Weekend open thread: Final Harkin Steak Fry edition

What’s on your mind this weekend, Bleeding Heartland readers? This is an open thread.

The weather is perfect in Indianola this afternoon for the roughly 5,000 people expected to attend Senator Tom Harkin’s final “Steak Fry” event. At least 200 journalists will be on hand, mostly to see Hillary Clinton’s first appearance in Iowa since the 2008 caucuses. If you see a lot of “Hillary doesn’t appear to have much of an Iowa problem” stories tonight and tomorrow, remember that you heard it here first, and repeatedly.

I stand by my prediction that Hillary Clinton will face only token Democratic opposition in Iowa and elsewhere if she runs for president again. But in case she doesn’t run, 2012 Harkin Steak Fry headliner Martin O’Malley is building up a lot of goodwill among Iowa Democrats. In addition to raising money for key Iowa Senate candidates this summer, the Maryland governor’s political action committee is funding staffers for the Iowa Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign, gubernatorial nominee Jack Hatch, and secretary of state candidate Brad Anderson. I still don’t see O’Malley running against Clinton in any scenario.

President Bill Clinton will speak today as well. That’s got to be a tough act to follow. No one can get a crowd of Democrats going like he can. I’ll update this post later with highlights from the event and news coverage. I hope other Bleeding Heartland readers will share their impressions. C-SPAN will carry the main speeches, starting at 2:00 pm. That will be on channel 95 in the Des Moines area.

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desmoinesdem

  • Meanwhile...

    The survey calls roll in day and night.  I really don’t care anymore who wins, to be honest.  ðŸ™‚

    • I lost count

      of how many IA-Sen survey calls we’ve received.

      A few days ago I got my first telephone poll regarding the Iowa House district 43 race between Chris Hagenow and Kim Robinson.

  • Steak Fry thoughts

    I will miss the Steak Fry.  It is a great atmosphere, wonderful people.  I ran into a couple 9/11 truthers there in 2006, but other than that people were very cordial to each other.

    I regret not going to see Brian Schweitzer up there, thought I would get a chance to see him in the future somewhere, but he’s persona non grata in politics now.

    I saw Mark Warner speak there, which was quite exciting as well.  His core issues won’t come to the forefront so he would never get through a primary either.

    Bernie Sanders is being pushed by the people who claim to have been misled by President Obama, I love the people who vote for Democrats and except them to govern as Nader, Kucinich or a Green Party candidate.  

    • Bernie Sanders is being pushed

      as a tactic to drive the media discourse toward certain issues, and also to force Hillary to take some positions on the left during the primary. Otherwise she will just cater to Wall Street views (is the thinking).

      • I don't think any real lefties would trust her were she to use more

        lefty rhetoric.  I think we have learned from Obama that words don’t mean much.

    • There is simply no end to how far to the right

      the triangulators will triangulate.  Look at Allison Lunderson Grimes triangulation against already triangulating Obama.  I am not shedding any tears when she loses.  Triangulation is making the differences between democrats and republicans meaningless.

  • perfect weather

    The weather was perfect and the atmosphere was great.  You could tell we were all Deocrats.  I didn’t see any guns, Confederate Flags, and everyone was was friendly.  It was fun yelling at the Benghazi nuts standing on the side of the road.

    My only complaint was they didn’t have anywhere near enough Kybos.

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