Cognitive Dissonance

Out of the saddle for a couple weeks, Iowa Independent’s usual liveblogger John Deeth is back to his old ways tonight, blogging from the Hawkeye Labor Council’s Democratic candidates’ forum in Cedar Rapids. Before the festivities have really even started, he delivers this succinctly accurate picture of what’s going on in caucus politics:

The stage announcer just said SIX candidates so I inquire. “Richardson’s not coming,” says the man on the mike. “He committed three months ago, then the other day said he wasn’t coming. He’s shunned labor as far as I’m concerned.”

The Kuinich table is staffed by a volunteer who just moved to the state. He’s a bit frustrated: “You tell people what Dennis is for and they go yeah, yeah. Then they vote for someone else.”

“You get that everywhere,” says a young man in a Dodd shirt.

But in line to get into the building, Al Achtner and Dennis Ryan of Iowa City are sporting Kucinich stickers. “He holds up a pictre of perfection for everyone else to aspire to,” says Actner. Dennis for Dennis adds: “He’s the only one who’s not lying about his health care plan.”

Iowa City nurse Pauline Taylor is backing Obama. She committed to him at the Earth Day rally at the University of Iowa: “I told (a staffer) if he can invigorrate people like that, he’s my man.”