Iowa Democrats want Hillary Clinton to woo them
DES MOINES Shes an icon known across the world by just her first name, but when Hillary Rodham Clinton touches down here in Iowa this week to kick off her second presidential campaign, she will be greeted by enormous expectations of intimacy.
Jan Bauer, chairwoman of the Story County Democrats, expects to be courted persistently by Clinton and her aides before deciding whom to support. Ill be waiting to see how aggressively pursued I am, she said.
Down the interstate in Urbandale, party organizer Jerry Tormey wants the former secretary of state to show up at his annual Flag Day event on June 14, which in the past has drawn all of 75 people for free hot dogs and a raffle. After all, he warned, Dark horses have won Iowa before.
Across the state in Cedar Rapids, Linda Langston recently told Clintons national campaign manager-in-waiting, Robby Mook, that Clinton ought to surprise folks here.
We know everything about her maybe not the color of her underwear, but we know just about everything else about this woman, said Langston, a Linn County supervisor. But there still is an element of surprise that could be there if she could get past her concern of how shes portrayed and just be her genuine self.
On Election Day in 2016, the next president will be chosen by well over 100 million people. But for Clinton, the journey to the White House starts this week before the proud Democratic activists in this small Midwestern state entitled, yes, and perhaps a bit petulant, but each nevertheless wanting to be listened to, touched and wooed.
They expect to see Clinton in their living rooms and neighborhood coffee shops and bars, fleshing out a robust and progressive agenda on issues ranging from Wall Street reform to Islamist terrorists to climate change but also hanging out to answer questions, take some selfies or simply chitchat.
We really are that spoiled, said Bret Nilles, chairman of the Linn County Democrats.
Iowa Democrats have been waiting eight years for a competitive caucus campaign, and they demand that Clinton wage one even if theres no Barack Obama or John Edwards looming as formidable opponents.
So far, Clinton and her allies have signaled she will.
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Iowa Democrats want Hillary Clinton to woo them