The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

On the Scene in Iowa

Posted on | August 6, 2011 | 18 Comments

DES MOINES, Iowa — Friday, I visited the Iowa HQs of the Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain presidential campaigns, and then attended a Christian music festival in West Des Moines where Bachmann spoke.

Bachmann poses for a photo with a boy and his frog.

Bachmann poses for a photo with a family. The man in the background with the white beards is part of her security detail.

Bachmann shakes hands with a young admirer.

It was pouring rain most of the day at the Midwest Spirit Christian Music Festival, and these teenagers were covered in mud. On purpose.

Front door of Herman Cain’s Iowa campaign headquarters in Urbandale.

Michele Bachmann’s Iowa campaign HQ is right across the street from Cain HQ. Her bus was preparing to depart for an event in Dexter.

While Bachmann was on her bus tour, four other GOP hopefuls — Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Thad McCotter — were speaking last night at a local Republican dinner in Tiffin:

Reflecting the stakes of the straw poll, Santorum told the Friday night dinner crowd of about 400 activists the event would narrow the field and he urged them to give his struggling campaign a boost. He accused the media of ignoring him because he would be the strongest GOP candidate.

Let’s hope that Santorum’s rivals have the necessary sense of irony to appreciate that claim.

My next byline will be filed from somewhere on the road. My plan at this point — and plans may change en route — is to spend tonight in Sioux City, 200 miles west of here. Herman Cain’s bus tour begins Monday in Sioux City, and his advance team is arriving there tonight.

Let’s try the Santorum method: The media is ignoring me, so hit the freaking tip jar.




UPDATE: Changing schedule, making a detour: I just found out Santorum will be at a 4 p.m. event in Roland, Iowa. That’s not really not much of a detour on my way to Sioux City, so I’ll be there. My Twitter buddy Lisa Graas is a huge Santorum fan, and I don’t want to be accused of being part of the media that are ignoring Santorum on purpose.

Comments

18 Responses to “On the Scene in Iowa”

  1. Anonymous
    August 6th, 2011 @ 4:40 pm

    “Christian music festival ”

    I get it.  You just love the smell of exploding progtard heads in the morning.  Me too.

  2. The Other McCain Still In Fly Over Country ( Iowa) « That Mr. G Guy's Blog
    August 6th, 2011 @ 1:05 pm

    […] On the Scene in Iowa. […]

  3. Pierre
    August 6th, 2011 @ 5:12 pm
  4. Anonymous
    August 6th, 2011 @ 5:31 pm
  5. Adjoran
    August 6th, 2011 @ 6:05 pm

    Maybe Santorum is being ignored because he lost his last statewide race in his home state by 12%.

    Face it, Rick, when you can’t even beat the Margin of Error in polls, you’re not going anywhere but home.

  6. Donald Douglas
    August 6th, 2011 @ 6:20 pm

    Nice coverage, McCain!

  7. AngelaTC
    August 6th, 2011 @ 11:32 pm

    That boy with frog picture  – I love that!

  8. Iowa Debates | Maggie's Notebook
    August 6th, 2011 @ 9:21 pm

    […] Take a look at the great pics he has of Michelle Bachmann greeting supporters, and her bus, and stand by for more as the debates get underway. […]

  9. Liberal Head-Explosion Warning VIDEO: Michele Bachmann Testifies for Jesus : The Other McCain
    August 7th, 2011 @ 4:23 pm

    […] addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true,"ui_language":"en"};SIOUX CITY, Iowa Friday at the rain-soaked Midwest Spirit Christian Music Festival in West Des Moines, I recorded this eight-minute video, but didn’t upload it immediately […]

  10. ‘The Lunatic Derby’ : The Other McCain
    August 7th, 2011 @ 4:33 pm

    […] ‘Streets’ and ‘Avenues’ in Rural IowaAug. 6: I Got Iowa, They Got the Virgin IslandsAug. 6: On the Scene in IowaAug. 5: Fear and Loathing at the Quality InnAug. 5: Long Knives in IowaAug. 5: Cain, Corn and … […]

  11. Fuckoff
    August 7th, 2011 @ 11:48 pm

    Ok, call me crazy (no rely, go ahead) but I honestly don’t give a flying frig WHAT Iowa thinks. About pretty much any subject except maybe corn.

  12. Sioux City: Herman Cain Begins Iowa Bus Tour With Noon Speech to Jewish Group : The Other McCain
    August 8th, 2011 @ 1:36 pm

    […] ‘Streets’ and ‘Avenues’ in Rural IowaAug. 6: I Got Iowa, They Got the Virgin IslandsAug. 6: On the Scene in IowaAug. 5: Fear and Loathing at the Quality InnAug. 5: Long Knives in IowaAug. 5: Cain, Corn and … […]

  13. Who is Herman Cain (Video); Candidate Cain on the Campaign Trail | REPUBLICAN REDEFINED
    August 9th, 2011 @ 1:34 pm

    […] and ‘Avenues’ in Rural IowaAug. 6: I Got Iowa, They Got the Virgin IslandsAug. 6: On the Scene in IowaAug. 5: Fear and Loathing at the Quality InnAug. 5: Long Knives in IowaAug. 5: Cain, Corn and … […]

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    August 9th, 2011 @ 1:46 pm

    […] ‘Streets’ and ‘Avenues’ in Rural IowaAug. 6: I Got Iowa, They Got the Virgin IslandsAug. 6: On the Scene in IowaAug. 5: Fear and Loathing at the Quality InnAug. 5: Long Knives in IowaAug. 5: Cain, Corn and … […]

  15. Mitt Romney Comes to Des Moines, Attracts Massive Media Coverage : The Other McCain
    August 10th, 2011 @ 9:40 pm

    […] ‘Streets’ and ‘Avenues’ in Rural IowaAug. 6: I Got Iowa, They Got the Virgin IslandsAug. 6: On the Scene in IowaAug. 5: Fear and Loathing at the Quality InnAug. 5: Long Knives in IowaAug. 5: Cain, Corn and … […]

  16. Why Robert Stacy McCain Is Invaluable
    August 11th, 2011 @ 6:38 pm

    […] it less of a story—and Stacy McCain has written about Iowa like few others have: Herman Cain, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum—he covers ‘em all. He has filed from Sioux City, Des Monies, and Roland, […]

  17. LIVE! AMES STRAW POLL COVERAGE: Fear and Loathing at Hilton Coliseum UPDATE: BACHMANN WINS! : The Other McCain
    August 13th, 2011 @ 7:43 pm

    […] see her. Readers who’ve followed this campaign trip from the start know that, last Friday, I covered Bachmann during her appearance at a muddy rain-soaked Christian music festival in West Des…. There were only three or four reporters at that event, including me. Now? Everywhere she goes, […]