News from Iowa

[Brian Bailey]

I plan on driving up from St. Louis.

How big do you folks in Iowa think this rally is going to be on Saturday?

 

[Eric21ND]

Hopefully its huge because I'm worried about Iowa. Seems like there isn't much news coming out of there and the meet up groups aren't as dedicated as NH.

 

[me3]

Bump!

 

[Dave]

We don't need to do anything special to be eligible to be a delegate, do we? I thought we could just show up and volunteer, but all the discussion about it is making me uncertain.

You will have to be 'elected' in your precinct on caucus night. Quite often there aren't enough people interested so anyone who wants to be a delegate can be, but in some precincts you might have more volunteers for the job than there are slots available - so they'll do a quick vote.

 

[Dave]

This could be the longest thread ever!

Anyhow, what sort of straw poll is there to vote in? Is it online?

On caucus night, they call the voting that is done for presidential candidates a 'straw poll', not to be confused with the big straw poll that was done in Ames back on August 11. It is not online and you can't vote absentee in the caucuses.

 

[Dave]

Ron Paul's coming to Ames for a rally on Friday, and rumor has it that MSNBC will be there to cover it.

National media will also be covering the events in Des Moines on Saturday. The campaign is setting up extra risers for the media.

 

[Dave]

I plan on driving up from St. Louis.

How big do you folks in Iowa think this rally is going to be on Saturday?

No clue. It will help that you're coming! I don't know if we'll have the same level of out-of-state pilgrimage that we had for the June 30 face-off at Hy-Vee Hall or the Ames Straw Poll since those events were so vital. This will be a test of how much interest Ron Paul is inspiring among Iowans.

 

[alicegardener]

Just got home from the Ames rally yesterday (Friday Oct. 26). They had planned for 300 and got 650, this according to one of the organizers. They had to move to a larger room and people were still standing up in back.

Ron Paul elaborated on his plans to stop the war on drugs which he compared to the failed war on alcohol, Prohibition, which at least had had the saving grace of having been done according to the constitution. This "war" current on drugs is being waged disproportionately against the lower classes, is failing, and is costing us money we don't have.

He also mentioned opening up travel to Cuba for Americans as part of his new foreign policy of trying to be friends with and trading with all nations.

The loudest applause from this mostly student audience, came when Dr. Paul stressed we must not go to war with Iran.

The talk lasted about an hour and a quarter. Dr. Paul looked healthy and fresh in spite of his heavy schedule and did not need to use any notes during his speech.

Some of the supporters who came to the rally, while standing around getting ready, were descended upon by campus authorities who got uptight that Ron Paul signs were visible outside of officially sanctioned "free speech zones" on this public college campus. When the people took a bit too long to get on their way to the rally site, they were treated to another visit by the campus cops. An internet news show from Pittsburg interviewed these folks there in the parking lot. MSNBC and Reason Magazine had people at the meeting room.

What rally would be complete without "characters"? We saw the familiar Patriot with a tri-corner hat and an antiqued American flag. More strangely, a guy dressed up as a snowman mixed with the students, apparently protesting global warming, though, with all the Halloween costumes floating around campus that evening, who can be sure.

Ron Paul signed autographs and posed for photos after his talk, until we were rushed out to free the room for the next scheduled campus group.

 

[Dave]

Huge table in the DM Register today showing where all 16 candidates stand on retirement. Excerpt:

DMR: What changes, if any, would you make in social security?

RP: He call social security taxes on retirees "political theft" and has introduced legislation to repeal them.


DMR: Would you favor continuing the medicare prescription drug program in its current form? (of the Reps - Giuliani, Huckabee, Hunter, and Romney supported)

RP: He opposed the bill creating the drug benefit, saying that it was not only the largest expansion of the federal welfare state since the 1960s but also that it would fleece taxpayers, enrich drug makers and force millions of Americans into inferior drug coverage. He would repeal the benefit.


DMR: What changes, if any, would you make in medicare?

RP: He said the repeal of the prescription drug benefit would be the first of several steps he would take to cut the costs of federal entitlement programs. The nation will not be able to grow out of the problem of increasing costs, he said.

 

[RockEnds]

I just saw the first TV ad on KTVO ABC out of Kirksville/Ottumwa. I turned on the television during the ad, so I'm not sure which ad was playing, but I definitely saw Ron Paul in front of the Constitution. It was playing at the end of Good Morning America.

 

[RockEnds]

The ad is on again already!! This was ad #2. The television ads are definitely running in Iowa. There was only 1/2 hour between them. Name recognition should be improving very soon.

 

[Dave]

Awesome! People's televisions may explode from the shock of something intelligent coming out of them.

Moments ago I got another automated phone call. The first one was Carol Paul and this one was Ron himself and much longer - about 60 seconds.

He talked about taxes, national defense, and illegal immigration. Talked about how he gave GWB more tools to go after Al Qaeda - one media outlet even called it 'Ron Paul vs. bin Laden'.

Opposed to amnesty. 'Taxpayers' Best Friend', 'Taxpayer Hero' awards, etc.

Narrator gave the Iowa HQ number 3 times.

They're seeding the clouds!

 

[Ethek]

Awesome; bring on the storm.

 

[kylejack]

Automated phone calls? Hmm...

 

[Dave]

Automated phone calls? Hmm...

I'm thankful HQ is running them here. There are over 2 million registered voters in Iowa and most of them have never heard of Ron Paul. We don't have enough volunteers to reach them all.

Will these calls tick some people off? Yes (All the other candidates are doing them, too). Will it tick someone off so bad that they make a point of showing up at the caucuses to vote against Ron Paul? I don't think so.

 

[RockEnds]

I also favor the phone calls. People here are accustomed to political calls this time of year, and they will help save so much time with the personal calls we are making. It takes quite a bit of time to answer the question, "Who?" At the very least, the automated calls will increase awareness.

 

[LibertyEagle]

Awesome! People's televisions may explode from the shock of something intelligent coming out of them.

Moments ago I got another automated phone call. The first one was Carol Paul and this one was Ron himself and much longer - about 60 seconds.

He talked about taxes, national defense, and illegal immigration. Talked about how he gave GWB more tools to go after Al Qaeda - one media outlet even called it 'Ron Paul vs. bin Laden'.

Opposed to amnesty. 'Taxpayers' Best Friend', 'Taxpayer Hero' awards, etc.

Narrator gave the Iowa HQ number 3 times.

They're seeding the clouds!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! This made my morning!

 

[Dave]

I just heard a new RP radio commercial! I've heard from lots of people who are hearing this.

It talks about Ron Paul leading all candidates in donations from members of the military and how he wanted to pursue bin Laden using constitutional means but the white house ignored it.

It's a great ad - I don't see it at ronpaulaudio but it has to be out there somewhere...

 

[stevedasbach]

I'm thankful HQ is running them here. There are over 2 million registered voters in Iowa and most of them have never heard of Ron Paul. We don't have enough volunteers to reach them all.

Will these calls tick some people off? Yes (All the other candidates are doing them, too). Will it tick someone off so bad that they make a point of showing up at the caucuses to vote against Ron Paul? I don't think so.

The goal with automated calls is to reach answering machines. In that case, it just sounds like someone leaving a message. That's why they are often set to be delivered during the day while people are at work.

 

[Ron Paul Fan]

Great news Dave. The more people we can reach in Iowa the better. Have you seen any of the tv ads they bought and are supposed to run there? I think we can get at least 3rd in Iowa if the message spreads like it's supposed to. Thompson and McCain are sinking and Giuliani doesn't seem too interested in competing there.