On The Trail: John Edwards in Iowa, Aug. '07 #2

I love Iowa! If you have not experienced campaigning in this great state you are deprived. It is amazing to me that the next President of the United States will in all probability be determined by a group of caucus-goers numbering fewer than the amount of votes in the average congressional election.

Yesterday I was a fortunate participant of a town hall meeting held in Wapelo, Iowa. Wapelo is a small town with a population of less than 3,000 residents. The setting reminded me a great deal of my upbringing in rural west Texas. The location was perfect. The meeting was held on the lawn of the court house and the temperature in the low 80's. The people of Wapelo were treated to a stump speech that featured an impassioned Edwards. His answers regarding Iraq, social security, welfare reform and the like reflected the traditional Democratic message. Noticeably present was the confidence that can only be exhibited by a front-runner. The senator's responses were crisp, thoughtful, and to the point. I have known the senator for many years, and this is the best stump speech I have ever heard him give.

The total crowd numbered around 100 people. All were interested and ready to give Senator Edwards a chance, but they were not prepared to give him a free ride. It was clear by the questions directed to the Senator that this was not an ordinary crowd. The participants challenged Edwards on several fronts. Not only were the questions well informed and thoughtful, but you could not help but be impressed by the passion of the crowd. This is August of 2007, and it was obvious that we are well on our way to picking a nominee.