What I saw in Iowa wasn’t chaos, it was people choosing Pete!
Despite everything you have heard about the Iowa caucuses being a “cluster*uck” this year with regard to delayed reporting, please know that the actual caucuses were also AMAZING.
I served as an observer in W. Des Moines where, illogically, precincts 311 and 312 shared a gym at a freshman high school. (I had never heard of an entire high school just for 9th graders.) Why one of the two precincts didn’t move to the other side of the gym — — there was a huge dividing wall between the two gyms and both were full sized — is beyond me although I did see an increase in efficiency since the set up allowed 2 precincts of people to check in at the same tables before they diverged.
The Iowans attending were mostly white and older than twenty-five. The attendees that tugged at my heart strings were the children. All those children being brought (dragged?) to a gym at 7 pm on a cold Iowa night for a process they all knew would take hours. I saw an adorable 4-month-old, a handful of energetic toddlers and young kids and an impressive contingent of engaged and almost age young adults. What an amazing display of American patriotism at a time when our country needs us more than ever.
Coming in a close second with regard to “heartwarming” were the 50 or so individuals who came in and registered for the first time or changed their registration to the democratic party. The party registration table was up near the main door where each Iowan came in from the cold to exercise their elective franchise. Pete was right, his message did resonate with “future former republicans” as they arrived and became actual former republicans right before my eyes. It was incredible to watch and made me a bit emotional.
Pete people were everywhere on the main floor. We were offering directions to the downstairs caucus area, handing out pens and forms so they could register or change their party, pointing out the restrooms, escorting some to the elevators because the stairs were intimidating or inaccessible, and simply thanking them for being there. Our numbers and our enthusiasm were visible to the Iowans from the moment they entered the high school.
Also, since the caucus process is entirely volunteer run, our spectacular turnout of volunteer observers and caucus goers allowed us to have a “Pete-person” staff every single table a community member had to pass through in order to complete the steps necessary to be validated as a caucus participant.
After, passing through the check-in tables and receiving a wristband, attendees were allowed to enter the actual caucus area. Fortuitously, we Pete-people were set up right near the door where they entered. This crafty and strategic placement worked to Pete’s benefit. As they entered the door to the main gym, we had the chance to ask them if they had chosen Pete, considered Pete, and/or had him as their second choice. About half were “gruff” clearly expecting a sell job if they said they were not a Pete supporter. Instead, we simply offered to point out where their candidate’s table was and to see if they had any questions. Many were surprised our equanimity. Yet our goal was to leave them with a positive and caring impression of Pete and his volunteers/supporters. On this floor as well, we had a relatively large (10–15 person), visible, and happy group of people wearing Pete swag.
In the middle of the gym floor were chairs that were used to divide precincts 311 and 312 and provided ADA seating. We “decorated” our area with Pete swag.
Each candidate’s area had a staffer; many had “precinct captains” and “precinct team members” but some, like Klobuchar in 311 only had 1 staff person. You could also have an unlimited number of “registered observers” and/or Iowans who were “Pete-people” around to assist at this stage.
The vibe was very collegial during set up. We were sharing ladders, offering other campaigns tape if they had forgotten, etc. We ceded some space to the Yang Gang because they were squeezed between us and Biden and, it must be said, they asked so nicely. Every time we pitched in, were thanked for our collegiality which gave us a chance to stress “Vote Blue No Matter Who!” (This provoked no dissention but, then again, the bro’s weren’t people we interacted with now that I think about it.)
As the Iowans entered, they all went to sit in the bleachers. The front doors of the building were locked at 7:00 pm (leaving many willing attendees in the parking lot still circling trying to find parking). Turnout seemed great as there were roughly 200–250 people for each precinct.
I was fired up and ready to watch them vote with their feet. BUT….first a speech by the precinct temporary chair asking if anyone else wanted to run against them? No? Good. Next was the obligatory voice vote for the person at the microphone to serve as the permanent chair. This happened twice as each side needed a permanent chair. Next, each chair announced that they were passing envelopes through the bleachers and asked the attendees to add cash in the form of a donation to support the local party. (Frankly, this was my “Dorothy we are not in Kansas anymore” moment. I think even churches have someone looking over the parishioners as they pass the collection plate. Apparently not necessary in this gym, in this town, in this state.) WOW!
Ok, now it’s time, right? Nooooooooo. Each candidate had a chance to have a surrogate give a 2-minute talk/endorsement/pitch. We were fortunate as we had a superstar in our midst: Andrew Yang showed up to give his own pitch. He was greeted enthusiastically, treated with great respect and was gracious enough to pose for photos.
Ready, set, STOP. Still no actual caucusing. Instead, caucus goers were required to come down to the gym floor on their appropriate side (yellow wrist bands meant you were in precinct 311 and blue meant 312) and form lines of 50 across the gym. It was an enormous logistical challenge as there were no human or physical markers for where to start the lines.
Once lined up, the Iowans were given a two-sided preference card.
Subsequently, officials counted the number of people in line in each precinct so that they could predetermine the total number of attendees. The size of the turnout in each precinct determines the number of people a candidate needs to achieve the 15% threshold and be viable. The numerical viability threshold was made known to the precinct chairs/representatives of each candidate. This took quite a deal of time: almost all of the people receiving cards returned to the bleachers to wait for the next set of instructions.
Finally, about 75 minutes after we started, the attendees were allowed to go to the spot where their candidate had a table. That was easy if they came in knowing who they were supporting. This is when the “campaigning” really began.
The point is to make immediately visible the numerosity of your group (trying to show your community that they would not be “wasting” their choice by going to a possible non-viable group) and the energy/visibility/enthusiasm of your candidate’s supporters. For Pete-people, this is when all our practice showing “JOY” from the Pete for America campaign’s “Rules of the Road came in handy. (The Rules of the Road are the ten core values Pete expects his staff and supporters to embody: respect, belonging, truth, teamwork, boldness, responsible, substance, discipline, excellence and joy. https://peteforamerica.com/rules-of-the-road/)
After the “music stopped” and the announcement was made that the time period for the first alignment had ended, each candidate’s precinct captain (or other staffer) counted the number of people in their group with a signed preference card for that candidate. A cheer immediately went up from each group who achieved the necessary 15% to be viable. It was abundantly clear from the relative size of Pete’s crowd that we were going to be fine, just fine, even before the counting began.
More discerning eyes were required to notice the groups from whom, once counted, there was no cheer. I saw the Biden group mouthing “we just need one more” as they tried unsuccessfully to find an elusive final member. (By this time, all of the observers and members of the press had traded places with the Iowans and we were relegated to the bleachers as we were not permitted on the floor.)
The PA announcer then told the two types of “free-agents” (the people whose candidate did not achieve viability and the undecideds) that now was the time to 1) attempt to recruit to from the disenfranchised groups as a way to potentially achieve 15%; 2) align with their second choice; 3) remain in their non-viable place on principle; or 4) go home.
This was an even bigger “recruitment phase” and all the Pete-friendly smiles, signs, buttons, waves and hugs brought in 8 more recruits. This was thrilling. The second alignment was, for the first time this year, the only additional alignment opportunity. (In past years, the “carousel of choosing” went for an unlimited amount of time.) Finally, it was time for the second count, this time counting only the people who had joined a candidate’s group in order to note the increase in the actual numerical count. Once that second alignment total was tallied, it was a wrap. Precinct captains then ferried their counts and their cards to the precinct chair who enter data on the Caucus Math Worksheets.
I was thrilled to see that journalists from around the world were in attendance observing and reporting on our American democracy in process. (Little did we know how much press coverage would actually result from the failures of the post-caucus reporting mechanisms.) It was surprising to learn that anyone can be an observer. I encountered an entire political science class from the University of Chicago who had driven in to observe as part of a college project! If you can, I encourage you to go to Iowa on your own in 2024 to see a caucus for yourself (that is if Iowa is still in the caucus business in 4 years).
All Pete supporters were invited to the Results Party at Drake University’s Bell Center. While we waited and waited semi-patiently, friendships blossomed between us. The man to my left was the Chair of the Democratic Party in Indiana and a friend of the Buttigieg’s. As we stood, we saw the big screens showing the national news and the newscasters talking endlessly (thank goodness we could not hear them over the music and excited chatter) about the delay in results. Together we quieted to hear the other candidates give their closing remarks and then it was our turn! Congressman Anthony Brown from Maryland’s 4th District and Pete’s first endorser from the Congressional Black Caucus and South Bend’s own Gladys Muhammad each gave a rousing endorsement and introduction of the next president of the United States. If you haven’t heard Miss Gladys, you need to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEWmEOaj9sw#action=share
Then, as High Hopes began to play, Pete Buttigieg strode out on stage to an enormous and rousing round of cheers and many accompanying tears.
It was time for his VICTORY speech. At the time, we had heard through social media and whispers in the crowd that our precinct captains had reported their tallies from their caucus sites via photograph and that HQ knew we were ahead in enough key districts that a first or second place finish was assured. So despite all the social media flack about announcing a “victory” before there were any results, it was a justified and justifiable approach to capping off the evening.
We made history. Our left-handed, Episcopalian, Maltese-American, former Mayor, war veteran, millennial, had surprised everyone but us! When Pete’s mom and Chasten joined him on stage and we all felt goosebumps.
Chasten’s parents, who had chosen to stay off stage, were equally touched. I saw the tears in his mom’s eyes when Pete introduced his husband as the “future First Gentleman of the United States.”
As Pete said, through the hard work of the staff, volunteers and the people of Iowa, “An improbable hope became an undeniable reality.” Now on to New Hampshire. Please, come join us.
