- [Announcer] This program is sponsored in part by the Frank and Berniece Kissinger Political Science Fund at Washburn University.

Dedicated to supporting programs at Washburn University and developing students' critical thinking skills.

And, Washburn University, committed to excellence in teaching and academic programs designed to enrich the lives of students.

(soft upbeat music fades) (perilous piano music) - [Videographer] Following the Bachmann bus.

Part of the Bachmann brigade.

Oh, there's a shot of the bus.

- The fact of the matter is, is that it has become the most important political event to start off the election cycle in America.

- How do you judge a person running for president?

I say what does he believe and where has he been.

- So the destiny and the future of this country's in your hands and I know you'll choose wisely.

- Look, Iowans, you get it.

You have all these candidates that just love you to death.

- At this time now, here after all this preparation and all of the work and the organization and everything we're really getting in the home stretch now.

And it's exciting, it's really exciting.

- It happens every four years, presidential candidates from one or both political parties descend upon a relatively small state in the middle of America and make their case for the presidency.

They visit coffee shops, bakeries, parks, county fairs, ice cream parlors, high schools, and Pizza Ranches, lots and lots of Pizza Ranches.

I'm Bob Beatty and I've been traveling to Iowa for over 20 years studying this amazing, old-fashioned, and oh so American phenomenon of campaigning.

In this program, we're going to see where and how presidential candidates reach Iowans and the connections they try to make with voters who can ignite or torpedo their presidential dreams.

Why Iowa?

Well, number one, the Iowa caucus is the first presidential contest.

Number two, Iowans are happy to serve as the test audience for all candidates known and unknown.

Number three, the rest of the nation is watching.

And let me assure you, the candidates know these things very, very well.

- How do you break through?

You gotta look into our eyes and you gotta look into our guts.

And you gotta make a measure not of what we say in a campaign, but you've gotta make a measure of what we've done with our lives.

(crowd clapping) - Thank you!

(crowd members cheering) (drumline drumming) - [Patron] Iowa has a good crowd.

- They make it well.

- Going gangbusters.

- So God bless you, everybody.

God bless you, thank you.

(attendees clapping, cheering) Bye.

Let's go win this thing!

(soft piano music resumes) - There's an old saying that goes only three or four tickets are punched out of Iowa so the state can make or break a campaign.

Presidential candidates ask people to check them out carefully and simply give them a chance.

And the sweetest words that any Iowa voter can say to a candidate are you're on my list.

(soft piano music continues) - Because the road to the White House goes right through Iowa.

(attendees clapping) And I'm not one of those candidates that's skipping Iowa or jumping over it.

I'm going right through it.

- You hold the key in Ankeny, in Iowa.

You hold the key.

Reach your neighbors, reach your co-workers, reach your family.

Reach the people you worship with.

If they feel you're hearts and believe change can happen they will come out.

And they will make a difference.

You have that power.

- Look, I'm really grateful.

I thank you, I'm thankful that you would come here today to listen to me.

I know this is an important decision.

It's a role that Iowa plays every four years.

And I hope that I can earn your support on February 1st, I'm asking for your support.

We'll be back and you'll continue to hear from us.

And if you haven't been convinced yet, we're gonna keep working on you.

We're aiming for nothing if not persistence.

- So, let me just see a show of hands how many people are planning to caucus on January 1st?

Raise your hand.

Be proud.

Be proud that you're an Obama supporter.

All right, how many people are still undecided about who they're gonna caucus for?

Raise your hand.

Okay, you see, we've got some live ones here.

(attendees laughing) Right, that's, can you imagine?

All right, so hopefully we're gonna reel 'em in.

- No one who has declared my campaign over has been in Iowa.

And the only national reporter who's been in Iowa said she was really amazed at the size of the crowds.

And you just saw it here today, the positive reaction of the crowds, the willingness of people to actually have a conversation.

- One of the things that's very clear to me about Iowans is they are taking their time and they are not gonna make their judgment about this until the very last moment.

- And I know you're Iowans, so most of you don't make up your mind until the last two weeks.

(crowd members chuckle) I've seen this happen before.

And then the Rubik's Cube of discernment and decision start to just spin.

(audience members chuckling) - Well they know what they're doing.

They don't have, there's no, they get nothing out of committing early.

They can, and it's wonderful.

I mean, the number of people that have said I'm in their top four or five choices, there aren't enough presidential candidates to go around.

- And Iowa is the place where it all begins.

You're the people who set us on this trail.

You have this blessing and maybe it's a curse too because you spend a lot of time at it and you're awful serious about it.

I know, I supported Mo Udall back in 1976.

Mo came out here and I know he said to some woman, he said, you know, geez, I've seen you a few times and I've talked to you.

I hope I can get your support.

And she looked at him and said, well, I've only met you four times.

(attendees laughing) So I know how hard you all make us work.

And I respect that, that's just fine.

- I'm not complaining, I'm just putting one foot in front of the other and I get to meet with people in Iowa and New Hampshire every week, which is great.

- You have an awesome responsibility.

The entire country and even the world will be watching.

- I've been to every one of your 99 counties.

Every one of them.

I've toured flood damage in Pacific Junction.

I've talked about the earned income tax credit in Marshalltown.

I talked about ad policy and climate change in Atlantic.

And I went to Storm Lake to see how immigrants are rebuilding a town.

- 89 stops from Mount Pleasant to Mason City.

I've listened to you.

I've learned from you.

- I love Iowa.

I love it here.

- An amazing part of campaigning in Iowas is something called the House Party.

That's where a homeowner opens up their living room, their porch, or their entire backyard for a candidate to talk to, well, anyone who wants to come over.

The amazing part, the candidate is not running for city council, but president of the United States.

You really have to see it to believe it.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

(attendees talking quietly) - Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you for having us.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

- A warm welcome back to Southwest Iowa to United States candidate for president, Miss Carly Fiorina.

(attendees applauding) - Thank you so much for that very gracious introduction.

You know, contrary to some rumors, I'm actually quite soft spoken, so I'm gonna use this microphone to make sure everyone can hear me.

Let me begin my thanking, again, Chris.

She made chocolate chip cookies for everybody.

She opened her home.

- And again, I wanna make sure that whoever you are wherever you come from, to whomever you pray, whoever you love, however many generations you can count yourself an American, or whether you've just got here yesterday, that before we are anything else, we're Americans first.

We find a way to come together around these otherwise intractable challenges not as Democrats or Republicans, big city or small town, but as Americans.

- It's the presidency that does this.

It's the most vital office in our democracy and we need someone who understands where the economy is going and has the guts and the toughness to sit down.

We don't need a savior, we don't need a superstar.

We need a grinder.

Right?

(attendees clapping) - Here's what I wanna do as president.

So several simple things.

First, to protect the jobs that we have and second, to create jobs to replace the jobs that we've lost.

- What a beautiful setting.

I mean, this is almost idyllic.

When you think about what campaigning for president should be about, it should be about going and meeting folks and summer picnics and the opportunity to get a chance to interact with folks, and this is just perfect.

So if you can give us all a big round of applause, again, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

(attendees clapping) Thank you so much for those of you for opening up your home and for hosting me here.

- So let me just say, hello, Mount Vernon.

(crowd members cheering, clapping) We're glad to be here.

It's kind of like being here with family.

Having you all sit around like this.

- I'm here for as long as, well, as long as they allow me to stay here to interact with you and get a chance to answer questions one-on-one, and get a chance to talk to you and meet with you that's what I really look forward to doing.

- When you think of presidential campaigns your mind conjures up massive rallies with arenas full of people.

But in Iowa, intimacy rules.

Voters get to compare and contrast the candidates not just based on TV ads or media coverage but by getting up close and personal.

And they get to ask questions.

They always have questions.

- Now, I want you to test me.

There are specifics of many issues that matter to you and I'll make sure that I give you a short and quick answer, no BS.

You tell me what your question is and I'll give you an answer, tell you where I stand.

And I hope you'll leave here this evening feeling as if you got somebody here who actually listens, understands what the problem is and who's ready to fight for you.

Who's first?

- This unity can only happen when we come together in this spirit of what we in Hawaii call aloha which really means respect.

There's a reason why people think aloha means hello or goodbye.

Some say it means I love you.

There's a lot of confusion about it actually means but we use it as a greeting because of what it really means.

And what it means is I come to you with an open heart.

I come to you with respect.

- And you know, I come in the spirit of humility.

I grew up in DC.

I did not grow up in a small town or a rural community.

And so I've enjoyed the opportunity to be here in Iowa over these last several months and also to learn, not just to talk but to learn, to listen.

And I'll continue to do that.

(attendees clapping) (Michele laughing) - Hi, everybody.

My name is Michele Bachmann.

We are here in Red Oak, Iowa at the one and only Pizza Ranch where everybody comes and buys chicken for some reason.

(attendees laughs) We're in Montgomery County, Iowa and I am asking for your support at the Iowa caucuses on January 30 and also for your vote on January 30.

- I will ask you, Mr. Gingrich, why do you wanna force me to do something I don't wanna do?

Why do you want me?

- I don't wanna force you to do something you don't wanna do.

- You still haven't answered the question, Mr. Gingrich.

- Yeah, but I also said that there ought to be an option for people who don't wanna buy insurance.

- Where do we begin is such a great question because what politicians talk about is where you're gonna end.

And that's not the right question, it is what you're asking is where do we begin.

Although you could say here's where we want it and here's where we're gonna start.

- I think people say, oh, it's the candidate.

We start with the candidate, but.

- Well, so I think it's not the candidate, I think it's all of us.

I mean, I think it's every single one of us.

- And I don't even understand sometimes why these terrible and horrible things happen.

But I believe that there's a reason.

And I gotta tell you, even with fate you can have perspective, but it does not, it does not take away the pain that we all feel.

So, you probably didn't expect that tonight, huh?

(attendees chuckle) But that's okay.

Okay, right here, this gentleman right here.

- And you know, it's an honor.

It's an honor to people who take their time out on a very cold morning to come and spend this time with me.

It's a great honor.

- That's my pitch, you better vote for me.

Thank you.

- [Patron 2] Thank you.

- Well, grassroots campaigning is key in Iowa.

In order to make a larger impact, candidates will speak to big crowds, often at multi-candidate events called cattle calls.

Presidential hopefuls relish the chance to take their message from a gathering of 20 people at a house party to a sea of thousands on a grass field in an arena, or gathered in an auditorium, feeding off and reveling in the energy and excitement of their supporters.

- Iowans, I am asking for you to caucus for me on February 3rd because I know what the presidency is for.

Because we know that the purpose of the presidency is not the glorification of the president, it is the unification of the American people.

That is why we have the office.

(crowd cheering) - Hello, Milo.

(crowd cheering) - Have they led us to more jobs?

- [Crowd] No.

- Have they led us to better healthcare for our people?

- [Crowd] No.

- Have they led us to better education for our kids?

- [Crowd] No.

- Have they led us to more security for our seniors?

- [Crowd] No.

(crowd cheering) - How's it going Iowa?

(crowd cheering) Hello, Iowa.

Are you fired up?

Are you ready to go?

You fired up?

- [Crowd] Fired up!

- Ready to go?

- [Crowd] Ready to go!

- Fired up?

- [Crowd] Fired up!

- Ready to go?

- [Crowd] Ready to go!

(crowd cheering) - Oh, look at this.

I am excited.

(crowd cheering) - We are not gonna do that.

We're gonna be about everybody in this country in America for all people that believe in basic compassion and humanity, and respect.

That's the kind of America that we're gonna build.

- We've gotta start coming together here and reach to to each other and say what will you support.

Not what you're opposed to, but what will you support?

- This country to a moment of importance and a moment of the heart, and a moment of the spirit where we can lift up America, lift up America from war, lift up America from poverty.

- Running for president is a lot of work.

The fundraising, the handshaking, the speech-ifying, the media swarms, the thousands of selfie requests, it definitely can be a grind.

So even if they're running for the most powerful job in the world, that doesn't mean candidates can't have some fun on the campaign trail.

In fact, I recommend it.

- Change of heart is, it's Dick and Jane.

That's the first thing you need to know.

(attendees laughing) I wanna get that outta the way right away.

You know, there are a lot of books on Dick and Jane.

You can see Dick and Jane run, see Dick and Jane do this, that, or the other thing.

I think it's time for Dick and Jane to go to the White House.

(attendees cheering, clapping) - I feel a responsibility to try to give hope an opportunity to those Americans who still suffer the effects of discrimination.

Every minute of their lives.

Woo-hoo-hoo, that's serious house script.

(attendees laughing) - My friends, I stood fifth from the bottom of my class at the Naval Academy.

If my old company Officer, Captain Hunt, United States Marine Corp were here today, he'd say that in America, anything is possible.

(attendees laughing) (drum beating) (trumpet playing cultural song) (crowd cheering) - Perfect.

(hamburgers sizzling) (crowd chanting) - [Crowd] Amy!

Amy!

Amy!

Amy!

Amy!

- Yes.

- [Crowd] Amy!

Amy!

Amy!

(cow bell ringing) (audience cheering) - You got this?

- Oh my god, I'm dying.

(attendees laughing) (attendees cheering, clapping) You gave up, you gave up.

(drummers drumming) (crowd cheering) - I suppose as most of you know, my life before politics was that of a pastor and then I got into politics.

So you know what that means.

You're gonna be here a while.

(attendees laughing) - The bus driver reminded me, he said, you know, it's amazing how many small towns are named after their water tower.

(attendees laughing) (upbeat cheerful organ music) (crowd cheering) - You guys know how to welcome a guy from Kansas with a tornado?

(audience laughing) (upbeat cheerful music) (crowd cheering) - Because it's literally the soil.

Talk about common ground, right?

I just thought of that.

(attendees chuckling) Write that down, I gotta use that again.

(attendees chuckling) Man, that was good.

I'm gonna get that.

(attendees laughing, clapping) Common ground.

(live piano music) (audience clapping) - Thank you, I am so delighted to be here.

This is a very unique place tonight at Tower Park.

It is the only park in Iowa tonight for there is only one presidential candidate.

(attendees chuckling) And I happen to fit that bill.

- I won in every single race every place, every time.

I won all the way back to when I was running for the elementary school counselor.

In Wyoming, that's all.

My slogan then, which I have now abandoned was all the way with Amy K. (attendees laughing) (live piano music) - The most important thing a candidate can do is make a connection with someone, especially when they're asking them to show up on a cold winter's evening and caucus for them.

Many voters go and check out every single candidate running because they seek this connection.

Passion, energy, tenacity, authenticity, even some inspiration, all are needed to convince Iowans to choose them.

And if enough of them do, they get to move on and take their message forward to the rest of the country.

- We wanna bring this country good times again.

We wanna give people a better life.

And I wanna be your president.

- I'm the same man today I was back then, I'll be the same man tomorrow.

What you see is what you get.

I wear no man's collar and nobody's ever accused me of changing my political position for the sake of political expedience.

Where I stand does not depend on where I'm standing or what office I'm running for, and I'm proud of that.

(attendees clapping) - Well, I think the American people deserve a president who is their champion.

We need a president who will stand up and fight for Americans again.

(attendees applauding) - The principles of our government will be based on a very, very old principle, a principle which literally goes back with the Bible, goes back throughout human history and that is justice, justice.

(attendees cheering, applauding) - [Patron 3] More!

- The biggest lie is told by people like me at election time is if you vote for me I can solve all your problems.

The truth is the power to change this country is in your hands not mine.

Abraham Lincoln said that a government of the people by the people, and for the people shall not perish from this earth.

- And those fights are all of our fights.

For me, this is the heart of what it means to run for president.

It's about the fights that are all our fights.

The fights we fight together to build an America that works not just for a thin slice at the top, but an American that works for everyone.

- And there is no way that we should say that any, are you kidding me?

There is no, I mean it could be any of us, right?

No, you get a preexisting condition, you gotta get insurance.

And we could do it in a variety of ways, including risk polls, but you cannot be denied that.

You go and you work, you have a house, and you get sick and you lose everything?

That's not our country.

- And the one thing you can know about me is that behind this sweater there is a spine, a real one.

And it's made out of titanium.

And I'm gonna use this spine to stand up and say no to all the people who want your money in Washington.

- We need to look up and with new big American-sized goals like ending deaths by cancer in 10 years, having big dreams and big goals that look up into the future, and to recognize that optimism and ideas and hope and a belief and faith in God is what moves us forward.

That's the kind of president I wanna be.

(audience clapping) That's thee kind of president I wanna be.

- I have seen what America can do and so have you.

After all, you're looking at someone who, as a young man growing up wondered if something deep inside of him meant that he would forever be an outsider, would never wear the uniform, never be accepted, never know love.

And now you are looking at that same young man, a Veteran, a mayor, happily married, asking for your vote for president of the United States.

- They wanna believe that it's still possible for us to come together as a country to solve problems that we can still rally around a common purpose, a higher purpose, that we're not just in it on our own but we're in this thing together.

And we're not just Republicans or Democrats, red states or blue states, we're the United States of America and we've all got a commitment to each other.

(audience clapping) That's something that people want to hear out of Washington.

- We're defined by the love between us.

And when they try to demean and degrade with darkness we bring light, when they try to divide with hate we bring love.

Remember the words of that great American poet, Maya Angelou, to use her phrase that we all know, he may try to write us down in history with his bitter, twisted lies, he may try to trod our nation in the dirt but still, like dust, we will rise.

Iowa, I see you, I love you, I see you.

Together, we will rise.

- Iowa's time in the national election spotlight is often reported to be finished.

But then four years pass and the candidates return.

I keep going back to Iowa because amidst the vast corn fields and two-lane highways, optimism and hope for the future waft through the air like blown dandelion seeds.

While there are certainly exceptions, I found that many presidential candidates appeal to the better angels of people and even if it's for a brief few months, they talk about what's possible in this diverse, great, and complicated country of ours.

(soft piano music) (audience applauding) (soft piano music continues) - Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

On behalf of Chamber of Commerce I'd like to announce the temperature in Ames is 67 degrees today.

(audience laughing) Brr, thank you, but it's great, it's very invigorating today.

Thank you all for coming out.

- [Announcer] This program is sponsored in part by the Frank and Berniece Kissinger Political Science Fund at Washburn University.

Dedicated to supporting programs at Washburn University and developing students' critical thinking skills.

And, Washburn University, committed to excellence in teaching and academic programs designed to enrich the lives of students.

(soft music fades)