Election season starts to heat up

SHANNON URTNOWSKI
News Editor

As Super Tuesday and other state primary elections approach, results in past electoral events like the Iowa Caucus are becoming little but statistics that will affect the outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election results. However, to a few members of the Pepperdine community who had the opportunity to attend the Jan. 3 caucus, which served as the nation’s first major electoral event of the upcoming presidential election, the caucus meant much more than numbers.

“I really just wanted to see it in person, so that I could actually describe it in greater detail to students,” said Assistant Professor of Political Science Candice Ortbals, who attended the caucus with her husband, Drescher librarian James Wiser. “We’re also just political junkies. So, we thought that this was an ideal vacation moment, even though most people probably wouldn’t think Iowa in January was ideal.”

As he and his wife are somewhat undecided voters, Wiser said they were hoping the caucus would provide them with an up-close-and-personal experience with the candidate. The pair attended a Democratic caucus in Iowa with friends from Iowa City. The particular precinct they attended was in a community center just outside of Iowa City, according to Ortbals.

Though they only served as viewers at the caucus, unable to participate in the state’s primary election voting, Wiser and Ortbals said they were surprised to find that even they were able to receive a participatory feeling from the caucus event.

“It almost felt to us like a church potluck meal or some sort of local gathering,” Ortbals said. “That personalized feel was something I was hoping to see, but not necessarily sure I was going to.”

Ortbals also said she was pleased to find that Iowans take the primaries very seriously, as Iowa has served as the home of the nation’s first primary election of every presidential election since 1972.

“As a political scientist, it seems like these people are just sucking it in, taking it in and discussing it amongst themselves,” Ortbals said.

Pepperdine junior Julia Frudden, a resident of Iowa City, said she can attest to Ortbals’ statement. While home for the holidays, Frudden attended a caucus in Iowa City and voted in the Iowa primaries. She said that was her first time attending a caucus and voting in the Iowa Primary Election.

“It’s kind of intimidating if you don’t know a lot about it, but I wasn’t as intimated when I got there,” said Frudden, who attended a Democratic caucus similar to the one that Ortbals and Wiser attended. “Some people think that you have to talk about the issues and know everything about the candidates you are caucusing for, but the people in Iowa are really nice anyway.”

The state holds conventions in all of its 99 counties. When Wiser and Ortbals arrived at the Democratic caucus a few minutes before it began, a number of people were already lined up in the below-freezing weather. Once inside, setups for each candidate were located in various corners of the room, and people were invited to go stand among other supporters of the candidate of their choice.

“In terms of just the feel, the Clinton camp, for example, was the only camp that had pizza, trying to attract people to their side,” Wiser said. “Demographically, the Obama crowd was a lot younger, like 40s and below.”

Ortbals said there were a number of rounds of voting, as each candidate had to receive support from at least 15 percent of those able to vote at the caucus. Each voter was asked to raise his or her hand for the candidate they supported, and this would determine the candidate’s viability. If candidates were not viable, their supporters would have to disband and support another candidate.

“It just seemed so informal that that’s how they were going to decide,” Ortbals said.

Nine delegates were divided between each candidate depending on how much support he or she received from those at the caucus. The candidate with the most delegates was said to win the state, according to Ortbals. This was the process for both the Democratic and Republican caucuses.

 “It really felt like, we’ve seen tapings of the ‘Tonight Show’ or other shows, how they give out prizes and stuff, so by the time the person comes out the crowd is screaming,” Ortbals said, referring to her perception of the Clinton camp.

Though neither Wiser, Ortbals nor Frudden attended a Republican caucus, Frudden said that she was able to get the sense of its size, as one of its precincts was located at the same school as the Democratic caucus she was attending. She said the Republican caucus attracted about 100 people, whereas the Democratic caucus attracted more than 600 people.

“As for the participation turnout, the Republican was pretty much the same as it had been last year, but the Democratic was at least double what it has been,” Frudden said.

In addition to Iowans being able to attend one of the caucuses, there are also a number of campaign events, which the candidates personally attend.

Wiser, Ortbals and Frudden all said being able to listen to the candidates and see them up close made the political experience richer.

“You can basically meet every presidential candidate,” said Frudden, who went to see Barack Obama speak. “Obama is an amazing speaker and made a lot of good points.”

At a rally for John Edwards, Ortbals was able to sit next to Elizabeth Edwards and speak with her.

“To be that up-close-and-personal with the candidates and their family was something obviously we couldn’t have gotten here,” Ortbals said.

As an Iowa resident, Frudden said she was very pleased with the entire experience of the Iowa Caucus.

“I was just super proud because so many people came out and it showed they really care about politics,” she said. “It showed me how lucky Iowans are.”

01-17-2008