Des Moines Diary Jan. 4

It’s a little like the day after Christmas here. The candidates, at least the survivors, have already left on late night flights to New Hampshire . Campaign offices are cleaning and closing down. The media is packing up.

The results have already been analyzed and spun. The Register’s take? A victory for the little guy, the outsider. Winterset and Madison County went for Edwards and McCain. I sensed it might when we were there two days ago. The cartoon on the editorial page of the Des Moines Register is telling. Jan. 3 the state sports a crown and the caption of “national attention” Jan. 4 it turns into a pumpkin.

It is, I imagine, a bittersweet moment for a lot of lowans. The phones have stopped ringing with the automated messages. There’ll be no more political mailers jamming the mail boxes. No candidates approaching them on the streets. At least for the next three plus years.

A majority of people here have to greet the results with some regret or disappointment. Their candidate did not come out on top, but, in the end, that’s what faces Nevadans on the 19^th and all Americans in the months ahead. In the end they’ll make their choices from a smaller list, one that Iowans have helped frame. They’ve done a good job and they’ve been great hosts…to a person friendly and helpful. I’m glad I met some of them.

I’m happy to be going home, prepared not to regale everyone with descriptions of the cold here. I’ve been following the weather news back home and I fear what will be child’s play to the deep freeze we’ve been in. Besides it seems as we’re saying goodbye Iowa is due for a warming trend, well into the 40’s. I have a feeling when we get home that will seem like a heat wave.