Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumSo I'm going to the Iowa State Fair tomorrow.
Saturday, Aug. 10
9 a.m.: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
10:30 a.m.: Sen. Kamala Harris
11:15 a.m.: Rep. Tim Ryan
12:45 p.m.: Sen. Amy Klobuchar
1:30 p.m.: Former Rep. Joe Sestak
2:15 p.m.: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
3 p.m.: Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper
3:45 p.m.: Sen. Elizabeth Warren
4:30 p.m.: Sen. Cory Booker
...and (of course) 69 food items on a stick, as well as the legendary Butter Cow.
Should be fun!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
a kennedy
(29,858 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
madaboutharry
(40,252 posts)This year there are also characters from Sesame Street as a tribute to Iowa Public Radio.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)Big Bird looked really good in butter yellow.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
a kennedy
(29,858 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
busterbrown
(8,515 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)I did not partake, as I am engaging in weight loss. I did have locally grown apple slices and homemade peanut butter for dipping. That's not a damn thing like beer, but it's as good as it got for me today.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
busterbrown
(8,515 posts)I could never do what you did.. Stuff outside in nice weather always require beer and vodka/juice.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,969 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
PunkinPi
(4,883 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JI7
(89,322 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
PunkinPi
(4,883 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)This year, it was a tribute to Sesame Street.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
a kennedy
(29,858 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
3catwoman3
(24,190 posts)Don't allow any pictures if you do -
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)The family got ice cream at the dairy barn run by the dairy association, and my non-red meat eating daughter got turkey tenderloin on a stick from the Turkey Growers food stand.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)K&R
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)I'll expand further down.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Lucid Dreamer
(584 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)We did not stand around and listen to the candidate after candidate. There were, after all, cows and horses to see and food stands that needed to be kept in business.
We heard part of Joe Sestak's speech - the story of his daughter being denied treatment is touching and relevant, but I think his stump speech needs work.
We heard part of Kristin Gillibrand's speech. In the part we heard, she talked about defeating an incumbent who called her names and ran attack ads in a 2 - 1 Republican district. To be fair, I'm not a fan. Objectively, her speech isn't bad, but it's no barn burner.
We heard part of John Hickenlooper's talk. I write "talk" because he was doing Q & A as opposed to giving a stump "speech" at the point that we arrived. In the portion that we heard, he was answering questions about legal Cannabis, and talking about the concept of dry counties that came out of prohibition, and how that related to dividing Cannabis tax revenue with those counties where it remains illegal. He also discussed taxes and indicated he wants to roll back the Trump tax cuts while also indicating that he would have cut corporate taxes, but not as much as Trump. It was a muddle.
We heard all of the Elizabeth Warren speech, and she got a fairly decent crowd. Key talking points of hers that worked with the crowd were "structural change" and "2 cents" (referring to her plan to tax 2% of the total property value of Americans with > $50M). She talked about using those proceeds to fund childcare and UPK for 3 & 4-year-olds and eliminating 95% of student loan debt. Her "biggest anti-corruption investigation since Watergate" point also seemed to sit well with the audience.
As you'd expect, we saw many organizers in the shirts of their respective camps. Warren, Booker, Klobuchar, and Bernie organizers were all in evidence. I also saw some Union Canvasser shirts. There were some folks walking around with Trump 2020 signs, and I was one particularly obnoxious shirt (Trump 2020 . F*** Your Feelings) but I didn't see heckling or harassment of one side by the other.
There was a big crowd today, but the vast majority of fairgoers were doing things having nothing to do with politics, so how much impact this has on the locals will likely depend on coverage by the local TV stations and the Des Moines Register, which sponsors this event.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
xmas74
(29,689 posts)We received t shirts from my council. They're green and on the back says "Caucasing for my union". I believe they planned on being there to ask about legislation. We have all been informed that we should ask every candidate about if they would do anything to fight the Janus decision.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
xmas74
(29,689 posts)I'm in the middle of too much overtime and both mine and the kid's classes start next week.
I will be in Des Moines at the end of September and I hope to catch a few more candidates.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)I'd stay home and make the money, too!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
xmas74
(29,689 posts)It's a whole process to cash out my time and takes several pay cycles to receive.
The ot is mandatory and it's exhausting. This has gone on for years.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,798 posts)Sorry. And here I was thinking you were going to get a windfall.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
xmas74
(29,689 posts)State employees don't make all that much and my state (Missouri) is the lowest paid in the nation.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden