Does the parade hoopla make a political difference? Well, it sells the idea of politics as patriotic, gets names and faces out there, and can be fun if done right.Coralville is one of the Fourth's bigger parades, and both parties brought the signs and the candidates.
This being Johnson County, the Democrats had the bigger numbers...
But the Republicans were out as well.
The biggest political name at Coralville was Congressman Dave Loebsack.
A buffer unit of a vacation bible school separated the Democrats from the GOP, and Loebsack from his opponent...
Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
Loebsack had the banner....
Miller-Meeks had the ambulance...
and some candy. She's an opthalmologist, not a dentist. Dentists cringe at the candy, but it's a must. When I was a candidate, I did the math.
The amount of candy required for a parade is always greater than the amount purchased (Cp<Cr).
The more candy you get, the more will be thrown (Cp+x2<Cr+x).
Therefore, there will never be enough candy to make it to the end of the parade
(Cr = ∞).
But miraculously, Pat Harney managed to make his last at least three-quarters of the way.
The Independence Day parades in Coralville, Oxford and Hills were Johnson County's first parades of the year. The first two, North Liberty Fun Days and Iowa City Pride Fest, were flooded out.
Here's an effective tactic. On the right, in the dark green, is House candidate Nate Willems at the Oxford parade. He's walking with the legislator he's hoping to succeed, Ro Foege, and with Pat Hughes, Oxford resident and local labor leader.
You can also use the parade to show off some party unity. Carrying the Obama banner: Ross Wilburn from the city council, one of the county Obama co-chairs, along with county attorney Janet Lyness and state representative Mary Mascher, who were prominent Hillary Clinton supporters.
Lonny Pulkrabek, Bob Dvorsky, and Vicki Lensing.
The Jacobys and Tom Slockett.
Here's a bunch of Democrats: my daughter and her best friend Jamie, Dennis Roseman, and Dvorsky and Lensing again. Parade day has always been a family day for me...
...and the boys are joining the tradition too, wearing Yes for Land Water Future shirts.
Team Neuzil...
and Team Sullivan.
Parades Do Matter!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this blog I came to the conclusion that part of running for office in Iowa is getting out and meeting the people. Unfortuntately I had to watch a parade as a spectator in Hardin County on Wednesday. There I was on the sidewalk enjoying the view with my proud to be Republican hat on when I see all of the local Republican Candidates walk by. Annette Sweeney who is running for the Statehouse and Jarret Heil who is running for the State Senate. Than all of the sudden I see Christopher Reed. Reed is being pitched by his biggest supporter Bill Salir, as the only man who can beat Tom Harkin.
I thought it was outrageous that the people of Iowa would elect a man like that in the primary. He was using his own car, which would not have been so bad but he was driving himself! So there was the Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate in his own car with two signs on the doors just waiving. No meeting the people no shaking hands no anything.
My first thought was to take off my Republican hat. As a Republican I was embarrased. I was embarassed that Bill Salir, who's only purpose in supporting Reed was because he felt like he owed the Laudners something, was able to push this guy out in front. Reed isn't running a race to win. He still has raised ABOSOLUTELY no money during his entire campaign. Bill Salir and Christopher Reed need to take a lesson from the other fine candidates running on the Republican ticket this year: The people do matter!
So to Christopher Reed, Bill Salir, and anyone else on that bandwagon this is one Republican vote you won't get in the fall.
Parades do Matter.