Caucus excitement builds for those not yawning
WATERLOO — A record number of appearances by candidates. Massive piles of money. Unprecedented hype.
The Iowa caucuses in 2008 loom larger than ever, capping a process that began unofficially three years ago for some on the campaign trail.
Lately, swinging a dead cat by the tail in these parts knocks over at least one presidential hopeful, their surrogate celebrity or a staffer. Shoppers with Iowa license plates have to dodge candidates at the mall, grocery store and school. Turning on a television or radio is an excursion into political partisanship.
And still, the net result Thursday may be an overwhelming and collective yawn.
“I think it’s a bunch of crap, just a bunch of political nose blowing,” said Staci Johnson, 32, of Waterloo.
She doesn’t intend to go to a caucus and speaks for many Iowans who — if they follow tradition — will find another more interesting diversion that evening.
Perhaps a live sporting event, like a high school girls’ basketball game; or a televised one: The Orange Bowl with Kansas and Virginia Tech kicks off at 7 p.m.
Since it’s winter in Iowa, the lure of a fireplace might overwhelm any sense of urgency to help pick the next leader of the free world. Or the time might be ripe to clip the dog’s nails.
“I’ve got more important things in my life,” Johnson said.
She expects to spend caucus night playing with and being entertained by her 3-year-old son, Will.
Historically, despite their privileged first-in-the-nation status, Iowans typically don’t participate in the caucuses in large numbers. In 2000, the statewide event attracted only about 1 in 10 voters. Republicans set their party’s record attendance in 1980 when 115,000 people showed up. Democrats produced a record turnout in 1988 when 125,000 people participated.
For comparison, Iowa has about 2.98 million residents. Of those, slightly more than 2.05 million are registered voters, according to the Iowa secretary of state.
Johnson expects to vote in November. But she and many people she knows won’t caucus.
“None of my friends are. They all have small kids,” Johnson said.
She notes Thursday is both a work and a school night for most people and their families.
“If they had it on a weekend they might get more people. I’m not going to get a baby-sitter to go caucus,” Johnson said.
Excitement builds
Trisha Serfling, 56, of Waterloo is more enthusiastic.
“Iowa gets a big voice ... Never have so few had so much influence,” she said. “One vote could make a difference.”
Serfling is looking forward to joining the fray for the first time.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of the process,” she said.
The Minnesota native attended Wartburg College but returned to Iowa only recently after about 25 years in Colorado. There, the only politician of note Serfling remembers meeting was Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a former congressman and senator from the state.
This year in Iowa, the epicenter of presidential politics,
Serfling shared a private conversation with Mitt Romney and narrowly missed an opportunity to see Hillary Clinton.
“I’ve been (attached to) both parties, much to the chagrin of my mother and my kids, depending on the time in my life,” Serfling said.
She has arranged for a ride to her caucus site in Black Hawk County and gives the impression anything less than a significant disaster won’t be enough to derail her plans.
“I’m real excited about it, maybe because I’m a newcomer or never participated before,” she said.
Mark Degner, 28, of Platteville, Wis., is also able to share an outsider’s perspective. Like his cousin, Staci Johnson, he doesn’t care much about the political process this early in the season.
“A lot of Wisconsin residents do watch what’s going on in Iowa,” he said.
Degner isn’t one of them.
“I hate to say it, but I don’t want to waste my time,” he said.
He will wait until the field narrows.
Like his cousin, Degner objects to the amount campaigns are spending in Iowa.
“It is a waste of money,” he said.
Campaign Media Analysis Group, an organization that tracks such things, offers evidence to support that argument: So far campaign and issue ads nationwide amount to more than $715 million.
Romney’s campaign leads the pack, dropping more than $15.7 million on television
ads this year. Of that, $11.9 million worth ran in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
For the Democrats, Barack Obama spent $8.3 million and Hillary Clinton forked over
$6.5 million. The majority of their two campaigns’ advertising budget flowed through Iowa, almost 60 percent, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group.
“It’s getting ridiculous, especially how much money they’re spending that could go to other things,” Johnson said.
Public interest
Jim Ives, 80, of Waterloo is an active caucus-goer. He first voted for Harry Truman. He agrees the process is too long and too expensive and would like to see more Iowans participate.
“Ideally, I’d think everybody should, but I recognize that it’s a complicated situation,” he said.
Scheduling conflicts and philosophical differences might be factors in Iowa voters’ decisions to stay home Thursday. Ives, though, thinks the reason is much simpler.
“I suspect they’re probably not that much interested.”
He will go, though.
“I feel like I should. I don’t necessarily say I’m looking forward to it or not looking forward to it,” Ives said.
Serfling, the woman fired up about her first caucus experience, said at a minimum the event will provide an interesting distraction.
“What else are you going to do on a winter’s evening that will be as much fun?”
Contact Dennis Magee at (319) 291-1451 or dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com.