Iowa Snapshot: Celebrated Mind-Changer Changes Mind Again

A glimpse of the Iowa voter, in microcosm. Once upon a time, there was woman named Susan Klopfer, who lived in Mount Pleasant in her picturesque, middle-class home and with her pictureqsue, snow-covered lawn. She was a precinct captain for Hillary Clinton with a studied background in presidential politics. For a long time, a Hillary sign festooned her aforementioned lawn, and Klopfer happily "licked stamps" and "stuffed envelopes" for her chosen candidate. But then, "the negative stuff" started, and "that wasn't going to work here in Iowa." So Klopfer turned! Toward Hope! And became a Barack backer! And the Obama campaign even made a YouTube video about it! Which various media outlets picked up and promoted.

It's all the things that we are told makes the Iowa voter stand out. The savvy! The experience! The careful, thoughtful analysis!

Or maybe not. Because today, Klopfer told MSNBC that she's going to caucus for Bill Richardson. And she revealed this while she was attending an event for John Edwards - her avowed second choice.

Right about now, Mickey Kaus is wondering: "Do I detect a tacit media conspiracy to make the Iowa caucuses inconclusive, and even irrelevant?" Gosh, it seems hardly worth the effort to mount a conspiracy when the Iowa voters are making the case for irrelevancy so well themselves!

Comments

[birdgal]

Forgot to mention: Susan Kopfler mentions that she will vote for Edwards if Richardson doesn't get his 15%

I think when Democrats try to find the best candidate of a field of extraordinary candidates, they finally choose Edwards as the candidate who cares most and has a fire in his belly for the American people.

John Edwards '08

[birdgal]

John Edwards is the best and most electable candidate.

Biden is fabulous too.

Obama, seems too weak. In the national and international power stuggle he would be swimming with Machiavellian sharks and he comes off too much as an academic running for class president or valedictorian.

John Edwards is the best hope for the US.

Edwards fro President.

Edwards/Webb in 2008

[win2kpro]

This is news? A big, fat bleached blonde who can't make up her mind. Sheesh!

[revoleurt]

She will be changing her mind again because Richardson wont get 15% of the vote.

We'll see who she ends up caucusing for.

[Tellmethetruth]

What I have noticed on the blogs - is various people have started out as Obama supporters for a variety of reason, some to escape Clinton, others who are young, the rock star phenonmenon, etc. After the hype wears off and people start to become educated on the issues, begin to question Obama's lack of experience, his attack ads, his feigned victimization, his lack of sense of humor, and the novelty wears off they go and find another candidate.

This may serve Democrats down the road if Obama is drawing younger crowds and they stay in the process.

It seems once Obama is abandoned, people go to Edwards, then Biden. Many of Edwards supporters were once Obama supporters, and many of Biden supporters were once Edwards supporters after leaving Obama.

This observation causes me to think that the longer Obama stays in, the less appeal he has. As a matter of fact, Dick Morris made the same observation, but he sees the crowds ultimately doing a full circle and returning to Hillary Clinton, it's just a matter of time.

Unfortunately, the way the Democratic race is set out, it could be all over in five weeks with only 20 states having voted, and everyone with buyer's remorse. This buyer's remorse is what commentations have said about the Obama hype.

It seems to have set in on some of the blogs. People switching. Too bad we don't have the primary season last the full six months as was done in the past.

[JMEB]

This woman doesn't seem to know what she wants. She's unfortunately making Iowa caucus-goers look like a flaky bunch of morons.

[MNmommy]

This? Is absofuckinglutely hilarious. All the Obama supporters that made hay about this heroic *Clinton Precinct Captain* changing to Obama because she'd had it with the supposed Clinton campaign negativity- cheered on by the hordes of Messiah followers is merely a...

Fame Whore.

[roncraw]

Chis mathews made a big thing about it on his show. Building up Obama. He is the big change agent without Congress all he can do is change is underwear.

[Caramba]

E A Cm B7 E
Oobama! Oobama!! Oobama!!!

That's All Folks! - Good Night

and Until New Hampshire and South Carolina

-OBAMA '08

PS Thank you Rep. K, Sen JB, and G BR

[ESerafina42]

Incidentally, it's interesting (and again, says a lot about Obama since other candidates are held responsible for EVERYTHING that their supporters do), that Arianna (or those on her site) REFUSES to allow comments on either of the two stories about Kos rescinding his endorsement of Obama. And of course, the original story was scrubbed from the site within hours - I'm surprised it even made it for that long.

[snruB]

Sounds like a headline in The Onion

[OhPlease2007]

This story is VERY telling! As one other commenter has already stated, "Blowback's a Bitch."

LoL

[Qbear]

This lady can support anyone she chooses, I find the snowbank more interesting than her political opinions.

did I mention I HATE snow?

[ConcernAmerican]

Never put down those people in Iowa, their state is the MOST LITERATE in the US.

[ConcernAmerican]

From Hillary, to Obama now she'll caucus for Richardson, good for her!

Obama is relying on college students on winter break to go back to Iowa and caucus for him; it doesn't look promising.

It would be between Hillary and Edwards.

Obama top as the most likable candidate, but when it comes to experience Hillary topped Edwards and Obama, on security Hillary topped them both.

We'll see who'll come out on top tomorrow night.