2020 Presidential Campaign Blog: #SteakFry

Cory Booker Returns to South Carolina on October 26, 2019 *Updated

Cory Booker Returns to SC for Criminal Justice Reform Forum; Student Meet-And-Greet; Canvass Kick Off

**Following Forum, Booker Will Hold Meet-And-Greet With Benedict College Students and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin**

Columbia, SC — Today, just days after a three-day swing through the Palmetto State, where he met hundreds of voters in Orangeburg, Hartsville, Georgetown and the Pee Dee, Cory Booker will return to South Carolina for the Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia on October 26, 2019. He will then join a "Students First" meet-and-greet with Benedict College students and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin at 12:00 PM.

Booker, the only presidential candidate to live in a low-income, predominantly Black and Brown community, has long fought for criminal justice reform. He was instrumental in passing the First Step Act, one of the only pieces of bipartisan legislation passed under the current administration.

On the debate stage last week, Booker showed a national audience that he can unite our country and make real change for Americans who face injustice and seek opportunity. He has taken that argument to communities in South Carolina and across the country, where he has focused on issues like criminal justice reform and people that are being left out and left behind in the political discourse right now.

Following his events at Benedict College, as part of his campaign's 20+ event Weekend of Action, Booker will hold a canvass kick-off at his Columbia headquarters, which is located just steps from the college.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

WHAT: Cory Booker Participates in 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center’s 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum
WHERE: Benedict College, 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, SC
WHEN: 11:00 AM

*NEW EVENT*
WHAT: Meet and Greet at Benedict College With Students and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
WHERE: Antisdel Chapel, Benedict College, 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, SC
WHEN: 12:00 PM

*UPDATED TIME*
WHAT: Cory Booker to Hold Canvass Kick-Off at Campaign HQ in Columbia
WHERE: 2361 Taylor Street, Columbia, SC
WHEN: 1:30 PM
PUBLIC RSVP: Click here. https://www.mobilize.us/coryforsc/event/132747/

Posted by Mike on 10/24/2019 | Permalink

What They’re Saying About Elizabeth Warren at the Iowa Polk County Steak Fry

What They’re Saying About Elizabeth Warren at the Iowa Polk County Steak Fry

Charlestown, MA - Elizabeth Warren spent three days in Iowa last week, visiting Iowa City, North Liberty, Mount Vernon and Cedar Rapids before attending the Polk County Democratic Steak Fry on Saturday in Des Moines. Warren met with climate activists and attended the LGBTQ presidential forum and CCI People’s Forum. She’s now made 12 trips to Iowa in 2019 and held 60 events in every corner of the state.

Des Moines Register: Elizabeth Warren's slow, steady ground game helped propel rise in latest Iowa Poll Elizabeth Warren’s slow but steady rise in the first-in-the-nation caucus state is as much a result of her robust organizational presence here as it is a response to the Massachusetts senator’s many plans and policies, Iowa experts say.

“You’re seeing a major result of Sen. Warren being here a great deal, hiring a smart team in Iowa and executing a smart campaign operation,” said Matt Paul, a Des Moines operative who ran Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Iowa caucus campaign.

Los Angeles Times: Behind Elizabeth Warren’s surge: Emotional punch coupled with attention to detail As Friday night’s forum showed, Warren has attracted support by combining two skills often not found together — careful preparation and attention to details on the one hand, and, on the other, an ability to connect emotionally with her audience.

In her rallies, Warren taps into much of the same voter anger toward government and the political system that President Trump feeds on, while offering a dramatically different solution.

Where Trump plays off his supporters’ resentment of “the elites,” Warren denounces the corrupting power of money. She has honed her case into a succinct argument that she laid out this way at an event Thursday evening in Iowa City: “Whatever issue brought you here tonight, whether it’s gun violence, healthcare, education — whatever brought you here — there’s a decision to be made in Washington: I guarantee, it’s been influenced by money.”

Polk County Steak Fry

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: Rather than engage in big visibility spectacles, Elizabeth Warren’s team is treating the Steak Fry as an organizing opportunity. They’re training up volunteers at their rally site to go in and talk with caucus-goer about Warren
https://twitter.com/IAStartingLine/status/1175418408998985728

Iowa Starting Line: WHY IS WARREN LEADING NOW? LOOK TO HER STEAK FRY STRATEGY Amidst a day full of chanting, marches, sign wars and a number of other moves to demonstrate organizational strength, Elizabeth Warren’s Iowa team diverged from the pack to focus on something very specific: talking to voters.
…
At the Polk County Steak Fry at Des Moines Water Works on Saturday, Warren’s team decided to not have a massive pre-speech rally, nor a big march into the event. Instead, they did a training session early in the day with volunteers before sending them out in the event to mingle with attendees. “We’ve proved at other events this summer that we can get hundreds of people together to scream and chant and make a huge fuss, but at the end of the day that’s not how you win,” said Morgan Sperry, an organizer for the Warren campaign in Dallas and Madison Counties. “You win by talking to people, finding out where they are and having these persuasive conversations.”
…
Olivia Ellis, a Warren organizer in Ames, Iowa, said that Warren wants to invest in the field, and put an emphasis on talking to voters, “and that’s exactly what we did today.” “It’s not every day that there’s 10,000 Iowans in one place, so we would be remiss to not be talking to them about who Elizabeth Warren is, where she comes from and what she’s fighting for,” Ellis said. And the work seemed to pay off. When it came time for Warren to speak, third in the day’s order, there was an eruption from the crowd as a sea of liberty green signs were raised over attendees’ heads to welcome the Senator to the stage.

Des Moines Register: Largest Polk County Steak Fry in history draws 12,000 attendees, 17 presidential candidates Warren’s team...focused its organizing efforts on the more than 12,000 Democrats who attended the Steak Fry. Instead of a large rally or march, volunteers fanned out to speak with Iowa Democrats about her story and the issues she's running on. The campaign used its rally spot as an “Organizing HQ” to train volunteers on canvassing, including tips on how best to approach potential supporters. Volunteers were easy to spot as they canvassed the crowd with “liberty green” clipboards and balloons — the color of the Statue of Liberty and the signature tint of the Warren campaign. Many wore buttons that said, “Ask me about Elizabeth Warren.” Afterward, Warren stayed for her signature “selfie” line, taking 1,050 photos in two hours, according to her campaign.

Kim Norvell @KimNorvellDMR: .⁦ @ewarren⁩ organizers are doing things a bit differently at the #SteakFry. Instead of loud rallies and marches, they’re training volunteers to speak with Iowa Dems here about her plans and campaign for president. #IACaucus
https://twitter.com/KimNorvellDMR/status/1175419619479302144

Frank Bruni @FrankBruni: You hear it. You feel it. Elizabeth Warren is the rock star of the Democratic Party right now. #SteakFry crowd goes wild when she’s introduced. https://twitter.com/FrankBruni/status/1175490133090611201

Brianne Pfannenstiel @brianneDMR: .@ewarren gets a standing ovation as she walks out to her signature "9 to 5" Dolly Parton walkup music. Not sure if it was the first standing ovation of the day, but certainly seemed to be the most enthusiastic reception so far. https://twitter.com/brianneDMR/status/1175490483830894594

Eric Bradner @ericbradner: Warren starts her #polkcountysteakfry speech saying she’s “here to stand up for the Constitution.” She says it’s time for Congress to “start impeachment proceedings right now.” “Congress has failed to act, and now Donald Trump has shown he believes he is above the law.” https://twitter.com/ericbradner/status/1175490350468796416

Musadiq Bidar @Bidar411: This long line of hundreds wraps around twice. I ask what’s going on and someone yells: we’re waiting to take a photo with @ewarren while another yells out “we’re waiting to take a picture with the next president”
https://twitter.com/Bidar411/status/1175504411541626880

Posted by Mike on 09/23/2019 | Permalink

What They’re Saying About Amy Klobuchar at the Iowa Polk County Steak Fry

‘All Beer, No Foam’: Klobuchar Impresses at Steak Fry

DES MOINES, IA — Team Amy for Iowa was out before dawn - some even camped out the night before - to get ready for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s visit to the Polk County Democrats’ Steak Fry. Klobuchar, along with Iowa Campaign Chair Dr. Andy McGuire, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and U.S. Senator Tina Smith, rallied supporters and spoke to a crowd of thousands about her optimistic economic agenda and her plan to defeat Donald Trump in 2020.

Klobuchar also opened two more field offices during her latest swing through the Hawkeye state, spoke at the LGBTQ+ forum in Cedar Rapids, toured Southeastern Community College in Burlington, and visited her 49th county since announcing her candidacy for president.

Iowa Starting Line:
• Hammers sounded as members of Amy Klobuchar’s staff placed rows and rows of staked blue ‘Amy’ signs around their campsite. The senator had been traveling around the country this week on a ‘blue wall’ tour to win back states like Michigan and Wisconsin that went red in the 2016 election, so Klobuchar’s Steak Fry decoration was, in fact, a ‘blue wall’ that compiled signs helped create.

• While most of Klobuchar’s staff created the wall at the campsite, other supporters roamed the Steak Fry grounds. “It’s time. It’s time. It’s time for a woman in the White House,” Klobuchar’s staff and supporters chanted as the picketed around, also chanting “I believe that she will win,” and “Amy for America,” among other phrases.

• The campsite steadily filled as supporters anticipated Klobuchar’s arrival and speeches from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith during the senator’s pre-rally.

Des Moines Register
• ...Lizzo and Prince blared through the speakers at a gathering for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

• Klobuchar was applauded for going after Trump. “We have a guy that would rather lie than lead,” she said. “… He gloats about an economy he didn’t create … then, when anything goes wrong from his own making — from his trade war, from his ethanol waivers, from how he handles the farm economy — what does he do? He whines.”

Storm Lake Times
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who is rising in the polls, understands Iowa better than anyone, is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and is gaining traction in surveys. Klobuchar spoke outside to a sizable crowd on a scorching day in Storm Lake during State Fair Week, and many walked away impressed with her wit, understanding of the issues, and pragmatism. The polls are starting to reflect her appeal to voters who understand that the next election, like the last one, was decided in Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan — all states that Klobuchar can win handily.

Burlington Hawk Eye
• Klobuchar… listened more than spoke and, unlike a number of prominent politicians, never interrupted, giving her undistracted attention to each speaker.

• As Klobuchar prepared to move on to the next stop on her Burlington tour, the dedication of the opening of a Klobuchar field office on Roosevelt Avenue in Burlington, the candidate told the students she loved their stories. “This is one of the best meetings I’ve had,” she said. “Your stories show that not just the people with money have opportunities.”

• “She’s very engaging,” [Southeastern Community College’s Director of PACE/GAP Programs Jared] Reed said afterward. The students polled by The Hawk Eye all agreed with Reed.