Our day started with a tour of the Des Moines Register. We sat in on their morning staff meeting where we got to hear how they selected upcoming stories for their print and digital newspaper. Afterwards, we got to speak with their political editor about the ways the Register has balanced its position as a local paper that garners national impact during the caucus season.
Following this meeting we were given a guided tour of the State Historical Museum by its curator. In the museum, we heard more about the history of Iowa’s “first in the nation” status. This was an amazing opportunity to see election ballots dating back over one hundred years and view campaign materials such as signs, buttons, and bumper stickers from past caucus cycles.
After a bit of free time in the afternoon we left for Pete Buttigieg’s event in Ames, Iowa, arriving early enough to secure spots right up front. This also gave us valuable time to interact with other attendees and campaign volunteers. To kick off the event, special guest Mandy Moore, a singer/songwriter and actress from many movies and shows including This is Uscame out all the way from Hollywood to give her endorsement and introduce Mayor Buttigieg. Pete spoke on a variety of issues such as climate change, the national economy, gun control, and his opposition to President Trump. We really felt the excitement of being at a larger campaign event and were able to make some interesting comparisons with yesterday’s Klobuchar event. After the rally, Mayor Pete and his husband, Chasten, took the time to meet and take pictures with our group.
Although only our second full day in Iowa, we feel as though our group has already been able to meet with many interesting people and learn a lot about the state of Iowa and its role in the presidential primaries. Tomorrow, we expect to attend an Andrew Yang campaign event in the morning back in Ames, and the rest of the day will center around the Democratic debate at nearby Drake University and likely a watch party or two. We will all rest well after a full day buzzing around Iowa and are looking forward to tomorrow’s events.