Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards speaks during the final stop of his 36-hour campaign tour around Iowa in West Des Moines, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008
(3 of 3)
7:00am. Ottumwa
The weakest showing crowd-wise of the trip. Edwards aides try to spin that there are 50 people there — more like 25 with 25 press. To wake us up the eager-beaver staffers torture us with another round of Edwards' campaign songs blasted through the bus speakers.
8:30am. Fairfield
Home to Iowa's Maharishi University (named after the Beatles' famed guru), this stop at a local coffee house includes lots of questions about the environment and nuclear power.
9:11am. On the bus
Before we leave for Mount Pleasant, a chipper Edwards, accompanied by his 25-year-old daughter Cate, brings a weary press corps coffee. He holds an impromptu press availability where he ribs reporters for not being able to keep up with him. He swears he's had no caffeine, having sworn off his beloved Diet Cokes months ago. Asked if he'll have a Red Bull, he eschews the energy drink, saying "that stuff's nasty."
9:45am. Mount Pleasant
We are, amazingly, on time. Edwards hits another house party and then holds a chilly outdoor press conference on the front lawn (it's about 5 degrees outside, despite the sunshine). He proclaims his fondness for Representative Dennis Kucinich despite the fact that this cycle Kucinich has told his supporters to throw their support to Illinois Senator Barack Obama if he cannot get above the 15% caucus threshold (in 2000 Edwards was Kucinich's main man).
11:30am. Fort Madison
Edwards addresses a packed coffee shop of folks, though many are curious from Illinois, just across the river. A local reporter delights us with the sights as we drive out of town: Iowa's only maximum-security prison sitting peacefully on the banks of the Mississippi. A breakout in 2005 raised concerns that the state should maybe shut it down. It's the site of the last federal execution before Timothy McVeigh, we're told. We get a disgusting box lunch of turkey (at least we think they were turkey) sandwiches.
3:30pm. Iowa City
Capanna Coffee Shop. This was the most ridiculously crowded political event I think I've ever been to. An impressive crowd of middle-aged folks in this college town. I admit, here I really started flagging as the bus's supply of caffeine dwindled.
5:00pm. Cedar Rapids
Edwards rallies a crowd of 750-plus, a normally impressive crowd if our colleagues with Obama weren't all e-mailing us that the Illinois Senator had just gathered 1,000-plus across town.
10:00pm. West Des Moines
Finally! We're home! I never thought I'd be so happy to see my rental apartment in Des Moines. Edwards wraps his tour with a short fiery version of his stump after a rousing performance by John Cougar Mellencamp, and unlike November when Edwards dropped by Melencamp's concert unannounced, no one booed him this time! An impressive crowd of 3,500. And now, I'm off to BED!