DES MOINES, Iowa--I hate Barack Obama.
Not really, of course. At least not in a personal or political sense. In the sense of "making me physically uncomfortable," though, maybe. I mean, the guy, like, totally ruined my morning.
I arrived at 11:00 a.m. sharp for the senator's "Canvass Kick-Off" at Roosevelt High School here in Des Moines. Bad idea. Not only was every space in every lot already occupied, but every adjoining street was completely clogged with parked cars. I was forced to park half a mile away and sprint o'er ice and through the snow to reach Roosevelt. The wind chill today in Des Moines is negative ten; I am unfit. Strike one.
Seeking warmth, I made for the nearest entrance. I was immediately intercepted by a Secret Service agent and booted out. Apparently, I had entered Obama's staging area. Through the glass, I could see him, flanked by aides. He made no effort to let me in--even though the assistant to communication director Robert Gibbs had just passed through the same door. Totally unfair. Joe Biden doesn't have doormen. Strike two.
By the time I squeezed through a capacity crowd of about 1,000, every seat at the press table was already taken by reporters more famous and/or more talented than me who had recently come to Des Moines to cover the caucuses--and had chosen to cover Obama instead of, say, Clinton. What's more, there were at least 50 television cameras perched on a riser across from the stage; gearing the event to the cameras, not the crowd (as usual), the campaign had positioned supporters in a pit below Obama or on bleachers behind him (some even sat behind his backdrop). Meaning no view, either. Strike three.
In baseball, Obama would be out. Not so much in politics.
With last night's Des Moines Register poll showing him ahead of Clinton by seven points--a result that left the Clinton camp "totally taken aback," according to the New York Times--Obama kicked off 2008 at Roosevelt High as the most popular kid in class. Sure, he was quick to add a note of caution. "The polls are
not enough," he said. "The only thing that counts is whether or not you show up to
caucus." But it's not like that's news. Truth is, Obama had a hard time containing his optimism. "After 10 months, it looks like it just might work," he said, skipping the whole "lowering expectations" shebang. "It looks like it might be paying off. Our bet on the American people
might just work."
"I think 2008 is going to be a good year," he added. "That’s what I think. I think some big things might happen in 2008."
We'll see soon enough.
