"Caucus Chaos Trump" Launches Just Ahead of DSM Book Festival
The 2020 Iowa Caucuses will be a collision course of candidates, ideas and emotions. Nearly two dozen Democrats are eyeing the chance to replace President Donald Trump in the White House. But President Trump has built a loyal following in Iowa, which wasn’t easy. Iowans backed a Democrat six out of the previous seven presidential elections before 2016. But then candidate Trump capitalized on voters — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — who yearned for a non-politician to implode traditional politics. And President Trump has been that person, not tethered to conventional norms.
How Did He Do It?
I wrote “Caucus Chaos Trump” to find out how President Trump has been able to build such a loyal following in the state, a following that has remained firmly behind him. Trump supporters from across the state share their personal stories about the uniqueness of the president, how he reached out to them in times of need and how he has inspired them with his aggressive style that targets those the president feels will threaten what he has pledged to do: Make America Great Again.
Those stories include Tana Goertz, who met President Trump on his reality TV show, and then later worked like she never had before to get him into the White House. She remains one of the president’s most dedicated supporters. President Trump also counts Terry Branstad and Eric Branstad among those supporters. Caucus Chaos Trump shares never before told stories of how candidate Trump won over Terry Branstad, Iowa’s former longtime governor, the risk Branstad made to urge Iowans to support Trump and how President Trump brought Eric Branstad to tears with some unexpected news.
A Waukee family also shares incredible moments flying aboard the president’s helicopter above the Iowa State Fair, except for the young boy who got kicked off while his brothers stayed on and enjoyed the ride.
Democrats have plenty of their own stories about President Trump. That includes former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who thinks there wouldn’t be a President Trump if Hillary Clinton would have chosen Vilsack as her running mate. A Newton volunteer also opens up about what it’s like to work so hard to beat Trump, only to see him win and taunt Democrats who remain opposed to him. Activists and strategists share their frustrations of the failures of their party, where they have gone wrong and whether some of the most discussed issues are the right ones in helping Democrats rediscover relevance in Iowa communities.
This book also reveals insight from some of the top Democratic presidential candidates. Seventeen candidates agreed to contribute their ideas in answering a simple question that I asked each of them. And their answers reveal how they plan on taking on the president in 2020.
Love him or despise him, President Trump has engaged and enraged Iowans like no other politician in modern times. His combination of tough talk, Twitter tirades, trade wars, tax cuts, border wall promises and so much more make him the top story on the nightly news night after night. The recent headlines from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to help him win show how divided people’s feelings about him are. Trump loyalists maintain that the investigation’s conclusions that President Trump didn’t collude with Russia prove how misguided the mainstream media and Trump’s critics were. While Democrats insist there is more the public still needs to know.
DSM Book Festival
The DSM Book Festival allows us to talk about it all and shine a spotlight on Iowa’s pivotal role in deciding whether a former reality TV star deserves a sequel in office or whether Democrats will use the state to slingshot one of their alternatives to replace him. Coming up on Saturday, March 30, 2019 learn more about the free DSM Book Festival and how to get VIP tickets.
Click here to learn more the programs and activities at the DSM Book Festival and find more fun events by discovering Downtown DSM.
Dave Price
Dave Price, political director at WHO-TV, has spent more time with presidential candidates over the past 17 years than nearly any local TV reporter in America. His access to those seeking the highest office in the land provides a front row seat to the greatest show in presidential politics: the Iowa Caucuses.