Candidates Swing Through Oskaloosa In Last Minute Caucus Push
Hillary Clinton address a large crowd at Smokey Row Coffee in Oskaloosa on Monday afternoon.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The final days of the 2016 Iowa Caucus have presidential hopefuls criss-crossing the state in a effort to reach as many voters as possible.
In Oskaloosa, by Wednesday of the final week leading up to the caucus, Hillary Clinton, Rick Santorum, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina have all been in town.
Clinton made her way into downtown Oskaloosa with a full production campaign stop. Tight Secret Service detail and a well polished staff helped to ensure a picture-perfect event.
Clinton, who is facing a real challenge from Bernie Sanders, took the time to help ease concerns about her judgement, and shared her years of service in government to help bouy that argument.
The 2008 election cycle was Hillary’s to lose, and Barack Obama came from behind to upset the expected winner in Iowa.
Hillary, facing a potential rerun of 2008, was emotional about the praise heaped on her by Obama, and it was visible that it had a positive impact on the candidate.
Rick Santorum leans on a tractor at the Boender farm on Monday night before addressing over 50 supporters.
Later that evening, in rural Mahaska County, the snow that started while Hillary was on stage continue to lightly fall.
Inside the farm shop of Steve Boender, friends, neighbors and conservatives gathered around two large tractors, and filled up over 50 chairs.
Rick Santorum is one of the two Republican party presidential hopefuls that are seen as faith and culture warriors. The other candidate is Mike Huckabee.
Santorum, who was on his fifth event of the day, was still spry and full of energy. He was not looking like the defeated candidate initially reported by the Des Moines Register.
Blue Collar conservatives have been the focus for Santorum, who is in the middle of his ‘inVest’ in America campaign, and the sweater vest from four years ago has returned to be worn by the 2012 Iowa Caucus winner.
Santorum told Oskaloosa News that his campaign is not ending after Iowa, but plans are in place to move on to New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Marco Rubio swung by the Oskaloosa American Legion Post 34 on Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday morning, the set was in place for Marco Rubio, who is third place for Republicans in the latest poll numbers.
Rubio, who is presenting himself as a uniter, able to reach across party lines to accomplish legislation and policy during his time as president.
At the American Legion Post 34 in Oskaloosa, Rubio told the approximately 75 people in the room that Democrats “can’t lecture me about people living paycheck-to-paycheck because I grew up paycheck-to-paycheck.”
Rubio attempted to make himself no different than the average American, saying his student loans were paid off just three years ago. He also spoke to the crowd about how he didn’t want to disrupt Social Security for American’s currently utilizing the system, but that it would be necessary for some minor changes to be made for middle aged Americans for the fund to be solvent when they approached retirement age.
Carly Fiorina visited Smokey Row Coffee on Wednesday over the lunch hour.
On Wednesday at noon, Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina returned to Oskaloosa. Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlitt-Packard, spoke in Oskaloosa in the late fall of 2015 in a fundraiser for Guy Vander Linden (R) of the Iowa House.
At Smokey Row Coffee, just inches away from where Hillary Clinton stood, Fiorina did her best to contrast herself not only from her Republican counterparts, but from the former Secretary of State and the rest of the Democratic field.
Fiorina continued, addressing what she calls the professional political class, saying that she would be held accountable by voters, because it needs to once again be a government of the people. “Hold me accountable,” says Fiorina.
The Iowa Caucuses will be held on February 1st, 2016.
