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Caucus conversion
Jan 4, 2008 | 1:43 AM PST
Category:
Political
The most interesting part of the caucus to me was the second chance vote. In order to get one of the nine delegates in our prescient, a candidate had to get 74 supports. Bidden only got 21, a number very close to what Edwards and Richardson needed to get a delegate. Below is behind closed doors video of the discussion over who they should support instead. The politics involved here amazed me.
In the end, they all went to support Hillary. Richardson and Dodd's supporters went to Hillary also. That's something that goes against predictions of every political analysts I've heard talk on the subject. If Hillary can take the supporters of the secondary candidates in the other primaries, I think she could still win the candidacy, despite coming in third here.
Young voters
Jan 4, 2008 | 12:49 AM PST
Category:
Political
From our observations tonight, a huge (HUGE) part of the Obama victory was due in part to younger voters. More than half of the 300 plus people voting for him at the prescient 341 caucus were under the age of 30. Among all the other candidates there was almost no one under 30 supporting them.
Here's some interviews we did with younger voters about why they came out for Obama:
Caucus is done
Jan 3, 2008 | 9:48 PM PST
Category:
Political
We just got back from the caucus. Jia and I went to prescient 306. They had a record number of 490 people show up. Last time it was less than 100. Tons of young people were there too, all for Obama. In our area, Obama got 6 of 9 delegates and Hillary got 3. The clear story is that 1. Edwards was a complete no show in our prescient despite the fact that he is battling for second statewide. 2. Obama had a massive lead of almost 3 to 1 at first vote count and 3. Hillary closed that lead to 2 to 1 by gaining all of the other non viable canidate voters. We'll have some video up soon, but in the mean time here is all of the text messages I had during the caucus:
Obama got 6 delegates. Hilary got 3.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Chair calling Edwards Richardson and Biden not viable. Hillary is gaining
Richardson. Too.
Ben
Edwards lacks 14 ppl right now. Biden and dodd group went to
Clinton.its a two way race here.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Obama winning 2 to 1 here. Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Edwards may not be a viable candidate here. They still need about 50
ppl. The obama group is massive.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
490 ppl in our room 233 are first time caucus goers.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
We are starting no one can believe how many ppl are here.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Ben and jia. Its a great shirt. All of the people our age seem to be
for obama.
10 mind to caucus and standing room only. They said last time only
about 100 ppl showed up.
Ben
They say the turnout is over fire code.
Our first traffic jam in Iowa. Are ppl on their way to the caucus?
Ben and jia
You just saw the picture below. We had to leave bc the Internet in the
google lounge wasn't working. Go figure.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Jia and I in the google lounge uploading video. Ben briscoe
repost
Jan 3, 2008 | 5:13 PM PST
Category:
Political
Having trouble with the video below. Here's the right link:
Just a few more hours before the big event. We're headed to a caucus location soon, but in the meanwhile, last night I went to a sports bar to see what people where thinking about the event. Out of 53 people at the bar zero said they were going to go to the caucus. Here's some of what they did say about the event:
repost
Jan 3, 2008 | 5:13 PM PST
Category:
Political
This post has been edited by an administrator
Having trouble with the video below. Here's the right link:
Just a few more hours before the big event. We're headed to a caucus location soon, but in the meanwhile, last night I went to a sports bar to see what people where thinking about the event. Out of 53 people at the bar zero said they were going to go to the caucus. Here's some of what they did say about the event:
almost there
Jan 3, 2008 | 4:56 PM PST
Category:
Political
Just a few more hours before the big event. We're headed to a caucus location soon, but in the meanwhile, last night I went to a sports bar to see what people where thinking about the event. Out of 53 people at the bar zero said they were going to go to the caucus. Here's some of what they did say about the event:
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Media Center
Jan 3, 2008 | 2:53 PM PST
Category:
Political
We just got to the media headquarters at the convention center in downtown. Here's a walk through to show you intense it really is.
more text blogs
Jan 3, 2008 | 2:40 PM PST
Category:
Political
It seems like I'm never near a computer. Here's a lot more text blogs from the past 12 hours since my last post:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008
Fred Thompson just feet away being interviewed by fox and friends.
Ben and rachael
Its the Fox crew doing live shots for all across the nation.
B&R
Rachael and I are waiting to go on air and just realized we've been up
the same amount of time as John Edwards. We are dying and can't
imagine how he feels.
Sent from my iPhone
We're at the convention center and so
Is Mitt Romney and his band of sons. There is so many of then. They're
to the right in the pic. He is being interviewed with his wife.
Ben & Rachael
Hey everyone. Its 550 and rachel and I are headed downtown yo do a
live shot for Dallas. I'm so tired. Last night I went to a sports bar
to talk to people about the race. Out of 53 people there zero are
going to caucus tonight. I'll TTY to upload some of that video before
this afternoon.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008
I'm having the hardest time with food here. It's almost inpossible to
eat healthy and everything is so bland. I'm a huge Mexican fan and I
just stopped at their Mex chain on a way to a story. It was awful! If
I were a canidate there is no way I could take this diet for so long.
Sent from my iPhone
She said theyve been running like this since October. I bet there is
big money in that.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
I just got done watching the news, and I've never seen so many
political ads in my life. They were back to back almost the whole show.
Ben
Sent from my iPhone
Media center is amazing and overwhelming. Will have video later.
Sent from my iPhone
Instead of sleeping in our rooms they've become our blogging work space.
More texting
Jan 2, 2008 | 2:31 PM PST
Category:
Political
Satellite trucks have taken over the city. This is out the hotel
window, which by the way is leaking and is now forming ice around the
edges.
Ben
Edwards part 2
Jan 2, 2008 | 2:29 PM PST
Category:
Political
I also found this women particularly interesting. We talked about the importance of meeting a candidate first hand.
Now I'm getting ready to head to the convention center where all of the major media is located. I'll bring you that tonight.
Text posts
Jan 2, 2008 | 12:21 PM PST
Category:
Political
I've had some more text message posts on our sister blog smucaucusproject.blogspot.com
Here they are:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008
We stopped at the mall to grab starbucks and there was a booth selling
campaign buttons. The keep track of whose buttons move fastest at
Usabuttonpoll.com. Right now the person running it, Malissa Van Lee,
says Huckabee is "leading hands down."
We finally got back to the hotel. I'm sorry my posts are so few and far between. It seems like the pre-caucus events are so hetic that you are constantly moving from one place to another, or on the phone setting up your next move. Before you know it, you've forgotten to eat, sleep or breathe. Sleep particularly in my case. I'm going on 1 and a half hours now.
But I've got some time to catch up. That means that for the next few hours, I'll be gluded to my laptop trying to get everything we've done up for you.
Ben
Right now we can't find the hotel. Everything is covered in snow and
looks just alike. It's all flat with no landmarks. The biggest
political event of the year is happening and we can't get off the
highway. Oh well at least last night at the Edwards event I saw that
his bus got lost also.
Sent from my iPhone
Sorry I did not text sooner. I just got up from a power nap after the
event. It was a full house for Edwards even though he only stayed
for10 minutes. We'll have video of his speech online soon.
Ben
It's 12:34am, and we're in the car trying to navigate our way around
the state in order to reach Creston in time for the John Edwards rally
at 2:15. I can't wait to see who stays up and comes out to support
him. I will text again soon.
Ben Briscoe
On our way
Jan 1, 2008 | 5:47 PM PST
Category:
Political
During the next few days all of us with FOX U will also be sending real time texts to
http://smucaucusproject.blogspot.com/ for when we can't get to a computer. The following are my posts from earlier today on this site.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2008
We just landed, and Iowa is covered in snow. It was truly majestic to
see from the plane. I snapped this shot for you.
We're at the airport, and I'm so excited. Now were only a few
hours way from hitting ground central.
I've heard it's so cold that the canidates had to change some of their
stops to be inside instead of out in the elements.
It's time to go through security. Will text again when we land.
- Ben Briscoe
Getting ready
Dec 31, 2007 | 9:23 PM PST
Category:
Political
Hey everyone. I'm so excited about heading to Iowa in the morning that I've forgotten about any of the New Year's Eve parties I was supposed to attend. All I've done tonight is prepare for the trip. Watch video of me getting everything together:
I'll be writing from the battleground state soon. Until then, best wishes.
