Iowa: One Year Later

As 2008 comes to a close, it's time to reflect on where we began. The Iowa Caucus was a mirror into how each candidate ran their campaign: Hilary Clinton high above, flying from place to place via helicopter, and Barack Obama on the ground, meeting every voter and establishing a network of grassroots supporters.

To give us some perspective, Jim Nam, a regional field organizer for the Obama Campaign, joins Wilshire & Washington for a look back at those fateful days. What does it take to win on the ground? How do you get good data on voters and how do you make it work for you? And what is it like when nearly everybody is actually interested in talking politics? Maegan also shares her experiences from her time in Iowa, where she learned how the caucus works, and how amazing and unfair the process really is. (Maegan will be publishing a week-long series on The Huffington Post covering her time in Iowa. Find it here.)

But even as we reflect, there's plenty of news out there happening now. What's with the media coverage of Sarah Palin's grandkid, and is Palin the new Paris Hilton? Is that an improvement? Why does a senior Republican, running for the chairman of the RNC, think it's a good idea to distribute a CD full of songs like "Barack the Magic Negro?" Even after this election, what does this say about the Republican Party's leadership and ability to reach beyond its, um, storied history of race relations? All this, and maybe a little more, on today's Wilshire & Washington.

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player:

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Comments

[michaelnash]

It was all over when Shawn Johnson endorsed Obama. That was the turning-point in the race. McCain didn't have a chance after that.

[ObjectiveRealist]

[
What's with the media coverage of Sarah Palin's grandkid, and is Palin the new Paris Hilton? Is that an improvement?
]

Hilton has a better understanding of the energy problem.

[yasmeen]

amen!

[aznurse]

Iowa folks are the best bakers in the world!
and now, smart voters.
I think that Palin hasn't been on huffpost for a total of 3 days since the election.

[apoyo]

Once again, thank you, Iowa. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We can't say it enough.

[yasmeen]

amen!