support any Republican in the race,” Diane said.

They’re not alone.

Terry Garner of Waukee was also in attendance Tuesday night to cast his vote.

Garner said he planned to vote for Rick Santorum because he appreciates the candidate’s message but would reconsider another Republican candidate if Santorum didn’t receive the nomination.

“I won’t vote for Obama,” he said. “He’s really taken this country in the wrong way. He’s not respectful and he doesn’t know business.”

But not everyone felt that way.

Yvonne Ferimore, of Urbandale, said she was afraid that residents would vote for one of the other candidates because he or she may have had a better chance against Obama later this year.

“We don’t need someone who’s just electable,” she said.

Her husband Terry planned to vote for Rick Perry because he felt the governor was the candidate who most aligned with his values and beliefs and Yvonne agreed, calling Perry a “principled man.”

Despite their concerns, the couple spent the evening reminiscing about the days when their Caucus location only saw 30 voters in a night.

But that was years ago and there are now several locations in the Dallas County area, each seeing hundreds of residents on Caucus Night.

“This is one of the fastest growing communities in the Midwest,” he said.

A few other things have changed since that time as well.

“People in their twenties are realizing how important this is,” Yvonne Ferimore said. “It used to be when we were their age, we let our parents handle all that. I’m glad they’re actually taking part in it.”

Des Moines, IA- After nearly an hour of light background music, a middling crowd of about 100 people at Newt Gingrich’s caucus event at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium experienced a sudden shift of tone.

Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” blared on the speakers as Gingrich and his wife Callista made their way to the stage. The former House Speaker seemed perfunctory after his fourth place finish.

“We have a candidate who has just punched his ticket to New Hampshire,” Callista said before Gingrich spoke.

Gingrich delivered his speech with little emotion, he seemed to be going through the motions rather than speaking with conviction.  And possibly for good reason, until about 15 minutes before Gingrich took the stage, only a few supporters milled about the vast room. Comparatively, Mitt Romney’s election event in downtown Des Moines was filled to capacity before 9 p.m.

Yet while early guests were small in number, one made up in spirit.

Paula Maxheim, a local photographer, wore a hat bedecked with Gingrich stickers while she waited for the event Tuesday night. Maxheim’s vote for Gingrich stems from ardent support of former President Ronald Reagan.

Maxheim said she served as “Duchess Dolly,” a group of women who sang when Reagan spoke at appearances in 1980 and 1984. Reagan’s son Mike supports Gingrich and Maxheim decided to support him, too.

Maxheim said she has met a many candidates in 2008 and 2011 through traveling as a photographer in the GOP party. Maxheim said there was no comparison between the current candidates.

“He could hit the ground running,” Maxheim said of Gingrich. “He is by far and away the most experienced candidate.”

Maxheim said she was not deterred by a small turn out for the Gingrich event, and she was hopeful for his results in other states.

Gingrich’s speech expressed his stance on policy issues, but also seemed a warning to his opponents. He outlined a great debate in the Republican Party in determining the party’s candidate.

Gingrich seemed to size up the three candidates who outranked him in the caucus Tuesday night. He commended Rick Santorum for running a clean campaign, then said he looked forward to debating Ron Paul on his foreign policy issues, calling it “stunningly dangerous for the United States of America.” He questioned Mitt Romney’s ability to effectively incite change with his policy.

But Gingrich promised to steer away from negative ads; he earlier called the ads leading up to the caucus the “nastiest Iowa commentary.”

“I do reserve the right to tell the truth,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich spoke to the crowd only briefly, making it known he was not defeated yet.

He closed simply: “Onto New Hampshire!”

Adorable triplets supporting Santorum at his victory rally Tuesday night. The three had prepared a celebratory chant in his honor and were positively thrilled to be at the party.