Notes from the Non-Credentialed

Notes from the Non-Credentialed

No, I'm not there. Got turned down for press credentials. SCored a ticket but decided it wasn't worth the full day just to write in Barack Obama and see if they counted it.

We're in media split screen mode at 12:30.as Rick Perry gives his announcement speech. Damn, he sounds exactly like W. I still have him pegged as the Fred Thompson of 2011. Does the post-speech analysis step on Santorum's speech?

No, they cut back to Ames and we get Branstad, basching "Brock" Obama. Of course, the speeches aren't the story. The cattle call moment with all on stage... except where's TPaw? The moment is brief and MSNBC interviews Obradovich through whole thing.

12:46. Santorum on stage but MSNBC still with Mitt story. Here's my bets:

1 Bachmann
2 Paul
3 TPAW
4 Santorum

Rick has wife and 5 of the 7 kids on stage with him. The finally cut to him. Sounds like the stump speech I heard last week. "I will not back down on the sanctity of life or the integrity of the American family. America is a moral enterprise." Still hustling for that BVP endorsement. (Speaking of which, that mass email from Chuck Hurley was an annoying tease: "We endorse..." "the people of Iowa!"

Santorum complains again about debate time and goes into the Little Engine That Could riff.

"Obamacare is the single greatest threat..." uses again the Maggie Thatcher quote about never being able to reverse UK direction because of National Health. Soon after that MSNBC cuts away.

I finally find CSPAN, all they way up on channel 97, and Santorum is citing his lengthy anti-choice bona fides and wraps at 1:00 straight up. Rally music is some country rock track I don't recognize, and Matt Strawn intros Kim Reynolds.

Strawn has spun the GOP closing the party reg gap to the MSNBC dude, presumably not mentioning that most of that is from their divisive 2010 primary.

Network cuts to Ron Paul already in progress, talking more about abortion than he usually does, for several minutes. He must figure he's got his people already, trying to reach some of the others. "You cannot be pro liberty without being pro-life, as I understand it." But he's working taxes = theft and "undeclared unwinnable wars" and the Patriot Act too. "We cannot defend liberty without by taking liberty away." Claque: Ron! Paul! Ron! Paul!

MSNBC with a talking head, back to CSPAN. He's on to the Fed... will we hear the G word? YES! GOLD! EVERYBODY DRINK!

"It's time. to bring. the troops. home." Loud shouts from the claque. Basically the standard Ron PAul Speech, but delivered well. Paul wraps, they show a Strong America Now vid, MSNBC goes back to discussing the Platypus.

Back at CSPAN I find myself agreeing with... STEVE KING?!? He's praising Iowa First, so yeah, I can work with you on that Steve. But soom he's back to his usual stuff so I'm on the other side and all is right with the universe again.

TPaw gets introduces with a fast cut video followed by musuc that sounds like a movie soundtrack. Leads with Ronnie Good, Obama Bad. Then into some numbered outline points. He's hitting all the right points, but making the mistake of calling Obama "Mr. President" which may be nails on chalkboard to this crowd. There's not much time left and we're at least 80% Obama-bash. OK, now on to his case: "I don't just talk about it, I get the job done." (Take that Bachmann) "No individual mandates (take that Mitt) "Results, not just talk, is what America needs now."

"We need to not just preach to the choir... I got elected and re-elected in one of the most difficult states for a Republican." Comes out if favor of apple pie and gets some U-S-A! chants. More generic country rock for stage music. While Grassley speaks, the networks show Paul and Santorum highlights.

Bachmann hits stage after a video hagiography and to some remixed Elvis. She leads with a lot of We Are Going To Do It Together And Take It Back! Sounds kind of shouty to me. ONE! TERM! PRESIDENT! DRINK! Playing the I'm An Iowan card again. "Everything I Needed To Konw I Learened In Iowa!" (Again: she left when she was 12.) Some social issues -- but then back to Iowa Iowa Iowa. At least the Sullivan Brothers actually were from Waterloo.

This is definitely not a policy-specific speech. She's gonna march her folks over to the voting, to the tune of, yes, Elvis doing Chuck Berry's "Promised Land." (That's late, Vegas-era Elvis.) Seems like a sizable crew leaving the front of the stage before Tom Latham talks. Not much memorable there, and he looks dull compared to Bachmann...

But he rocks like ELvis compared to our next guest. Yes, it's McCotter time! Several polite applause line, but nothing brings the house down. Speech pattern has improved a bit since last week. No one packed in front of stage; this may be Eat Time or Vote Time. Anyone who finishes below this guy is toast.

Talking heads are Huntsman This and Romney that and Perry The Other as the Herman Cain intro video rolls. Unlike Thad, he has a claque of supporters down front. They're actually 15 minutes AHEAD of schedule; Herman wasn't due on till 3:15 and it's only 3. This IS a policy detail speech but the tl;dr version is Cut Taxes.

Did he just say we got a "funky foreign policy"? Tear the rook off the sucka! A couple of the people up front are in TPaw shirts.

Speeches wrap at 3:11, Strawn says voting done at 4. Back at MSNBC, pundits still talk Perry.