Political Equinox

My good friend and fellow political junkie Chris Wright has been instrumental in getting our coverage of politics for the Caucus. Here are a few thoughts on our whirlwind experience.

For me, this was an eventful and life changing experience. Going into this week, I had only met a few of the candidates. Earlier in the summer, I traveled out to Iowa to attend the Iowa state fair. I ended up, after the long weekend was done, meeting Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson. I thought that week was good, but nothing could have prepared me for the 5 days I have spent here in Iowa. The opportunity that I have had here the last week has been amazing. For me, I think the most memorable moment was the Hillary Clinton event that we attended on Wednesday. Being there 2 ½ hours early gave us the opportunity to be in the front row for the event. We were expecting the big three (Hillary, Bill, and Chelsea Clinton) there, but nothing could have prepared me for the entourage that would follow. First to enter the room was Madeline Albright, the former Secretary of State, Wesley Clark, the four star general who ran for President in 2004 followed, and the actor Ted Danson, and his wife the actress and Mary Steenbergen were the next in. Being in the front row, we had an excellent view of all of the different people that were there to support Hillary. Although I am a Barack Obama supporter, I am very interested in all aspects of politics and the political system in the United States. For me, having this many current and former politicians in one room was the culmination of what is exciting about the way politics is run in the United States, and even more specifically Iowa. The ability of the average American citizen to access all of the different facets of American politics continues to amaze me. Additionally, I was pleased with the results of Thursday’s caucus. Hearing Barack Obama speak on three different occasions has given me the opportunity to truly judge my view of what was previously just a hunch on who I thought was the best candidate. I think Senator Obama is the correct answer to the challenges that face America today. Of all of the politicians running for president in both the Democratic and Republican parties, I believe that Barack Obama can bring the change that America needs. I also think that electing Senator Obama to the Presidency would send the message to the world that America is tired of the cowboy diplomacy that is currently the policy of the Bush administration, and that we are willing to work with the rest of the world, not against it, in a progressive way. Additionally, the oratory skills of the Senator are unparalleled within the current collection of presidential candidates. He brings hope in the future to the audiences to which he delivers his speeches. I am excited about the changes that are to come, but enough stumping for my candidate, time to wrap this thing up. This was one amazing experience. I will definitely carry this experience with me for the rest of my life. I look forward to returning to Michigan, and to starting the same process all over again. I will be watching Michigan for the Republicans, not the Democrats. The results there have the potential to swing the election to one candidate or the other. Looking retrospectively, my main hope for this trip was fulfilled in that I learned many things that I can take back with me into the wider world, and that I can share this experience with people so they can also learn something about American politics. In addition, I would like thank Tyler Platt for his hospitality and generously offering us accommodations and transportation, and to Pat for the media exposure and company. Thanks for taking your time to read my thoughts!

Chris Wright
Grand Valley State University

Tags: America, Barack Obama, Bush, candidate, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, IRS, John Edwards, michigan, obama, president, republican, The Caucus, wesley clark