A house made of straw

The Iowa Straw Poll in Ames was a lot like a combination political flea market and carnival. Crazy atmosphere all the way around, both serious and silly, important and irrelevant, simultaneously. But my guy did good, much to the media's consternation.

See all those red shirts? They say "I voted for Ron Paul."

Every candidate gave out different color t-shirts if you voted for them. So coming in from the parking lot was sort of like an informal exit poll; count the shirts of those leaving, you'd know who was winning.

By the time I got there, the Paul campaign had run out of shirts, so.... I knew it was going to be a big day for Old Ron.

The media was everywhere, with satellite dishes,

outdoor interview rooms,

and buses.

Lots of buses.

The candidates had them, too.

This particular candidate also had decent food. Which was nice, since the Paul campaign had run out already. Another indicator of a big day for Old Ron: no food left.

But I had a feeling there would still be some Godfather's Pizza left over. Yep, sure enough. Good, too. I'd take it over Domino's. Especially if it's free.

Not only did the candidates and the media have buses and tents, but.. so did the lobbyists. There was the energy lobby (think wind power),

the family values lobby,

the corn lobby,

the geriatrics lobby (no smart remarks, please),

and the social justice lobby. At a GOP rally, no less. I was impressed at their boldness, and confidence in their message. Way to go, One.

And of course, to keep up the carnival atmosphere, the requisite costumed characters were there, too.

A pretty fun day all around. Even if I didn't get a shirt.