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Showing posts with the label Iowa Caucuses

My mother Norma S. Matthews with the two Presidential candidates she worked for and co-chaired their campaigns

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Growing up in Iowa certainly had its advantages, especially if your mother was a paid political consultant. In the 1972, my mom helped move the Caucuses to the front of the line, and then she helped co-chair a Senator from neighboring South Dakota to brave the Iowa January winter to finish third to Muskie and Uncommitted en route to George McGovern winning the nomination of the Democratic Party in Miami later on that year. Four years later it was "Go Mo" with Morris Udall, Representative from Arizona and one time professional baseball player and Olympic swimmer. He would have not only been our first Mormon President but also our first President with a glass eye. I found this photo at home last week and then stumbled on to the website of the photographer Keith Wessel from whence it came.

Predictions from all kinds of Georgians, including at least two local folks

This is the result of a long series of email exchanges, but it was fun and I was happy to contribute. I can remember being huddled at the end of the stairwell in my pajamas watching a crowd of people up our stairs raising their hands for George McGovern on a cold night in 1972. We had a "raucous caucus" according to the Des Moines Register and Tribune newspaper at the time and thus was born yet another nickname from Coach McGuire. We had people packed into every corner of our stucco house on the hill in the middle of Snake Drive.