Hey everybody! I'm here in Iowa City and I've been hitting the streets for John Edwards. Before I begin to tell you about the Hillary Clinton event I attended last night and the John Edwards event I went to today...I need to say something. Every canvasser who has been hitting the streets in Iowa deserves a medal. It's been anywhere from 1-10 degrees and the wind chill has been insane. Going door to door in this weather has been very difficult. My toes have paid the price, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Just this morning I left the house with my hair not completely dry. The twenty seconds it took me to get to the car from the door....froze my hair. Seriously. That's how cold it is. So, no matter who wins the nomination every single person who is a volunteer out here in Iowa deserves some serious kudos. Moving on to my personal opinion on the two campaign events.....
First up Hillary Clinton
Last night, after I had canvassed and did office work for John Edwards, I attended a Hillary Clinton event. I have never seen her in person but I did get a chance to see Bill Clinton back in 1991. The event was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Iowa City. There were about 500 people in attendance which was good considering it was after 9pm. I was sat next to two Huckabee supporters if you can believe it. They were making snarky comments throughout the entire event. It was a little surreal. A staffer whose job it was to rally the crowd held a Hillary trivia game. IMO, it was pretty ridiculous but they were trying to make the event fun. They also threw tee shirts out and one was thrown directly into the Huckabee supporter's lap. I guess that one was a waste of money.
Hillary Arrives
Hillary came out with her daughter Chelsea, and man did Chelsea look beautiful. I know this sounds petty but I'd love to throw her beauty in all the right wingers faces that were very unkind to Chelsea back in the 90's. Governor Tom Vilsack was also in attendance although he did not speak. Hillary started out the night by trying to energize the crowd. She said, "Are you ready for change"...."Are you ready for UHC"...."Are you read for a good energy policy"? The crowd responded enthusiastically as you can imagine. It wasn't the most boisterous crowd but they were enthusiastic and having fun.
A Few Common Hits Against Obama and Edwards
This made me roll my eyes a bit. Of course I'm an Edwards supporter and I do respect Obama so it was expected. Hillary said, "Some candidates hope for change, others demand it, I will work really, really hard for change"! Blah. I'm sorry but Obama's campaign may be centered around hope and a new perspective, but he doesn't hope for change. Edwards may be more forceful in the way he approaches the status quo, but he sure has solid proposals to create change.
Hillary Spoke of her Record
Hillary cited many of her accomplishments in her long career. Going back to working for disabled children so they could attend school to her fight for health care for all in 90's, this is what dominated her speech. She spoke of her work for vaccines for children to working across party lines to pass legislation. I was surprised at her focus on legislation where she worked with Republicans. She didn't talk about working with Democrats but I'm sure the point she was trying to make was that she can get things done. She also spoke of how during her husband's Presidency she took on the deficit.
Hillary Took on Bush
Even with the early jabs at Obama and Edwards, her negative focus was on Bush. I appreciated that. She spoke about how she fought against Bush on privatizing social security. She also said that people will remember two things about Bush, "Fear and fatalism". She spoke about how the Bush administration is all about instilling fear in the American people. She also said that they're the type of administration that believes nothing can be done. I agreed with her on both points, although I think when people are reminded of Bush, they're reminded of the Iraqi blunder.
I'm a Modern Progressive
That's what she called herself. I'm not sure I agree. I think what she did in the early nineties took guts, but in all honesty, I don't view her as a strong progressive voice right now. For me, John Edwards is a strong progressive voice. Thom Hartmann is a strong progressive voice. John Conyers is a strong progressive voice...and so on and so on. She plays it too safe for me. But...heck...I'm a partisan and I'm not afraid to admit that I am biased.
A Huge Priority
Hillary spoke of taking care of the veterans. She spoke of the Heroes at Home Act that she introduced. She spoke of how they need to be treated properly when they return from service. She also spoke of how we need to protect the Iraqis who sided with us. She brought up Iraqi translators who put their lives on the line for us in the battle of Falluja. Ok...admittedly...this pissed me off. Don't you dare bring up Falluja without talking about what really happened there. We blanketed Falluja with white phosphorus and killed so many civilians. This bothered me, but I do understand that she's an American politician and wouldn't dare bring up the U.S. using chemical weapons on the Iraqi people. Still...it left a bad taste in my mouth. She also talked about getting out of Iraq and that she would withdraw one to two brigades a month. She also spoke of the importance to put intense pressure on the Iraqi Government to take responsibility of their own country.
Her Strongest Moments
She got the largest applause line when she said that she would end NCLB. That was easily her most well received statement. She also said that she would restore the constitution, separation of powers and restore church and state. She said that Iowans have an awesome responsibility and she called on them to caucus for her. She said, "I will wage a winning campaign"!
When I left the event I passed numerous Hillary staff and volunteers. Only one asked me if I'd like to sign a supporter card. Maybe I look a little too young? Or, maybe there were just too many people and the whole thing was overwhelming. It was a packed event, and I would say that there was a block of supporters who were very excited about her. I also got the feeling that there were quite a number of people there just to see her. Either way, she gave a good speech, although it didn't inspire me. I'm not saying that her approach didn't work, I'm sure it did for some people, but I want more passion.
Edwards in Iowa City!
I just left an event at a packed coffee house. This isn't your normal coffee house, it's a huge place. Unfortunately, it was not big enough. The place was completely packed and people were actually outside looking in through the windows. I was working the door, signing people in as they came in, although it was very overwhelming. There were just too many people!
John Edwards
Elizabeth Edwards and Mari Culver spoke, and both did an amazing job of getting the crowd going. But....I have to focus on John. I've seen him twice before and never have I seen him like this. He was on fire. I think I lost a little of my voice from hooting and hollering. The theme of his speech was about taking back our country. Taking it back from the big corporations, oil companies, health care companies and special interests. He said, "Corporate greed is destroying the middle class" He said, "The reason we don't have UHC is because of big pharma, the reason we don't have a good energy policy is because of the oil companies". He spoke of the paid mercenaries in Iraq from Blackwater who make ten times the amount of money that our service men make. He said, "When will it stop? When we make it stop"! He said that we have an epic fight on our hands. He also proclaimed that he had never taken a dime from a Washington lobbyist. He said it will never happen, and that you can't negotiate with those people. He said, "They will give their power away when we take it away!" He said, "When you fight for the middle class and the lower class your power is unstoppable!" He said, "You better send someone in the arena who will fight!"
"Are we going to let corporate greed steal our children's future?"
Edwards talked about how this issue is a very personal one for him. He spoke about how his grandparents and parents struggled and sacrificed for him. He said, "I was raised to believe that every man and woman who work in the mill are worth every bit as the man who owns the mill". You can imagine that the crowd went wild with that line.
His Life's Work
John talked about how he spent twenty years in courtrooms fighting for people against big corporations. He said he learned a few things. He said, "First, you can't nice these people to death. Second, you have to be willing to work and fight". Then he brought up something that still pains me.....
Nataline
Edwards told the story of Nataline Sarkysian. It pains me to say that we all know Nataline's story here at Dailykos. Edwards spoke about how doctors and surgeons told the insurance companies that she needed to have the transplant. They still denied her claim. He said that people marched for her, and it wasn't until then that the insurance company finally folded and agreed to the surgery. He said, "A few hours later she died. People say I'm supposed to sit at a table and negotiate with these people? Never!"
I think that might have been where I lost my voice. I never heard any politician speak so forcefully and passionately. Wow. I was just.....wow. He said that it's time for America to rise up. He said anytime that we rise up and speak for single moms, the veterans, and people like Nataline, we say something about who we are.
Questions
Edwards didn't have time for too many questions but I appreciated that he did take some. I think it says a lot that even with a crowd of hundreds of people, he's willing to answer questions even if he gets a naysayer. I did miss the second question which was about caregivers and health care. Although I did catch the last part of his answer in which he said, "No more families going bankrupt so they can take care of their elderly family members".
Question #1: How are you going to get your great plans done?
Edwards said that he will unify the American people behind his policies, not divide them. He will use the Presidency as a bully pulpit and with the American people behind him he will push Congress into doing what's right. He said, Congress has proven since the 2006 elections that they need to be pushed. Edwards also said that he can not only win the White House but strengthen Democratic numbers in the House and Senate. He said that he's the only candidate who has proven he can win in a red state and his back round growing up in rural America will help. He also cited the polls that showed he is the strongest contender against the GOP candidates. Then.....Edwards said what I have been saying for a long time here on Kos. This message will resonate across party lines!
He's right. The majority of Americans, whether they are Republicans, Independents or Democrats, are sick to death of politics as usual. They're sick of wages being stagnant while the CEO's at the top continue to become wealthier and wealthier. They're sick to death of the health care industry denying claims and increasing monthly premiums. They're sick of not having a voice. There's no doubt in my mind that Edwards is the voice we've been waiting for.
Question #2: What do you think about the current writer's strike?
He said, "I walked the picket lines and went to the rally for the writers." He said that they are the creators of products and it's a lot like many corporations. He said the corporate money isn't getting down to them. He said, I am completely committed to the cause of organized labor! He said that he will work hard to strengthen the middle class by growing the organized labor movement.
The Line that I Couldn't Believe
In ending, Edwards said he could feel the energy and enthusiasm in the room. He was right, it was a fired up crowd. More fired up than anything I have ever seen before. I'll admit, I've only seen a handful of campaign events. A Senate rally...a fund raiser with Tester...Bill Clinton in '91....Hillary Clinton last night...and John and Elizabeth numerous times before. But....seriously...the energy at this event was the strongest I have ever seen. He said that this is a movement and I need you. He said, We're going to have an election, not an auction! That line drove the crowd wild. Then he said, "Here's what I'll do for you, I'm going to give you back your country and I'm going to give you back the Democratic Party!"
That was it folks. The two events were very different. Clinton cited all her accomplishments and her proven record fighting for children and health care. She made sure to let the audience know that she could get things done. She wasn't as passionate as John was, but her approach may appeal to different people. For me, I want the passion. I want the fighter. John Edwards left no doubt in my mind who that person was.
I'm a John Edwards Supporter
I'm not afraid to admit it. Flame me...call me whatever you want. I just went to the best political event of my life and I'm practically shaking. I sure hope Iowans give John a chance to take our country back. I gotta get offline....time to get back to the phones for John.