Quad City Times: First Vote

Entering the Davenport North High School auditorium was a challenge to say the least. The 500 people who showed up in the auditorium exceeded the250 expected for the 9-3 and 9-4 precincts.

Once I made it to the registration table, voter registration forms were gone. That left volunteers scrambling to other caucus sites within North to find more forms. It was extremely chaotic.

A woman walked into the auditorium still talking to her son in Florida, trying to decide between Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain.
The real chaos began when votes were placed and collected. There was some confusion as to which color paper would be accepted, and that caused some people to just vote and leave.
The plain paper ballots, rather than formal election ballots, made it seem like a high school classroom project, not something that would shape the nation’s future.

David Whalen
Davenport Central

My first caucus was very interesting. There was a great turnout and the people wanted to try and make a difference. I think everyone realized that we Iowans mean so much to the outcome of the parties’ nominees and wanted to be part of Iowa’s unique political system.
  The atmosphere inside of Eisenhower Elementary’s gym was amazing. There were people holding up signs, campaigning for their candidate, and talking with friends in a packed gym of 301 people.
The count ended with Obama 153, Hillary 89, Edwards 38, Biden 10, Richardson 4, and Kucinich 3. The Biden, Richardson, and Kucinich supporters then disbanded and many went to Edwards. This gave Edwards 47 people, just enough for him to round out the viable candidates. Then, the votes go into a long mathematical formula, but in short, Precinct 64 had 6 delegates (kind of like points). Obama received 3, Hillary 2, and Edwards 1.

Kevin Trahan
Bettendorf High School

We arrived to a packed Pleasant View Elementary caucus site at 6:25 p.m. My brother joined the group for Obama, and I joined the corner for Edwards.
The group going for Edwards was nervous. John Flowers, 69, warned that “Edwards needs to come out with better representation or else he’s done.” In a room filled with 421 voters, Edwards needed at least 63 people to remain viable.
The group for Obama was so large it needed to be marched out of the cafeteria and back in again to be counted. Proudly marching, they gave their war cry, “Obama! Obama!”
  In the end, Obama received four delegates, Hillary received two, and Edwards received one. The experience was one that will last a lifetime and truly pave the way for future voting.

Meredith Price
Pleasant Valley

My first caucus experience will be an experience I will never forget. I caucused for Barack Obama, and if given the chance would do so again. My precinct had a total of 296 voters. After the first round, we found out that we had 163 voters for Obama. As we prepared for the  second round we were able to leave our groups and gather voters from other parties. People asked me to switch to their side. I also asked them, but unfortunately I was unable to persuade any of them. Our group finally gained three voters for a total of 166.
The Clinton group gained about 15 voters from the Biden group. We still won the most delegates, which was four out of seven. When I left, I felt proud and victorious that America was ready for a change, not just because of Obama but because of the people.

Gabe Hearn
Davenport Central

Racing to caucus for Romney
Krista Reading barely got back in town in time to caucus. She and her husband didn’t even have time to find a babysitter for the kids. But it was important to them to be in Iowa, where they’ve lived for almost three years, to participate in their first caucus.
The Readings’ votes went to Mitt Romney.
“We lived in Salt Lake City in 2003 when he organized the Olympics, and we liked what we saw,” Krista Reading said. “I think he’s a good guy.”

Family places first caucus vote for Obama
Lloyd and Carrie Jones brought sons Adrian and Elijah to experience the family’s first caucus. They sat among a big Obama delegation at Davenport’s Central High School cafeteria.
“I love that he’s mixed race,” Carrie said. “So are we.”
The couple met at Central and graduated with the class of 1999.
Elijah, 3, played with toy cars as his parents waited for their time to raise a hand and be counted.
“I’m ready for some change,” Lloyd said. The couple put their hands up for Obama when the time came for a count.
So did Elijah.

From ‘I like Ike’ to ‘I like Mike’
“In 40 years, I’ve never been to a caucus,” said 60-year-old William Ray of Davenport. He remembers watching Dwight D. Eisenhower campaign as a kid. But since then, he feels the United States has gone
downhill.
“I’m so disturbed with all these years America is not getting better,” he said. “At 60, I think we finally have a man running who will consult God before making his decisions.”
That man is Mike Huckabee.
Ray’s wife Janice was also caucusing for the first time for Huckabee.
“I’m really interested in his idea to eliminate the IRS,” she said.
“Oh, they’ll get your money one way or another,” her
husband replied.

Listening for Thompson
Josh Liston, 19, of Davenport said he came to the caucuses to “find out about the candidates.” He said the media, particularly television, is “not a good place” to gather information about the candidates and their issues.
After listening to the speeches, he cast his vote for Fred Thompson. It was his first Iowa caucus.

Marrying into he caucuses
Sarah Greenlee got her first chance to caucus Thursday night. The former Illinois resident married an Iowan and
settled in Davenport.
Her decision to caucus for Mike Huckabee was made within the last month. Greenlee said she liked his “positive campaign” and made her decision “just by watching him.”
“I agree with his principles and morals,” she said.

Midnight decisions
Rochelle Marshall had been on the fence for months. The social worker went back and forth between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama until midnight Jan. 2.
Marshall, 41, of Davenport was there with her two young daughters for her first caucus experience.
“The deciding factor was Obama did not vote for the war in Iraq,” she said.
Marshall’s vote for Obama was one of more than 100 in a room of 213 Democrats.

First-timers split from mom
Liana and Jam Herzig have an interesting political dilemma. Their mother, Stella, is the Edwards precinct captain for D-53, yet I found Liana and Jam, first-time caucus-goers, sitting in the Obama section of Madison Elementary.
Their house is split right down the middle when all of the other family members’ views are counted. But the Edwards and Obama sides aren’t afraid to show their choices.
“We have two yard signs and two signs on the car,” Liana said.
Stella attempted to convince the duo to caucus for Edwards, but it only led to “intense political throw downs,” said Liana jokingly.
Her reason for being an Obama supporter is simple. “Obama is the most interesting candidate,” she said. The senator’s appeal to first-timers is proven through Jam and Liana.

North senior stands up for Kucinich
Kyle Dexter, senior at Davenport North High, had a feeling that his top choice of Democrat Dennis Kucinich couldn’t win Iowa caucus night. Nevertheless, he decided to caucus for him at Wood Intermediate School.
“I came here to support someone I liked,” he said. “I at least wanted to come and represent who I came for.”
Dexter was one of four Kucinich supporters out of
170 Democrat caucus goers at his precinct. As this was Dexter’s first time caucusing, he says it was close to what he expected.
“I thought there was going to be more moving around and involvement, but it was what I kind of expected,” he said.
Being for an unviable candidate, Dexter was able to move around after all. He made that final move to the Obama group.

‘Ready to be persuaded’
Sandra Trevino arrived for her first caucus “ready to be persuaded.” The new University of Iowa graduate is a legal aid advocate in Davenport and was eyeing Obama or Edwards, but waiting for someone to make a pitch.
The Edwards people quickly obliged, reeling in Trevino as the 31st supporter and giving Edwards viability at the Davenport 3-3 precinct caucus in the Central High School cafeteria.
“I like what I’ve heard, especially about fighting poverty,” she said. She looked at more than 100 assembled for Obama, then at barely 30 for Edwards and made her choice.

A straight answer gets a vote
Laura Dammarell asked Hillary Clinton a question at the Figge Art Museum last week and was shocked by what she heard.
“I got a straight answer. It was the first time I saw a
candidate directly answer a question.”
Dammarell asked about student debt, something she has a lot of. “Everyone talks about how to make college more affordable. I wanted to know about those of us who already have debt.”

Teachers inspire aucus lesson
Great teachers brought Jennise Upchurch, left, and Jenae Vandevener to the Democratic caucus at Central High.
Jennise said Central social studies teacher Vince Jurgena talked up the caucuses and brought Rep. Elesha Gayman as a guest speaker to explain the process. Jennise was hooked.
Her friend Jenae said her inspiration came from Scott Community College political science teacher Eric Carr.
Obama comes across as more human than the rest of the field. “They all try to be so perfect. Obama talks like a real person,” Vandevener said.

Stories reported by First Vote students Amelia Schoeneman, Rock Island High School; Mark Schwenker, Davenport West High School, and Quad-City Times journalists Melissa Coulter and Mark Ridolfi

I am caucusing for Rudy Giuliani. I support Mayor Giuliani because he is the candidate who is strong on immigration, strong on terrorism and someone I believe is genuine in his beliefs and direction. I have had the unique privilege of being with the mayor on at least six public speaking occasions and spending several hours of private time with him.
Giuliani consistently invigorates the crowd with his positive and realistic ideas for the future. Giuliani’s actions during the Sept. 11 attacks show he has the leadership needed to lead the country and set things back on track. The mayor has traveled around the world and has the ability to speak frankly and decisively to world leaders. He is no different in private, because his principles are deeply held. With Mayor Giuliani, what you see is what you get. That strength of character will be needed in the tough times facing the next president.

David Whalen
Davenport Central High School

By Tushar Rae

First Vote

Kevin Trahan, a freshman from Bettendorf High School, did not miss an opportunity to get his question answered.

“It seems like there is more talk about the Democrats as opposed to the Republicans. Why do you think that is?” Trahan asked at a workshop just hours before five Democrats met in a presidential debate in Davenport Thursday. “Are the Democrats more exciting?”

Trahan is a participant in First Voters, a group of high school and college journalists who will be voting in their first presidential election next year. It’s a group organized by the Quad-City Times.

Thursday’s workshop gave Trahan the experts who could answer his question, including Froma Harrop, a nationally syndicated columnist whose work appears in the Times.

“I think the (Democrats) are because of Hillary Clinton,” Harrop said. “They have found a larger-than-life figure in her, especially for the Republicans.”

Mary Beth Cahill, campaign manager for former presidential candidate John Kerry, said it appears Democrats are happy with their leading candidates, but Republican voters seem largely dissatisfied with their pool.

“The Republicans are looking for the mythic candidate, and he has not filed papers yet,” Cahill said.

Harrop and Cahill were joined on the panel by Nancy LeaMond, group executive officer for social impact at AARP, a lead sponsor of Thursday night’s debate.

The focus of the presidential forum was health care and financial security, issues that seem to target a population older than the First Voters, yet LeaMond said one of the aims of the forum was to engage a younger audience.

LeaMond said the First Voters will have to wrestle with issues such as Medicare.

LeaMond also found herself answering for the makeup of the forum.

John Stengel, a senior at Moline High School, asked one of the bluntest questions of the workshop.

“With the importance of Iowa, are Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel not vital in this forum?” he asked.

LeaMond said both candidates were given the opportunity to participate, but they failed to meet the criteria, which included having paid staff and an office in Iowa.

“We want to hear from candidates who have made an investment in Iowa,” LeaMond said.

The panel also discussed the importance of Iowa in the primary process and electing a president.

“[Iowans] do a very good job of vetting the candidates,” Harrop said.

Cahill said the Iowa caucuses provide an opportunity for candidates who are short on funds to gain political traction. The caucuses also provide independent groups with a strong voice, Cahill said.

“Primaries are where it is possible for outside groups to inject their issues and get answers,” Cahill said.