Today’s Tom Steyer, he gets high on you

I don’t think I’ve packed enough clothes. I’m a Californian. I get a chill at 60 degrees. Drop it down another hair and I wander around complaining about my core temperature, clutching a hot water bottle ensconced in a cableknit sweater. This is true. Ask my coworkers.

But Iowa? In February? Can’t comprehend it. Neither can my wardrobe. Last night I received my “What to expect in Iowa” packet from the Tom Steyer campaign. The packing list is pure gortex and wool. I’m gonna freeze.

NYE’19, sitting on Frances’s living room floor, surrounded by her rocks-of-many-colors collection spread out in a rainbow pattern on the floor like the ‘Employees Only’ area of a Natural history museum. She writes policy for Steyer. I’ve maybe got ten years on her but she’s who I want to be when I grow up. I pour the champagne, she makes the casual pitch: you should come with me to the Iowa Caucus.

Huh.

I have been meaning to DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING this year to try and be a be a good citizen for a country that I feel is starting to show wear and tear. I also might be able to chuck the whole thing on points and I do have the PTO.

What do I know about Tom Steyer?

I know he’s putting the climate emergency at the top of his platform. That’s something I can get behind. That I’d trudge around in the snow ringing doorbells endorsing.

What do I know about the Iowa Caucus?

Embarrassingly, very little. I think it’s a primary? I know it comes first. It’s definitely in Iowa. My political savvy starts with a few bouncing braincells labeled ‘Freshman Civics Class” and ends with a full series viewing of Veep. I don’t think I’m alone.

So I buy the plane ticket. Fill out the Volunteer google doc. Get a call from Doug. He’s boots-on-the-ground, on leave from an Executive Director Of A Non Profit role up in Minneapolis. He’s ‘doing something’ too. Non profit folk. My people.

I will learn all of this in my Des Moines training but the teaser is: There are 4 types of voters. When you go door-to-door in Iowa canvasing for Tom, you try and quickly identify what type of voter they are. Right now I can only remember 2: the data people and the heart strings people. You can’t throw data at people who want a compelling story. And the just-the-facts folks don’t want fluff. Formulaic. Basic Marketing. I’m so intrigued. This is gonna be fun.

…

On the ride to the airport, I was treated to a serenade of Rush at full volume. My husband replaced Tom Sawyer with Tom Styer and did his best Neil Peart (RIP) air drums on the steering wheel.

These lyrics, in this context, are hilarious. I now have lots of campaign slogan ideas. Might title this blog after one. Can’t wait to tell Doug.