Arkansas Blog: An Observer in the Hawkeye State

I’ve arrived in Des Moines to get my first taste of the Iowa caucuses in the days ahead. It was a beautiful day for a long drive north--through southwest Missouri where trees had been snapped by what must have been a brutal ice storm and, beginning about Kansas City, through the snow on the fields on each side of the highway. Deepening as I moved north, the snow became truly gorgeous about the Iowa line.

I have little idea what my path will be between now and Friday, but I’ll be posting my observations and analyses this week here. I’ll be traveling with two of my graduate school pals: Tom Schaller (author of Whistling Past Dixie who’ll be writing for the American Prospect) and Jonathan Weiler (who’ll be posting for AlterNet). I appreciate Max providing the venue where I can spout my opinions. Later in the week, the Times should have another observer arriving here on the ground. We’ll try to get as much turf covered as possible in what promises to be a huge political drama with various Arkansas-related subplots.

In a bit, I’m heading to an Obama event here in Des Moines. More soon.

PS -- This is Jay's post, but I'm Max, butting in to add a photo my daughter Martha took at the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City today. That's a CNN cameraman photographing votes in the "coffee bean caucus." Iowa City is considered a Democratic stronghold (Obama is very well liked in the university town), so I'd think the bean count would reflect that preference. Martha is traveling with a group of friends of Chelsea Clinton from LR, D.C. and college days who are spending the week campaigning for Sen. Clinton. John Williams of the Times staff will soon be on the ground in Iowa, too, with live blog reports.

Comments

Looks like excellent coverage has been set up for us here in Arkblogland. Looking forward to the reports from Jay and John, and I hope Martha will contribute more, too. Thanks.

Posted by: hugh mann | December 30, 2007 05:51 PM

This is just wonderful news. Thanks everyone.

Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR | December 30, 2007 06:45 PM

Great to have Dr. Barth and others reporting on the ground. Keep it up, Max! I'm looking forward to this coverage. The AT blog and NPR are all I need!

Posted by: Liberal and Proud | December 30, 2007 07:11 PM

Yipee! can't wait to hear all the news thats fit to print, and hopefully other stuff as well!

Posted by: Nanc | December 30, 2007 08:30 PM

Jay, can only hope the road contruction through KC is finished and not like it was when I drove up through that area to Omaha months ago. It was a pain in the butt and took about two hours to crawl along to get through KC. And Iowa needs to do some road work, also.

Posted by: Cato | December 30, 2007 08:30 PM

Jay and Max, thanks for being our Arkansas insiders in Iowa. Post often. Rumors, gossip, rants, whatever.

Posted by: Farkleberry | December 30, 2007 08:46 PM

i bet it is fun as a youngster to be in the middle of that mess with the eyes of the world on the world on iowa right now. i hope the kids brought enough supplies since they are probably short right now, beer, wine, soft drinks ect. hope they have a ball and influence some people hillarys way.

Posted by: zonker | December 30, 2007 10:39 PM

YAY! We'll get some good insider coverage! I hope you all took Warwick's video camera to capture the look on Huck's face when he sees the intrepid Arkansas Times reporters hot on his trail. Pay close attention what the Huckster is eating...I'm with the rest....he's bloating up and starting to look like a normal person again. The rat eyes are almost gone. I'd say the boy's doing some fancy free eating on the campaign trail......free food! ahwaaaaah....(Homer sound)

Just watch out that none of the Huckabee sons are packing heat. They're excitable boys.....could be trouble. And that goes for Janet too. I'm hoping one of the intrepid Arkansas Times reporters will get a chance to zero in and get a good boob shot of Mrs. Thompson. Woo woo! It will help you guys combat the Iowa winter and like chopping your own wood.....it would warm a few of us back down here in chilly Arkansas.

I wish I had known you all were going cause I still have about 100 little George W. Bush dog shit flags I made up a year ago. Duh.....I forgot Fort Baptist had a leash law and that it's easier to find a hooker near the Holiday Inn than it is to find a steaming pile of dog shit along the streets of the Fort. Maybe Iowa doesn't have a leash law......oh how I'd love to see my little signs wave!

Good luck and remember, since Iowa is crawling with Republicans....beware of kinky sex. If'n someone starts that toe tapping crap in the bathroom...run like hell boys! You too Martha!

Posted by: Deathbyinches | December 30, 2007 10:54 PM

Here is my big prediction:

Richardson and Biden will be determined "non-viable" in most precincts.

By the way, it's time to get ready for the biggest party of the decade: the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Yes, Joe Bob, you can be a delegate to the big convention. It will be booze and hookers and riots galore. The rules and application form are available at -

http://www.arkdems.org

- then click on the "News & Events" button and select "All Politics Is Local".

Then see the article titled "Spotlight: Delegate Selection". Have fun and good luck!

Posted by: Arkansas Blogger | December 31, 2007 12:29 AM

I really like Edwards, mainly becuase the neocons are afraid of him; he wants to do things for the American Public. They know that both Hillary and Obama will make choices based on washington insider thinking and not what is best for the countrys so if the repugs lose and I'll bet they will, if hillary or obama wins it will remain for them at best a win win in most situationss and at worst win lose on certain issues. I really wish Edwards can somehow pull it out. But if wishes were horses then beggars would ride.

Here's wishing that we have a better year than 2007: get out of Iraq, bush & cheney impeached, gonzales sent to jail, guantanamo closed, capital punishment abolished, a sembalance of a universal health care plan implemented, rush limbaugh & ann coulter fall off the face of the earth, the national media get some balls....ya know etc etc etc.

Posted by: ArkansawTravler | December 31, 2007 10:04 AM

My apologies for the grammatical errors in the previous post. When one gets in a hurry things usually go bad.

Posted by: ArkansawTravler | December 31, 2007 10:08 AM

Arkansas Blog

An Observer in the Hawkeye State

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