Kudos to IOWA!!! If there were a mountain or beach there, I'd consider a move!

[kid a]

You guys started it and put one of the nails in the GOP coffin!

IOWA ROCKS!

[Hobarticus]

1. Here in Dubuque, I got bluffs and a river...

Close enough?

[Cirque du So-What]

2. And now, a brief travelogue...

Interstate 80, Iowa. Mississippi River ... Davenport ... corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, What's that smell? Corn, corn, corn, Iowa City. Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, look, a tree! Corn, corn, corn, Des Moines. Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, there's that smell again. Corn, corn, corn, Council Bluffs ... Missouri River!

[Eryemil]

4. I like sweet corn and I can't deny...

...That all these farm boys are fine
And when they walk in, in those plain blue jeans
Fuck damn feels like I'm gonna die!

[Wickerman]

13. Hey, sometimes its beans!

:hi:

[MadMaddie]

15. Bwah..haw..haw..

Very Funny! :rofl:

[eridani]

28. What??!?? No soybeans?!?!

And what about the hogs?

[Skidmore]

40. Now come one. That isn't fair or accurate.

We've got soybeans too. And pigs. Some of them flew this year, too.

:evilgrin:

[Wickerman]

3. a few nice lakes

not exactly the ocean... Some great college towns, a slower pace of life than on the coasts. I enjoyed my time there. And, of course, they have good tastes in Presidents!

[Cirque du So-What]

5. In the interest of fair play

I will give equal time to an equally dismal stretch of roadway in my own state:

The Ohio Turnpike: cop cop cop cop cop cop cop cop "Road construction!" cop cop cop cop cop cop cop cop.

[kid a]

7. Yep!

[CoffeeCat]

6. Oh, you are so sweet...

That's so nice of you to remember Iowa.

I wish we had some beaches and mountains as well, but it is very pretty here!

The people here are the nicest and kindest people you'd ever want to meet. It makes
up for the lack of ocean!

I have to tell you, that our "first in the nation" status really is a privilege. We
get to meet the candidates up close and personal. I live in a town of about 30,000
people and Joe Biden was here, in a bar--just hanging out with everyone!

My husband and I saw all of the candidates and went to many rallies. We shook hands
with most of them as well.

Obama won Iowa, because he earned it in spades. That campaign was the most beautifully
orchestrated operation that I've seen come through Iowa--and I've seen many campaigns
come through here! It was unbelievable.

I was undecided, and I told an Obama supporter this when he called. The next day,
a canvasser was in my driveway--not to sell me, but to find out what issues concerned
me. Within a few days, Obama called me! Then, a precinct captain followed up with
me and they talked me into being a precinct captain. It was...insanely organized
and focused on micro-targeting. I told this story the night of the caucus. I swore to
every Democrat in the room that Obama was our guy because of his ideas, but also because
of his "unprecedented ground game that would blow any Republican out of the water."

I was literally stricken by how ingenious this campaign was. I knew Obama would be
President after experiencing it.

Iowa came through, as you said---but we only came through because Barack Obama showed
us what he was made of. He unleashed an amazing campaign on our state--and we couldn't
help but be completely blown away.

He's just...amazing!

[kid a]

9. Thanks for that post! Great story!! How true!

I think if Obama had spent more time here in Montana, like he did in Butte on July 4th, and let more of us get to know him up close like he did in Iowa, he would have gotten the 17,000 more vote to take it. But I realize how Iowa play an important part - LUCKY!

[gratefultobelib]

26. Wow. Thank you for sharing this. What an amazing story. Maybe you and

only you, by telling your story at the caucus, swayed enough people to join the campaign to make the difference! I was a dedicated volunteer for the last 2+ months, and story telling was always a big part of our workshops and house meetings.

[Dems to Win]

30. You talked to Obama??? Wow. I'm green with envy.

Right there, sounds like a good reason to move to Iowa! Thanks for sharing, TwoSparkles.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I vacationed in Vermont. We saw the fall foliage, climbed Mt. Killington, took the tour of Ben and Jerry's, and did lots of day hikes. We went specifically to Vermont for vacation (spent our money there) to say 'Thank you' for sending Bernie Sanders to the Senate.

I'm now having the same impulse to say 'Thank you' to Iowa for giving Barack to the nation. You made it happen!

Any Iowa vacation ideas?

on edit: Loess Hills and the train in Boone sound like a start (as I finish reading the thread....)

[emmadoggy]

36. Northeast Iowa!

"The driftless area". Lots of beautiful rolling hills and the Mississippi River. Yellow River forest here in Allamakee county is gorgeous, especially in the fall. I've heard the new National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque is wonderful, though I haven't been there myself yet. Effigy Mounds and Pikes Peak near Marquette are both great to see.

Lots of other stuff too! Come check us out!

Edited to add photo.... View of the Mississippi from Pikes Peak, McGregor, Iowa.

[Critters2]

51. Hey! I posted about this area before reading your post.

I vacationed in Dubuque last summer. Had a great time! The Great River Museum and the river cruise were great!

[Critters2]

50. Effigy State Park and the Great River Museum, in northeastern Iowa. nt

[eridani]

31. The organization was what turned me to Obama as well

I was Kucinich and then Edwards, a typical path for your typical lefty issue junkie this year. Obama and Clinton looked almost identical to me on policy (Obama had an edge on the war and Clinton an edge on health care), so I looked at campaign organization and the choice was 1)meld old-fashioned ground work and online organizing to generate a new Democratic active base or 2) stick with the 90s organizing style of hitting up only corporate donors and focus on advertising in 12-15 states, which was enough to get Bill elected twice but an utter disaster in terms of governorships, state houses and filling the local pipelines with experienced local officeholders. Putting it that way, the only option was obvious.

[Condem]

8. We're the best kept secret in the US.

Let's keep it that way.

[Arugula Latte]

10. Yes! Thank you, Iowa!

:toast:

[Coexist]

11. yes they did.

I love them now.

[Snotcicles]

12. My hats off to the CORN PATCH. nt

[NEDem]

14. The Des Moines River valley is beautiful

[kid a]

16. I"ll have to check it out on my next cross country drive. Sounds nice

[NEDem]

18. The area around Boone is amazing

My kid was into Thomas the Train we drove to Boone a couple times to see Thomas. We took the scenic train ride once, amazing, you'd never believe you were in Iowa.

[Critters2]

52. Ledges State Park is my favorite hiking spot.

I also like the Three Rivers Trail, in Humboldt and Wright Counties.

[Cha]

17. Absolute Props to Iowa!

But, I am moving to Hawai'i which does have an Ocean and came through for their Native Son big time..

<snip>

"POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 05, 2008

The polls hadn’t yet closed in Hawaii when news stations projected the swing state of Ohio had gone for Barack Obama, foretelling a landmark victory in U.S. political history.

“Thank the Lord!” exclaimed Faye Kennedy, glued to the television in her home in St. Louis Heights along with her husband, Pat Daly. “It’s the most exciting event in my life, not just because he’s African-American but because he’s managed to unite so many people.

“Bush has been such a divider, and Obama is such a uniter — and he brings the spirit of Hawaii’s aloha with him.”

Four years ago, Kennedy was a Hawaii delegate to the Democratic convention in Boston. She heard the keynote speaker had grown up in Honolulu, so she brought him a lei. “None of us knew how to pronounce his name,” recalled Kennedy, president of the Hawaii Women’s Political Caucus.

No longer. The candidate with the funny name and Hawaiian roots caught the country’s imagination and went on to capture the presidency by galvanizing new and old voters across the country.

Yesterday, Hawaii delivered the largest margin of all the states to Obama, with three out of four voters supporting their native son. All over the islands, his supporters rejoiced."

<more>
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20081105_Win_resonates_across_ocean.html

[Canuckistanian]

19. Just wait 20 years. Maybe there'll be an oceanside beach in IA

See you at the Cedar Rapids boardwalk!

[Omnibus]

38. Sorry, the beach will only extend to AR.

Not enough ice on the planet to raise ocean levels any higher.

But at least it'll be nice and warm here year-round!

[Critters2]

20. The Loess Hills of Iowa. Maybe not mountains, but pretty darned impressive: (dial-up warning)

The Loess Hills in winter:



The Loess Hills in summer:




The Loess Hills in autumn:

[kid a]

24. nice pics! love the cows!

[eridani]

32. Needs more evergreens, but otherwise a lot like foothills out here n/t

[codjh9]

34. Hey, thanks! Yeah, to me there's some beautiful places in every state, no matter what far too

many people think.

[TwilightGardener]

45. I used to work in southwestern Iowa, had to drive through the Loess Hills--

very nice, especially in the fall. I very much like Iowa.

[Hamlette]

21. Chew on this: Bush won in 2004 by 60% to 39%.

He won by 21 points.

This year it was Obama 54% to McCain 45%. nine points

30% of the population switched this year.

That is unbelievable.

[Dems to Win]

33. Yummy! n/t

[Honeycombe8]

22. I TOTALLY agree! Iowa dood it for the country, alright! nt

[busybl]

23. I love Iowa

and you show my town on the map

[chiefofclarinet]

25. Eastern Iowa is great!

Eastern Iowa is a lot like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. And, like them, it is strongly blue. It's a nice place to be.

Western Iowa, especially IA-5, more resembles Nebraska than Eastern Iowa, though. It's still a nice place, but the people are crazy.

(I have experience living in both sides of the state.)

[gratefultobelib]

27. Snow, lots of snow--that's what I remember from living there for 2 years in the 70's!

[TexasObserver]

29. Where the corn is as high as an elephant's eye! Oh, wait. That's Oklahoma.

In Iowa, the soy beans are as high as a warthog's behind, but I doubt that will ever be in a musical.


But, seriously. I love Iowa.

[kid a]

41. We have a lot to work on in Oklahoma!

[youthere]

43. Well that's just silly..it doesn't even rhyme!

:rofl:

[TexasObserver]

48. I know, and I should have taken the time to make it rhyme!

Where soy beans are as high
as an anteater's thighhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

And it looks like it's climbin'
way up to the skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Oh, what a beautiful mor-ning!

[swishyfeet]

35. I just don't "get" Iowa

It seems to be the rare exception to the rural/urban political divide.

Here in Oregon, we like to cheer about being so blue, but honestly, outside the big metro areas, it's frigging banjo country - and red as can be.

Never been to Iowa, and don't know much about it at all, but I'm seriously impressed how easily Obama won. Good for you!

-Oh, and your hills are just adorable. ;)

[Critters2]

49. The western 1/3 of the state is "banjo country" in Iowa.

Which explains Steve King. But central and eastern Iowa are good places to live. Even the Reoublicans I knew in central Iowa weren't the religious right crazies so many are. They were good on most social issues. They'd just always been Repug and felt a loyalty to the brand, basically.

[Omnibus]

37. You're welcome.

We're not so bad.

Except for the 5th district. Steve King, WTF?!?

[Inspired]

39. We may not have mountains or beaches....

but we have POLITICS! Isn't that what most of us on the DU devote our spare time on anyway?!!!

Really, Iowa isn't all that geographically challenged. There are some lovely areas of Iowa. Lots of rolling hills, lakes and space. You are never far from the countryside, even in the Des Moines area.

It is peaceful and lovely.

[kid a]

42. All I remember of being in IOWA as a kid is bumpy interstates - OK, I'll revist!! =)

[youthere]

44. I love it here...

and as someone pointed out...we're the best kept secret in the nation. It's surprisingly beautiful, and the people here are the best. Just decent, honest and hard-working common-sense folks. In addition to corn and pigs, we also eat more Jell-o and have more subscriptions to Playboy than any other state. Jell-o and Playboy...they just kind of go together, don't they?

[Jennicut]

46. I have never been to the middle of the country but I so want to go now!

The midwest=love. Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa!!!! Us left coasters love you guys and we love corn.

[Peacetrain]

47. We have been laughing our heads off about the MSM's chagrin

oooooooo will Obama get elected (they said) because of that blue collar, rural, white vote, older. will not go for him


AHEM!! It does not get any ruraler, whiter or blue collar and older for that matter

:hi: