By Rachel Bell
From the Capitol to the smallest farm town, all eyes are glued on Iowa for one month every four years. If you tell somebody you’re from Iowa at any other time, odds are they’ll give you a dumbfounded look and ask, “Iowa, where’s that?”
Nobody forgets about Iowa during caucus season, and we Iowans bask in the attention of candidates who visit our small towns to gain our loyalty.
Many Mount Vernon students flocked to the numerous rallies and gatherings in hopes to meet the next president of the United States–and each had a uniquely different experience.
Senior Matt HermsenWhite racked up a total of six different rallies from early October to late January, meeting both Democratic and Republican candidates. Initially a Clinton supporter, he visited multiple rallies in order to make an educated decision, and the time he put in paid off. “I had heard of Bernie but I didn’t know what his views were,” said HermsenWhite. “I supported Clinton before, but I was a strong Bernie supporter when I left.”
It was the high energy and eloquent speaking that hooked HermsenWhite. So much, that he was the caucus precinct captain for Sanders in Ely, Iowa. The select position included collecting and counting the data collected, and rarely goes to someone HermsenWhite’s age.
Senior Jaylee Delancey met Hillary Clinton at Cornell College in October. Her name was added to the VIP list by a neighbor – an important member of Clinton’s campaign – in exchange for her help in the February caucus. While Delancey simply wanted to meet this person of high influence, not everyone was there for the same reason. “There were a lot of diehard supporters,” said Delancey. Few high schoolers get the opportunity to meet a presidential candidate, and even fewer have the opportunity to be on the select list. “I learned a lot about caucusing during Political Science,” said Delancey, “But a lot more from working it.”
Junior Ryan Williams had a central front row seat to see former President Bill Clinton. Near the end of January, Clinton traveled to Cornell
College to speak in favor of his wife, Hillary. However, it wasn’t the speaking or even his presence that Williams remembered the most. A simple handshake perfectly commemorated the day for him.
Senior Adam Gage was always a fan of Rand Paul because of his promise to defend the constitution. After imputing his name in the volunteer section of Paul’s website, Gage was contacted by a coordinator and was put right to work.
Between manning the phone banks and clipboarding through the streets, Gage worked his way through the pre-caucus campaign season. “We had people sign up to volunteer and pledge to caucus and also delivered yard signs,” said Gage. Even though his favorite candidate is now out of the running, he is still keeping an interest in the race. “It depends on who the Republicans nominate,” said Gage, “it’s still up in the air.”
Senior David Taylor focused on the big players in the game: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump. “I’m going to vote for the candidate that I believe can truly make a difference for our country,” said Taylor. His purpose for meeting the candidates was to get a better understanding of their platforms and beliefs, and he didn’t hesitate to snatch a few photos with them as well. Taylor had to wade his way through the fanatics and haters, but eventually gained some insight on the election.
“Trump didn’t really talk about his platform, but his successful business operations he headed as well as bashing on everyone against him,” said Taylor. “Bernie came across as a fighter for the people, but I’m not sure he has what it takes to accomplish what he wants to. And Hillary has been in the game for long enough to know how to appeal to her followers, so she didn’t stand out to me.” So far, no one candidate has stood out from the clutter enough to capture his vote, but that didn’t dilute the experience for Taylor.
Treating the rallies as an adventure, Taylor was able to sneak into a veterans meeting before Bernie’s public speech and converse with him about veterans affairs. He was even able to get Hillary Clinton to open up about her pick for the Major League Baseball wild card game, in which she shouted, “Go Cubbies!” Although politics can seem boring, Taylor found ways to personally make it interesting.
Many high school students don’t entirely understand the hype of the Iowa caucus, and in turn find it uninteresting. Teenagers and young adults commonly believe that they are insignificant when it comes to politics, that their involvement doesn’t really matter. “Maybe politics and everything included with that subject doesn’t really interest everyone,” said Taylor, “but it’s important to understand a thing or two on how our government is led and by whom. So go and do some research and when you vote you can make an educated pick.”
