The following photographs were taken on the evening of Thursday, October 2, 2008 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis from the 2008 Vice-Presidential Debate.

Biden Bot

Sen. Joe Biden (De.), resembled as a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot, taking on Gov. Sarah Palin (Ak.)

Palin Bot

Gov. Sarah Palin (Ak.), resembled as a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot, taking on Sen. Joe Biden (De.)

DUC Viewing Party                                                                                                                                     

Washington University students gather to watch the Vice-Presidential Debate

Graham Chapel

One of the many debate-watch locations on the campus

NBC Debate Spot

A closer look at the NBC main stage

What You See on T.V.

A look from behind-the-scenes shows NBC pundits on the set

Watching the Speech Outside

The NBC stage was converted into a make-shift viewing area for audience members

Satellite Trucks

Many local and national news trucks gathered together in a restricted area of campus

CNN Bus

A look at the bus mentioned in Mark's blog

Media Van

The typical news van in which editing is done on-the-fly

 -ST. LOUIS          

            Hours before the vice-presidential debates start, approximately 3,000 reporters, according to debate.wustl.edu, have swarmed the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis to meet students and activists who have provided plenty of fodder for their cameras, recorders and notebooks. 

            Only the major media outlets – ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, CNN, C-Span and PBS – will actually be allowed into the Athletic Complex where the debate will take place later tonight, but the debate is only one part of the festivities going on around campus.

            Students gathered on the lawn today to show support for their candidate, get a shot at being on national television and even to make fun of the process. 

            Most of the signs, shirts and buttons on the lawn were pro-Obama, with only a few McCain signs sprinkled in. Senior Washington University student Alex Cloninger said that most students he has talked to support Obama or are indecisive.

            “There are a few McCain-Palin signs floating around, but I’d say the university is predominately for Obama,” Cloninger said.

            Freshman Washington University student TJ Morgan said that he is leaning towards McCain and thinks that more students support McCain than choose to admit it.

            “Unfortunately, since it really is a strong majority favoring Obama here, there are people who show a certain lack of maturity and…that can prevent people from being completely open about their political beliefs,” Morgan said. “I think that might be effectively keeping a lot of conservatives from showing their support.” 

            One fraternity even used the day as a hazing event, having pledges carry signs with random sayings, such as “I want my sandwich back,” and “I need a nap.”

            Junior Washington University student Mike Lefemine carried a sign saying “Go Red Sox” and claimed that he would decide what candidate to support based on their baseball team leanings.

            “I feel like the candidates are avoiding the real issues which is, who’s going to win the World Series, and honestly, if I knew where the candidates stood on who their baseball teams were, I would be swayed,” Lefemine said. 

            On a more serious note, Lefemine said he that even though he was not able to get a ticket to the debate, he thinks the event is great for the campus.

            “I think everyone’s excited about their issues, and I think it’s great that everybody’s able to express themselves and come together and make some noise,” Lefemine said.

Photo by Mark Hardy, Truman Media Network

The atmosphere at Washington University in St. Louis ' Danforth Campus denies my expectations of a high profile Vice Presidential debate.

Immediately after receiving our press credentials I was directed to another line where I was handed oodles of Washington University promotional items: a water bottle, t-shirt, a bag with three University pins, and a lanyard for my press credentials containing a two gigabyte flash card. According to NPR over 3,000 media passes were issued, and none of them left the sign in tables without these goodies. The memory stick lanyard even featured B-roll film, exciting our News 36 team members until someone in the KWUR radio station let us know that most of it asked the national media to write stories about new buildings on campus and how great of a school it is. (Unrelated sidenote: Wash-U's tuition has increased by a greater percentage than gasoline at the pump has since the last oil crisis in the 1970s.)

At first I thought students would feel jealous about how nice the school was treating me. Then I saw a space age CNN trailer painted with outrageous, hip phrases such as The League of First Time Voters, and Join Us! surrounded by students. Anyone interested could wait in line to have their picture taken in a special CNN photo booth, receive a free CNN t-shirt, or view one of many performances by campus entertaining groups. I listened to a little bit of Wash-U's acapella group before deciding it was time to get lunch.

The cafeteria's occupants were half students and half national journalists, the majority of whom were drinking wine during their downtime. Needless to say, the nearly $40,000 a year Wash-U campus' food is quite a bit classier than Truman's. Gourmet food with sea salt and pepper grinders screams fine dining. I would say the number of journalists inside suggests that news pros enjoyed the establishment, as well, but I think the number of blocked off streets and long line of cars waiting to have their credentials checked might have influenced people to eat on campus.

After eating I had to go to the bathroom to clean gourmet pizza grease from my hands. The toilets had an interesting green feature we could incorporate on campus: press the handle up for #1 (liquid waste), down for #2 (solid waste), and a special green coating to prevent germs.

A strange event seemed to be taking place on campus. Everywhere, students, all male, holding ridiculous signs could be seen traipsing about, yelling what was essentially the content of the sign. Some examples are, 'Vote Whig!' 'Why is My Chair Broken?' 'Palin: I'm the Daddy' and 'I need a nap.' At first I believed this to be part of some strange Libertarian protest until I discovered that it was a part of an elaborate fraternity pledging process.

Now I'm off to Spin Alley, where the big shot journalists are chilling, and then I plan to check out the protesters who have been relegated to off campus areas, since Wash-U is private and can choose who stays on or off of campus (*cough*Brother Jed...*cough*) Forsyth, the road they're on, has been blocked off by police, making for a perfect place to congregate.

Look forward to hearing from me soon.

Photo by Mark Hardy, Truman Media Network

What would you do if you had less than a month to find somewhere to live?

This is a question that several Truman students are asking, now that construction on
The Cove at Kirksville has been delayed.

SMC Development LLC, previously known PKS Development Company, promised a resort-style apartment complex located on Halliburton St., two blocks south of Truman’s campus. This gated community was scheduled to be open in August 2008, but construction has yet to begin.

 “Construction was slated to begin in early spring, but the construction was delayed by all the cold weather,” said Brandt Stiles, co-owner of PKS Development.

Modular Homes

“Modular homes are factory built homes that can be assembled on-site once a foundation is poured,” said Megan Brinker, VP of Real Estate Development and Acquisitions for SMC Development. “Stick buildings take a long time, and modular homes can be even nicer than stick buildings. Quality is not an issue with modular buildings.”

The Cove will include:

• 61 fully furnished unit with living room and dining room sets
• Private bedrooms and bathroom
• Individual key entry locks on each bedroom
• Gourmet Kitchens with decorator cabinetry
• Clubhouse including a hot tub, pool, and a tanning bed

 A place like The Cove may seem a little out of place in the Kirksville landscape, but this is not a concern for Brinker and SMC.

“It’s a great community and there are a lot of students there from St. Louis,” Brinker said. “Being based in St. Louis, we hear about how great it is up there. But we really saw a need for student housing development.”

The Next-Door Neighbor

The site in which the Cove is set for construction surrounds the home of Garry Ledford. Ledford and his wife, Evelyn, have lived in the same location for 20 years. SMC offered to purchase his land, but he refused. However, this has not stopped SMC, they plan to simply build around Ledford's property, which extends for two acres.

Currently there are multiple red-flagged stakes surrounding his property marking the construction area. Also, there is construction equipment sitting in the field, but according to Ledford, a former contractor, no local companies that have actually signed a contract to begin building.

A six-foot tall gated fence will surround Ledford’s property once construction starts.  Although he does not have any complaints about the construction work, it does mean that he will have to get rid of his horse, Echo.

"My grandchildren really enjoy riding her," said Ledford.

Leford feels like Echo will not be able to adjust to the hectic environment and would just rather give her away.

Left Asking Questions

Where does this delay put the 19 students who already paid deposits on units for the 2008-2009 school year? Students are currently being contacted about returns of deposits and suggestions for finding alternate housing. This gives those students roughly a month to secure living arrangements in Kirksville.

The website for The Cove at Kirksville has no updates on the status of construction and still shows that there will be units move-in ready in August.

The competition planners and officials, including three Truman faculty and two students, join them.  Professors Kevin Minch, Elizabeth Clark, Kris Stroup and students Mark Buchheit and Chris Girouard join in a special welcome for six teams traveling to compete from  quake affected areas at personal risk through a time consuming alternate route.

More than 20 Asian news agencies cover the opening addresses of the competition considered the most prestigious of its kind.  In the FLTRP welcome, Deputy Editor in Chief, Ms Zhang Siying, calls to mind the persistence of the Chinese people as they face the adversity of the earthquake.  She speaks poignantly of the sadness for the quake victims and yet the Chinese people’s excitement in hosting the Olympic games.

One student at the conference notes the irony of the timing as well. In Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered very lucky.  The beginning of the Olympics is scheduled for the 8^th of August, 2008 to encourage an auspicious event.  So, it seems strange that the earthquake happened 88 days before the Olympic games open.

Other speakers welcoming the FLTRP debaters note the tragedy and triumph of these days in China. Professor of Communication at the University of Alaska and an organizer with the event, Steven Johnson, likens this period to the summer of 1968 in the United States.  He urges the participants to remember that debate provides particularly good tools for meeting the challenges of such critical moments.  He encourages the students to take the intellectual tradition of the FLTRP CUP Competition into with them beyond the competition to shape these critical moments and to improve their world.

This afternoon at 2:28, during preparations for their competition, the students pause again as bells ring and sirens wail for three minutes, standing with millions of their fellow Chinese in honor for those most deeply touched by the tragedy of these critical times.

In Beijing, three Truman faculty members and two students helped launch the opening of the 12^th FLTRP CUP National English Debating Competition, considered by the Chinese as their most prestigious such competition.  Professor Kevin Minch is a trainer for the second year with the FLTRP CUP. Professors Elizabeth Clark and Kris Stroup with students Mark Buchheit and Chris Girouard will adjudicate debates between competitors from 120 Chinese universities. 

Girourd, senior Political Science and Communication major, joined other international debaters in the opening demonstration debate for the 240 competitors, their coaches, teammates, and other competition trainers and officials.

Each Chinese university is allowed to send only one two-person team.  At the end of the week, the winning team will not only be recognized as the best of the best, but will have completed the first leg of their journey to the All Asian Debate Championship and the World Debating Championship.

The Truman State University softball team owns a 22 and 19 record with a roster full of scholarship players, but not all of them started out that way.

Junior Lindsey Rock is one of those players.

"A lot of people don't even know that I am a walkon. When they I ask and I tell them, they are kind of surprised and it's kind of a neat story," Rock said.

Rock is the everday leftfielder for the Bulldogs, batting .213 on the season with 7 RBI's and 2 steals. Rock prides herself on defense where she hasn't committed an error all season, but also never takes her success for granted.

"(When I came to Truman) they really didn't need an outfielder. The leftfielder who played before me was all- region, so I kind of didn't expect anything," said Rock.

Eight games into her freshman campaign, Rock took over patrolling the Bulldog outfield and hasn't looked back since, earning a scholarship in the process.

Freshmen Leah Reimnitz and Kristen Siegler are trying to be the next walk-on to earn a name for themselves.

"As a fresman walk-on, I knew that I was going to have to earn everything that I was going to get, whcih I wouldn't have it anyother way," Siegler said.

"I'm a back up role, behind a very good third basemen and I came out here hoping to learn a lot from her," Reimnitz said.

As long as walk-ons continue to earn playing time and find success, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of hopefuls any time soon. 

       With the recent sexual assault on campus students are looking for ways to protect themselves.

       Brain Krylowicz, director of university counseling services, says the easiest way to protect yourself from an attack is to be aware of your environment.

       "The most common date rape drug is alcohol," Krylowicz says.

       Krylowicz says it is important to always keep track of your own cup and to keep it covered when socializing with a group.

       "Don't drink from a punch [...] a punch can be a punch or it can be Everclear," Krylowicz says.

       Dr. Albert J. Weitz, professor of communication, maintains a website that suggests ways to prevent an assault during a date. Weitz researched date rape prevention for his doctorial thesis.

       Weitz says that the longer a person waits to tell their partner their viewpoints on sexual intentions the higher the risk of rape is.

       According to the National College Health Assessment, Truman has a slightly higher percentage of reported unwanted sexual activity compared to other institutions.

       Jessica Ridenhour, junior, says it's important to educate others on rape prevention.

       "I can't actually remember a time I was talked to about how to defend myself or what to do in that kind of situation," she says.

       "I think it's all about going out in groups and knowing a lot about where you're going. Make sure have a mix of girls and boys when you go out."    

       For more information on this story check out the video on the top right. For further information about rape prevention or reporting please visit the DPS, the Women's Resource Center, or the University Counseling Services websites.

            Kirksville City Council elections take place this coming April. Candidates hope to bring new jobs to Kirksville .

            Phil Tate, director of job development, said bringing new businesses to Kirksville isn’t as easy as it seems.

            “There will be between 200 to 300 actual plant expansions, which makes the competition very, very difficult,” Tate said.

            Tate said they are currently in talks with Sight Selection Network to bring more jobs to Kirksville .

            “We’re working a project right now, which is a laboratory from southern California ,” Tate said.

            Tate said the city council candidates have the right intention of promising new jobs, but it’s not in their hands.

            “I don’t know that a candidate can promise knew job creation, but they can promise they are going to support the efforts,” Tate said.

            Businesses are typically drawn to Kirksville because it’s a college town, Jen Shahan, Hastings store manager, said.

            “We’re a company that likes to go into smaller markets, particularly college markets, where they don’t have things like Barnes and Noble or Borders,” Shahan said.

            Businesses like Hastings offer a wide variety of jobs, Shahan said.

            “Mostly we employ guest service associates, but we also have team leader positions, department manager positions, and assistant manager positions,” Shahan said.

            Shahan said she would like to see new businesses in Kirksville because of the recent layoffs.

            “I personally would love to see Target here, it would be great to have them, but anything would be a plus around here,” Shahan said.

           For more imformation check out the video on the right.

LA PLATA- The History of the Amtrak Exhibit and the Silver Rails Event Center opened their doors Saturday starting the process of change in La Plata . The openings start the ball rolling on a process that when finished will end with the $250 Million Silver Rails Resort. The train-themed resort will contain a w ater p ark , a hotel and conference center, museums, a spa, shops and an entertainment amphitheater. Silver Rails Resort is trying to be the first northeast Missouri attraction to combine the areas rail history and the cultural significance.  

To the cheering audience giving the Peking Acrobats a standing ovation, it certainly must seem that putting on such a performance takes a fair amount of effort. Yet few people watching would be able to guess just how much hard work actually goes into the show, both on the performance side and behind the curtain. During their three-month tour, the company will stop in a different city nearly every night, rehearsing daily, putting up and breaking down their own sets, and keeping up with the grueling pace of a touring life.

The performers arrive at noon on Saturday and immediately begin unloading and setting up their equipment. Incredibly, the same acrobats who perform the unbelievable feats on stage are the crew who assemble their sets. They don’t have to go it alone, though; a handful of Truman students, interns with the auditorium, assist with the setup and tear-down. The performers have arrived with plans in hand, and now everyone must pitch in to make them happen. Peering through the throng of people rushing about the stage, it’s possible to see some performers rehearsing their more complicated acts.

Adam Troughear, the technical director of the show, says the show isn’t all conceived at once. “This show has been evolving over years and years. It’s basically a lot of traditional Chinese acrobatic acts put together in a specific order. There’s been a couple of months, a good two or three months worth of rehearsals and whatnot prior to us getting together and beginning the technical element.”

Though six to seven-hour daily rehearsals may seem extreme, they’re a necessity to perform some of the dangerous feats seen on stage—and the performers, some of whom have been working with the company since the age of seven, are certainly used to it. The acrobats range in age from 13 to 26, and require these long hours of rehearsal to stay in peak condition.

While their stunts are certainly awe-inspiring and dangerous, it’s perhaps what goes on behind the curtain that is the most impressive accomplishment of all. By understanding what effort and discipline goes into producing such a show, audiences can gain a new appreciation of the spectacle they’ve come to see.

            Legislation is in the works today to allow students and professors to make smart choices about the books they’re buying.

            Missouri legislators have followed suit with other states like California, Arkansas and Oregon by starting the legislative process on an act that will require book publisher’s to detail all the changes that were made from previous editions of the text. This act will enable professors and students to choose the edition of a book that works best for them. 

            The Texbook Transparency Act reads that publishers have to make the wholesale price, a history of revisions and a list of all formats on which the text is offered, available to professors who are considering using the text for their classes. The act also mandates that the history of revisions be available to students at the time of purchase.

            Truman Junior, Chris Miller, interned in Jefferson City with Representative Jake Zimmerman and used his connection to present the textbook act to the now sponsor for the act. Miller says he recommended the act after attending a consortium on higher education.

            “Like a good legislator he had a lot of questions and was hesitant in the beginning to file such a bill but ended up doing so, and I was pleased that he did,” says Chris Miller.

            While this act will likely help students, the question remains how it will affect publishers. Manager of the Truman Bookstor, Steve Pennington, says that he is unsure what the affect will be until the act makes its way through the legislative process.

            “It involves faculty working with publishers to eventually lower the costs to students,” Pennington says.

            Pennington went on to say that he hopes it doesn't negatively affect sales but hopes that the lower costs will lead students to buy their books at the book store as opposed to online sites.

            The bill was recently sent to the committee on Higher Education but hasn’t been scheduled for a date to be reviewed it will likely be late in the year until this bill makes anymore progress through our legislative branch. For more information on this story see the video on the right or the story linked here.

It was almost too close to call.

            Near midnight on Super Tuesday dozens of Hillary Clinton supporters watched as victory slid from their grasp inside Laclede’s Bar and Grill in St. Louis.  Just hours before, CNN announced Clinton was leading Obama in the Show-Me state with a margin of nearly 15 points. However, as votes from urban areas poured in momentum shifted and Barack Obama won the Missouri primary with 49 percent of the vote – beating Clinton by just 10,003 votes according to CNN.

            “I think Hillary’s going to get the nomination, I think she’s going to be the next president of the United States, and I plan on sticking with her,” St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said. “… Ultimately it’s about trying to figure out how they will get to the convention with the requisite numbers of delegates … it’s going to be a lot of work.”

            In Missouri, the youth vote might have helped Obama claim victory. In keeping with last week’s Index straw poll, Washington University administrator Robin Hattori, who helped organize the university’s first on-campus polling place this season, said Obama supporters are prominent on campus.

            “I think the students who are supporting Obama have been the most visible,” Hattori said. “…[ Washington University ] is definitely a more liberal campus over all, but people … like a healthy debate. … [Obama is] such a charismatic speaker, I know students would love to hear him.”

            Obama student field coordinator and Washington University sophomore Dane Seiden said he has been campaigning hard to get out the vote. He said Facebook has been a valuable tool for reaching the masses.

            “From what we’ve seen, the people who’ve [spoken to] me are really enthusiastic, everyone’s coming out to vote,” Seiden said. “…Facebook is the best tool imaginable. You can reach an exponentially larger amount of people than you can with any other tool. … There’s a general mood out there that may work in our favor.”

            Despite the support of passionate constituents on both sides of the race, Clinton and Obama will split the number of Missouri delegates proportionate to the percentage of votes they got. In a virtual tie with 49 percent going to Obama and 48 percent to Clinton, both candidates hold 30 Missouri delegates come convention time, according to CNN. However, the Republican Party has a winner-take-all policy.

            Arizona Senator John McCain defeated former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee with 194,304 votes to 185,628. Even though Huckabee and Mitt Romney lost to McCain by margins of 1 and 2 percentage points respectively, McCain will carry all of Missouri’s 58 delegates to this summer’s Republican convention.

            All in all, nearly 1.4 million Missourians cast a primary vote this season but the results are far from conclusive. CNN reports that Clinton and Obama remain nearly tied in the race for delegates and while McCain maintains a lead over Romney he has yet to sew up the Republican nomination.

            In such close races on both sides, being an independent voter might have its merits. Several voters in the St. Louis area said they elected to vote in the Democratic primary and support one candidate in the hopes of having a choice between him or her and McCain -- the Republican front-runner -- in November. Bill McClellan, columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said he’s always identified himself as an independent but in the primary stage he’s thrown his support behind one candidate.

            “I voted for Obama,” McClellan said. “… I could go with either [Obama or McCain]. I’m hoping Obama wins … but I still like McCain and I’d be happy with him as president.”

            In the last few years, McClellan said he’s noticed a level of hatred in politics that wasn’t there before. He said he hopes the next American president won’t be so divisive.

            “I think that Obama and McCain are both candidates who aren’t so polarizing and don’t engender that hate. It might be naïve. … If the election ends up being between McCain and Obama I’d be thrilled.”

Photo by Diane Poelker

Kids for Obama Photo Gallery - Diane Poelker

DES MOINES – Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt stopped in the Iowa capital Thursday to stump on behalf of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whom Blunt has endorsed for president.

“We need to fix Washington, and if you're going to bring change to Washington, you need somebody that's coming from outside Washington and somebody that's demonstrated an ability to change organizations throughout their entire career,” Blunt told the Truman Media Network at the Polk County Convention Complex. “Gov. Romney has done that in business, in the Olympics – he took a disaster, a mess in the Salt Lake City Olympics and really turned it around – and in state government.”

Blunt said he thinks Romney will be the best candidate to promote higher education and technological innovation.

“I think Gov. Romney really understands what we need to do as a country to be competitive in the global economy,” Blunt said. “He's told me personally that the places we have to invest are in research and development, and in education.”

Blunt alluded to his plan to sell MOHELA assets to raise money for capital improvements at Missouri universities when he compared Romney’s education agenda to his own.

“I think he'll be a great supporter of our higher education institutions, just as I've been, but more importantly [a supporter of] students, ensuring that students have access to the financing they need to fulfill their maximum potential in terms of education,” Blunt said. “He would understand how important [an institution like Truman State] is to Missouri’s economy, in our stature as a state, ensuring that we’re producing those world-class innovative graduates that keep Missouri and America at the cutting edge.”

In addition to higher education, Blunt also said Romney would support Missouri’s agricultural economy, especially the development of ethanol and biodiesel.

“It is a vibrant time for Missouri agriculture, and plant science and plant-based renewable fuels are transforming Missouri’s landscape,” Blunt said. “I’m very excited and very bullish about the future of Missouri agriculture, and we need a [president] that wants to ensure that we’re opening up new markets all around the globe, understands how important it is to have fair and free trade with other nations, and also somebody that wants to ensure that agriculture is a part of meeting our nation’s energy needs. I think Gov. Romney understands we can do that, that we can supplant several million barrels of oil a day that we import today from nations that hate the United States with plant-based renewable fuels.”

Considering Missouri’s proximity to Arkansas and its large conservative, evangelical Christian population, Blunt said he supported Romney instead of Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Gov. and former Southern Baptist minister, on the basis of their records as governor.

“Gov. Romney has been true to conservative principles on issues like immigration and fiscal discipline, holding the line on taxes ... – in fact, he wants to cut taxes, particularly for middle class and lower-middle class investment to help them invest and secure their own financial future,” Blunt said. “I think there is a difference, and it’s appropriate to compare their records that were generated by the two men as governor, and I think there’s substantial differences on issues of spending, taxes and immigration – issues that are important to me and I know are important to lots of other Missourians.”

Reporting by Andrew Richmond, photo by Nick Wilsey

Based on participation in the election process this season, political advisers anticipated the turnout would increase, but not many guessed the numbers would double. This year’s caucus garnered 221,000 voters as compared with 124,000 from the 2004 caucus. With many polarizing issues surfacing during the last four years, the citizens of Iowa came out to demonstrate their support.

Iowa Gov. Chester Culver, a Democrat, has avoided endorsing a particular candidate, but even after more than 50 percent of precincts were reporting when the Truman Media Network got a chance to interview him at the Polk County Convention Complex, Culver refused to solidify a position.

“It makes it a little easier on the Republican side, given that Romney did concede to Huckabee, but we’ll wait and get all the numbers in and have more to say after that,” Culver said.

Unlike Culver, his wife, Mary, has been a longtime supporter of Sen. John Edwards and has been stumping for him in Iowa.

Now, with almost all precincts reporting, it is clear that Sen. Barack Obama will defeat Edwards by eight percent and Gov. Mike Huckabee will beat Gov. Mitt Romney by 9 percent. This is an important turn of events since many political analysts had predicted a win by Sen. Hillary Clinton, who ended up in third place. Many people watching the results come in were also surprised by Huckabee’s win over Romney.

Culver’s press secretary Courtney Greene said Romney has spent more than $40 million on television commercials in Iowa alone while Huckabee has spent less than $2 million.  

Romney also didn’t waste much time conceding to Huckabee – he made the announcement after 20 percent of precincts had reported.

DES MOINES – Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee held onto their frontrunner positions in pre-caucus polls to win the Iowa caucuses.

By the end of the night, Obama and his supporters swayed 38 percent of Democratic caucus-goers, who turned out in record-obliterating numbers – almost twice as many Iowans showed up this year than in 2004. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards trailed Obama by eight percent to secure a solid second place with 30 percent of the vote. New York Sen. Hillary Clinton came out of the caucuses breathing down Edwards’ neck with 29 percent of the Democratic vote. 

The top four Democrats will be allowed to participate in the upcoming New Hampshire debate. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, although taking in only two percent of the vote, ended up in the wild-card fourth position, earning him a podium at the debate.

The remaining two Democratic candidates who campaigned up until the end in Iowa, Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, took in even fewer votes than Richardson, provoking Dodd to bow out of the race as the caucus results became finalized earlier tonight. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who has spent his time campaigning in New Hampshire, also took in very few votes in Iowa.

Like Obama, Huckabee took an almost double-digit lead over his top rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney spent more than 10 times as much money in Iowa than Huckabee, a large portion of it drawn from personal funds, but Huckabee won a solid victory in the Republican field, earning 34 percent of the vote to Romney’s 25 percent.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson and Arizona Sen. John McCain tied for third, each with 13 percent of the Republican vote. McCain, who has been campaigning in New Hampshire while most of the rest of the candidates courted Iowa, still managed to make a surprisingly strong showing. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Rep. Duncan Hunter trailed far behind.

DES MOINES – Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd decided to drop out of the presidential election for good.

Dodd finished a disappointing Iowa caucus with less than one percent of the Democratic vote. Dodd, who ran on an experience and sticking to his guns campaign, did not garner the support he desired.

He announced his drop-out shortly after major media outlets projected Sen. Barack Obama to be the Democratic winner in Iowa.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich had already forfeited Iowa by asking his supporters to join the Obama camp if he didn't appear viable at their caucus sites, but he is likely to drop out of the race this evening as well. Truman Media Network's political analyst Jay Self hypothesized that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden may have already privately conceded the race, but neither have yet made it public.

Although Biden’s future is uncertain, Richardson will continue his campaign because of his fourth-place finish, which earned a spot in the upcoming Democratic New Hampshire debate.  

GRINNELL – A pink-blanketed bed beckons from inside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Saints Rest Coffeeshop here in Grinnell.

Maybe it’s there in case citizens get weary during the three-hour caucus tonight. But it probably won’t get much use. There may be only 9,150 residents of Grinnell, but they are serious about making sure their voices carry a long way.

Grinnell is uniquely situated between Des Moines and Iowa City along Interstate 80, the highway that slices the state in two halves, north and south. Candidates make their way to this community far more often that demographics would dictate.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, contender for the Republican nomination, made a stop in town this afternoon at a veterans’ memorial building just down the street from Saints Rest.

Grinnell High School students Amber Dillman and Zachary Shittig, both 18 years old, said they will use their first caucus as an opportunity to support Huckabee – his unwavering pro-life stance attracted them early in the campaign, Dillman said.

But some who turned up at the event studied it with a more critical eye. Bob Grey is a 68-year-old registered Democrat and a staunch supporter of Sen. Barack Obama. He said Huckabee’s emphasis on the working class reminded him of the message of Democratic contender John Edwards.

Huckabee hasn’t gained as much momentum with voters ages 18 to 24 as Obama and Republican contender Ron Paul, but he dismissed concerns that missing support from students will hurt him this evening.

“I think we’ve got tremendous support among youth and younger voters,” Huckabee said. “And everywhere we go, we have waves of people. … I can’t tell you how many times, every event we do, I’ll have lots of young people come up and say, ‘This is my first-ever vote, and I want you to know I’m making it for you.’”

Some of those young voters arrived early at the Saints Rest Coffeeshop, which was the site of an Edwards visit on Wednesday.

Coffeeshop owner Jeff Phelps said the city sees more liberal debate than neighboring cities because of the presence of students from Grinnell College. Many college students caravanned back from their home districts to caucus, and Phelps said some are sleeping in a local gymnasium. He estimated that Grinnell is about 53 percent conservative to 47 percent liberal.

Judging from the range of candidates the students in Saint Rest support – from Sen. Joe Biden to Edwards to Huckabee – the town is a microcosm for the rest of the country.

Claris Roseland, whose family farms soybeans and corn, is a longtime caucus-goer from Toledo, about a half-hour’s drive from Grinnell. She’s an advocate for soy diesel and corn ethanol, whose demand has spiked the price for her family’s products.

“But now since the farmer has made a little money for once, everything else has gone up,” Roseland said.
 
Huckabee will push for the production of alternative fuels like these, Roseland said. His emphasis on morality appeals to her too, she said. Huckabee emphasized his opposition to same-sex marriage during his speech this afternoon and drew laughter from the crowd with an anecdote about his oldest son.

“The families and the morals, that’s what holds our country together: ... the family stick-togetherness,” Roseland said.

WEST DES MOINES – A standing ovation and shouts of “Fred! Fred! Fred!” echoed in the ballroom of the Marriott Hotel this morning.

In his speech today in front of an enthusiastic crowd, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson, an underdog for the Republican nomination in recent polls, reiterated his positions on immigration, homeland security and financial reform.

He said he supports regulating illegal immigration and cutting off federal funding to cities that act as sanctuaries for aliens.  

“A nation that cannot secure its borders cannot remain a sovereign nation,” he said, using his oft-repeated mantra.   

He also said he supports the new Immigration Deduction Elimination Act, which was introduced in September and would prevent employers from receiving tax breaks on the wages they paid to illegal immigrants.

As an example of his commitment to protecting the nation, Thompson mentioned his service on the Senate Homeland Security Committee as well as the Senate Intelligence Committee.  

He said the recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, is representative of the danger radical Islamic movements pose to democracy.

“Islamic jihad has declared war upon us, and their end desire is to bring down western civilization,” he said. “And us, primarily, because we’re number one.”  

Bhutto was a target because of her ties to the West , Thompson added.  

“That’s the kind of world we live in,” he said. “That’s why we need to be strong. That’s why we need to have better intelligence to ... make decisions to do things or not do things and communicate that to the American people. This is no time for president with training wheels.”  

Thompson said he supports a revised tax system, a system that is flatter than “the monstrosity we have now.” The former senator said he would also like to make changes to the Social Security program.  

 “We’re bankrupting it as we speak,” he said. “We’re working our way through the Social Security surplus. We’re going to face horrendous deficits, or debts in the future, or drastic cuts in benefits, or extremely high taxes for these young people as they get their first jobs. Every economist that takes a look at it says so. ... We’ve got the only plan out there that deals with this.”

Thompson also addressed concerns that his campaign is waning: He said he’s had its course planned the whole time. 

 “... Getting back to retail politics, getting back to the way we did in Tennessee, the similarities are so stark in so many different ways,” he said. “It reminds me of how many things that we share in this country, how many values that we have and things we believe together in this country amidst all this divisiveness we’ve been hearing about.”

Enthusiasm has been building and the crowds have been better, Thompson said, adding that he is optimistic about his chances tonight.

“Let’s go out and shock the world,” he told the cheering crowd.

OTTUMWA – For Sen. Hillary Clinton, every voter matters, no matter how young.

Clinton worked to drum up last-minute support at a rally here in Ottumwa before voters head out to their local caucuses tomorrow night. During her hour-long speech, Clinton focused much of her attention on the issues facing America’s younger population.

Clinton said she pledged to ease the plight of college students by making college more affordable and reducing the amount of paperwork required to apply for federal aid.

 “[College] is beyond the reach of too many working class and working families today,” she said. “We can do better than that.”

Clinton also mentioned tax credits that would allow families to use their own money to send their children to college and allow those who serve in the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to earn money to put toward their education.

But students were not the only youth voters Clinton focused on during her rally. She also spoke about the aid she wants to see go toward young people who work for a living instead of attend college.

“These are the young people who build the buildings we live and work in, they mostly fight the wars that our country wages,” Clinton said. “... I don’t think we are showing them enough respect.”

Clinton proposed developing partnerships between the federal government, labor and business, as well as increasing job-training and apprenticeship opportunities.

“Anyone who is willing to work hard should have a chance at a good middle-class lifestyle and a job that is secure in the global economy,” Clinton said.

However, this generation’s voters were not the only focus of Clinton’s speech.

She first discussed her past work with the Children’s Defense Fund to ensure that all American children have the right to an education, regardless of economic status or physical disability.

She then laid out her plan to create universal pre-kindergarten, which would give parents “the tools they need to prepare the kids for school.” She said she thought the program would especially help disadvantaged children get off to the start they need.

These messages rang true for many in the crowd, including Kathy Brown and her daughter, Emily Brown, who is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Emily Brown, who has had to take out loans for school, said the sort of assistance Clinton is suggesting would help her greatly.

“I applied for loans, but the most I could get still left me $3,000 short,” she said.

Kathy Brown said she thought Clinton could add more to her plan.

“I think they should cancel all the loans for kids that go into teaching,” she said. “We’re going to have a terrible teacher shortage.”

 Photo by Julie Williams