Elizabeth Davidson
Assumption High School

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

Kevin Trahan
Bettendorf High School

Meredith Price
Pleasant Valley

Gabe Hearn
Davenport Central

Mark Schwenker
Davenport West

Tushar Rae
Augustana College

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

Candidates shouldn’t have to look very far to find one of the reasons students aren’t involved in their campaigns. Typical campaign stops are during the school day and most visits are far from any school or campus. The lack of young adults at campaign events serves as a microcosm of the larger problem. That generation shows little interest in politics and the politicians don’t target them.
It’s unfortunate that the younger generation isn’t involved since many of the major issues, like the war and Social Security, will have a great impact on that age group. Luckily, a majority of the candidates do talk frequently about handing down the country to the next generation in better shape.
Most students don’t pay taxes, worry about health insurance, or have kids in a failing public school. Likewise, the candidates lack reasons to target us in their campaigns. We don’t have money to donate, we don’t show up for the caucuses and it’s difficult to get our attention.
I found that many of the students who did show up had already decided whom they would caucus for. They just came to see their candidate in real life. This served as a reassuring experience for them since caucusing can feel like a big commitment.
Curiosity also motivated many of the young adults who showed up at events. Several students at a Bill Clinton event in DeWitt showed up just to see the former president. Some of them were even Republicans who planned to vote for Huckabee or Romney. John Edwards was onto something when he said the younger crowd looks for causes to join. A good example is high school student Zoe Grueskin, who believes strongly in protecting the environment. That issue got her involved in the Obama campaign.
Finally, while students do need to become more aware of politics, it’s not a big deal that they aren’t showing up at these events. Figuring out which candidate to vote for doesn’t require meeting them since many of the speeches are loaded with wishful thinking and ridiculous proposals. Even though personality and character carry importance in electing a president, these traits are hard to find while meeting a candidate.

Bryn Lawrence
Augustana College

Barack Obama

LeClaire Park, Sept. 12; Coralville Marriott, Oct. 2; Quad-City Times Editorial Board, Dec. 18.

Barack Obama has had an enormous amount of success courting the young vote. Crowds of young people normally come to his rallies. To get them involved in the campaign, Obama has targeted students as young as high school age by starting groups called the “Barack Stars.” Jake Pilcher of Bettendorf said he first heard about the group at school. Later, he went to the Obama office where he found out more information and volunteered for the campaign.
Some students have gotten involved in the Obama campaign because he’s shown an interest in them too.
I finally got the chance to ask Obama at the Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview. He said young adults really haven’t had opportunities until recently to get involved. “There haven’t been any outlets for them.” He said his campaign has given students real opportunities and that his volunteers don’t just do simple things like get coffee. “We’ve given them substantive ways to get involved.”

Chris Dodd

Bettendorf VFW Post, Nov. 12; Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview, Dec. 14.

After missing my turn and driving past a few times, I finally pulled into the Bettendorf VFW hall’s small gravel parking lot. Inside, no one at the bar had heard of Chris Dodd. The ladies playing bridge in the side room hadn’t heard of him either. At the entrance, a sign taped to the door said I was a day early.
The next night the parking lot overflowed with cars parked in uncomfortable directions. Inside, the signup table blocked entry to the room where Dodd would speak. After signing in, supporters gathered in the side room, behind a sliding wooden curtain keeping out the bar noise. The curtain also divided the intensely interested activists from the veterans who just wanted a drink.
The U.S. senator told the crowd full of veterans that the country needed to provide students with opportunities for national service and require community service as a part of high school graduation.
Dodd, a Peace Corps as well as National Guard veteran, told me these types of service would encourage students to become more involved in the political process.
A few months later the senator gave me a more extensive response at a Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview. I asked why more students weren’t involved in politics. He first jokingly said, “Well, they’re chasing girls and having a good time.” Then he offered a more sober response: “If people feel comfortable enough, and you’re serious enough, and you’re truly interested and you don’t talk down, and you treat them as adults, you’d be amazed at how (much) earlier you could begin this process,” he said. “I think we start too late at the collegiate level or post-high school level.”

Fred Thompson

Coralville Marriott, Oct. 2; Thunder Bay Grille, Dec.7.

Greg Baker, president of the College Republicans at the University of Iowa, is one of the students who believe candidates need to do a better job of targeting young voters. He said if issues like college tuition were mentioned more, students would become more interested. Baker cheered on Fred Thompson at a campaign stop in the Coralville Marriott. He came with a handful of members who also had some input on why students aren’t more involved. Amy Cheng said students think they should let politicians take care of politics because they’re busy with their own lives. She also thinks students are cynical because there’s a “stereotype of politicians wanting to win elections and not keeping their words.” When Thompson finished speaking, he didn’t take questions from the audience.
At a later Thompson visit, an overflowing crowd crammed inside of a dining room at the Thunder Bay Grille in Davenport. This time Thompson brought his wife along and happily answered my question. He said, “I think (students are) pretty involved. You know, as I go around I see a lot of young people actively involved.” He then said, “You might ask why older Americans aren’t more involved in politics too.”
At the rally there were only a handful of students and a few children accompanying their parents.

Tom Tancredo

Shooting Sports Unlimited, Moline, Oct. 26.

A handful of Tancredo supporters gathered at a shooting range, lining up awkwardly to greet their candidate, who chatted with them shyly and without an apparent agenda. The supporters showed up with video cameras, guns and ammunition to meet the congressman. A small shooting range hid down a hallway and behind a few doors. Tancredo’s supporters huddled in the nearby shooting stalls to watch him take aim.
The congressman loaded his gun slowly, not talking much. After putting on ear protection, he took a two-handed grip on the gun and shot the entire clip at a paper target featuring the silhouette of a man. A supporter then pointed out that his aim missed to the left on every shot. The congressman laughed hysterically.
Tancredo’s advisor asked me if I’d like to take a few shots, then handed me a gun. Since it was my first time, he gave me a crash course and turned me loose on the paper target. I fired at least eight times, wounding my paper target victim in the head and neck.
Later on, Tancredo sat on a stool and signed paper targets, “Keep the faith, Tom Tancredo.” After signing targets he chatted freely with a few late comers, grinning the whole time. One asked him what should be done about incidents like Columbine. He paused, and told the voter of his pro-family stance and how abortions should be made illegal. “What does that teach kids about the value of life?” he said.
I was the only one under 30 at the event and Tancredo had this to say to my question about student involvement: Young adults aren’t involved because they’re too busy. He attended college during the Vietnam War and said that this got students involved. “It’s unfortunate that’s the only time when people are involved,” he said about times of war.

John Edwards

Davenport North High School Auditorium, Nov. 19; Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview, Dec. 14.

Students crammed into the Davenport North High School auditorium for a rally with John Edwards and musicians Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. Then they ended up squirming in their seats. Edwards was an hour late. The students seemed to enjoy the music, though none I interviewed had ever heard of Raitt or Browne. Afterward, I joined other reporters surrounding Edwards and asked my question.
He said young people are drawn to causes and issues rather than the political process. “I think the campaign of causes and change we’re running is something they’ll respond to,” he said. His response certainly scored highest with me for insight and originality.
Later at a Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview, I asked him to elaborate. Edwards said “I don’t think young people are driven by party politics.” He also emphasized the importance of visiting with students. “I don’t talk at them or down to them, but I treat them as equals and I listen to them.”

Mitt Romney

Best Western Steeplegate Inn, Davenport, Oct. 16.

I skipped a geography class and grabbed a quick lunch on the drive to catch the former Massachusetts governor at a hotel conference room on Davenport’s far north side. He arrived a half hour late. He spoke, then took questions and eventually called on me. He pointed out that the candidates don’t target the younger generation enough while campaigning. “Maybe it’s partly our fault, those of us who are running for office. We don’t spend more time on campus and we probably should spend more time with students and say, ‘guys get involved and get educated.’”
How true. Unfortunately, this event was miles from the nearest college campus and smack in the middle of the school day.

Rudy Giuliani

Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, Oct. 24.

Ninety minutes after he was scheduled to appear, Rudy Giuliani showed up to a warm cheer, then headed straight for a restroom. When he returned, one supporter suggested Giuliani should have opened the bar if he was going to be so late.
The mayor spoke for 20 minutes, drawing strong applause, then took questions. I kept my hand up through Q & A about taxes and torture. Then he called on me.
“I think there’s a certain feeling about government now that we’re going to have to change; that you can’t get anything done,” he said. “So that may create a little bit less enthusiasm for politics.”
He also blamed the negativity in politics for the cynicism in young voters. “And it almost seems like politics gets organized around personalities and usually in a negative way.” He said. “Like a lot of Democratic politics is organized around anger at President Bush. It’s not healthy. And some of our politics is organized around anger at Hillary Clinton.”

Bill Richardson

Davenport River Center, Nov. 2.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson intended to campaign on veterans’ issues at the Davenport River Center. He spoke from an executive podium and introduced his entourage of war vets who were endorsing his candidacy. Scheduled to start at noon, Richardson arrived a bit late and I missed another class.
I tracked down the governor after the event and he responded to my question by saying he’s noticed a lot of cynicism in young adults. “Candidates need to be more genuine and pro-student and address issues like college loans like I am.” He said. “I think students are very cynical about politicians. They kind of think it’s all just trying to get votes and raise money.” The governor thought that engaging students in the political process through programs like national service would help get them involved in politics.

John McCain

North-Gate Place, Davenport, Dec. 13.

I missed my first chance to question U.S. Sen. McCain at a health care forum on the Genesis Medical Center campus in October. So I tracked him down at a town hall meeting two months later at the North-Gate Place, a banquet hall next to a Hy-Vee. I held my hand up through the entire question and answer session without any luck, so I joined a gaggle of autograph seekers afterwards. One woman had three books to sign. Several supporters handed me cameras to snap photos of them with the senator.
He kept shaking hands and signing autographs as he answered my question. “We’ve got to be into the issues they care about: education, national security, many issues. You’ve got to go to the venues that they watch. Not many get up early on Sunday morning to watch Sunday talk shows, but they do watch John Stewart and they watch … MTV and others.”

Hillary Clinton

Quad-City Times Editorial Board interview, Dec. 17.

My chance to ask the question to U.S. Sen. Clinton finally came at the editorial board interview. Clinton sat at the opposite end of the board room table and said she pushed hard for lowering the voting age to 18 during the 60s. She thought since the war in Vietnam was going on, changing the voting age would be “revolutionary since the elections were much more about their futures than mine.”
She also acknowledged that young people have a lot going on in their lives. “You’re learning, you know, to fend for yourselves, how to live away from your families. Relationships are really important. You’re trying to figure out what you want to do to make a living,” she said. “There’s just a lot unsettled.”
Clinton said she tries to connect issues young people are worried about with politics. “Global warming has that effect for some young people. They’re very invested in it,” she said. “The terrible situation in Darfur has motivated people to get involved.”

Mike Huckabee

Scott County Republican Party headquarters, Davenport, Dec. 21

I finally found former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on the Friday before Christmas at his party’s county headquarters. Out front, a huge portrait of him covered the side of the campaign bus. The driver spent several minutes trying to turn around in the tiny parking lot. Supporters were equally congested inside and overflowed into the hallway.
After his speech, Huckabee shook hands with the people who came. He looked relaxed, taking time to visit a bit with each of them and he gave an unhurried answer to my question.
“I don’t think they realize how much the next elections will affect them. Because truthfully it’ll affect you guys more than it will people of my generation.
“The next president could really mess things up more for you than he could mess it up for me.

Frantic campaigns aren’t exactly student friendly

Candidates shouldn’t have to look very far to find one of the reasons students aren’t involved in their campaigns. Typical campaign stops are during the school day and most visits are far from any school or campus. The lack of young adults at campaign events serves as a microcosm of the larger problem. That generation shows little interest in politics and the politicians don’t target them.
It’s unfortunate that the younger generation isn’t involved since many of the major issues, like the war and Social Security, will have a great impact on that age group. Luckily, a majority of the candidates do talk frequently about handing down the country to the next generation in better shape.
Most students don’t pay taxes, worry about health insurance, or have kids in a failing public school. Likewise, the candidates lack reasons to target us in their campaigns. We don’t have money to donate, we don’t show up for the caucuses and it’s difficult to get our attention.
I found that many of the students who did show up had already decided whom they would caucus for. They just came to see their candidate in real life. This served as a reassuring experience for them since caucusing can feel like a big commitment.
Curiosity also motivated many of the young adults who showed up at events. Several students at a Bill Clinton event in DeWitt showed up just to see the former president. Some of them were even Republicans who planned to vote for Huckabee or Romney. John Edwards was onto something when he said the younger crowd looks for causes to join. A good example is high school student Zoe Grueskin, who believes strongly in protecting the environment. That issue got her involved in the Obama campaign.
Finally, while students do need to become more aware of politics, it’s not a big deal that they aren’t showing up at these events. Figuring out which candidate to vote for doesn’t require meeting them since many of the speeches are loaded with wishful thinking and ridiculous proposals. Even though personality and character carry importance in electing a president, these traits are hard to find while meeting a candidate.

Bryn Lawrence
Augustana College

Elizabeth Davidson
Assumption High School