Eight years ago today, record numbers of Iowans showed up for their precinct caucuses. Republican gatherings drew about 120,000 people, way up from the 87,666 who had caucused in 2000, the last contested year for the GOP. Who knows how many Democratic precinct caucuses became fire hazards as close to 240,000 people came out, way beyond the record of around 125,000 set in 2004 and far surpassing any projections I had heard from campaign hacks or political analysts. Nearly 300 caucus-goers plus dozens of observers crowded into the old gymnasium of my neighborhood’s elementary school. John Deeth posted some quick hits on the phenomenal Democratic turnout in some Johnson County precincts.
It was bitterly cold that night, as it had been during the whole stretch of frantic post-Christmas GOTV by volunteers and record numbers of field staff around the state. Everyone in my family got sick later that week, which must have been a common occurrence after so many Iowans spent the evening of January 3 in close quarters.
I wrote up how things played out in my Windsor Heights precinct here. One vivid memory didn’t make it into the post. Joe Biden’s precinct captain cracked up the room when it was his turn to announce the number in his corner after the first division into preference groups: “24 very experienced caucus-goers.” He was alluding to the fact that even for our neighborhood, populated heavily by empty nesters, the average age of Biden supporters was noticeably high.
Please share your memories from that historic night in this thread.
4 Comments
Iowa City memory
I was 8 months pregnant and huge and uncomfortable. We were in Hancher auditorium. This was my first caucus. The center of the auditorium was filled with Obama supporters and apparently the Hillary people were pushed out into a hallway – I didn’t see them. Dodd and Biden’s small groups were on stage – kind of funny. Richardson in very front. Edwards – who we caucused for – had a good showing in one side. Beyond that I remember sweating, baby kicks, and lots of counting. It was chaotic. We were clearly a precinct where Hillary was unexpectedly trounced.
laurenwhitehead Sun 3 Jan 12:10 PM
There is a first time for everything.
I had NEVER been involved in a presidential campaign before. Something about Barack Obama caught my eye and my mind. I volunteered and before I knew it I was precinct caption and the night of the caucus was upon us. I remember it being moved up a whole month because of Florida. I was scared and yet determined to get this done. I had no idea what was about to happen.
I went into the classroom in Riceville and was told to pick a corner. I did so and put up some Obama signs. The woman there for Hillary had a few people there already. I had brought my kids as “observers”. The Hillary people had pictures of Hillary a year book with Hillary in it, apparently someone there had gone to college with her.
It was just myself and my kids. A woman from the Hillary camp came over and harassed me a bit for not supporting a woman. I thought it was a bit rude and my kids were put off a bit. But, of course I had never done this before and did not know how it would go down.
The Edwards people (that consisted of my husbands cousin as captain) had quite a few people there and the Hillary crowd had not gained anymore people. One of the folks from the Hillary side came over and talked to me and told me that it was hard to “get the young folk out to caucus”and since that is where Obama’s support seemed to be then I was “not going to see many”. About then the people I had called relentlessly and even a few more I had no idea who they were started coming in and getting in my corner. I stuck Obama stickers on them and smiled from ear to ear.
They told me that usually about 5 people show up to caucus, that night there were 84 people in the room! Obama had won the majority and the Hillary people would not even look at me. I was upset because I did not hate Hillary I just liked Obama better.
What I see now from the Hillary campaign is much more focus and determination to win than in 2008. We shall see how it shakes out. This time Ill be in Bernies corner.
nedem Sun 3 Jan 12:56 PM
Cool :)
I’m hoping for a similar moment this year — I think being a volunteer and then captain, you feel personally responsible for turnout (whether right or wrong) and the payoff must have felt incredible.
laurenwhitehead Mon 4 Jan 12:13 PM
The View from Marion County
What a privilege it was to be involved in such a historic caucus in 2008.
Marion County saw the Obamas three times, the Clintons three times, the Edwards twice, Joe Biden and his family four times, and Bill Richardson once. I was a County Chair and Clinton supporter. Vivid in my mind is the extraordinary amount of volunteer time (mine) that it took to find venues for the campaigns, organize the caucuses, and move into a large county convention two months later.. The caucuses were larger than any of us ever imagined. Five of our precincts met in a middle school in Knoxville, and half the attendees did not know their precincts. We had two hostesses at each door with precinct finders, but we could have used twice that many.
I am no longer the county chair, but I am still a Clinton supporter. Even though I like all of our candidates, I feel that we need to take advantage of having a brilliant and experienced woman as president. Women’s lives matter, and Hillary will bring national attention to women’s issues at a time when women’s rights are under attack. That makes her very exciting to me.
phyllisweeks Tue 5 Jan 8:03 AM