Shuffle Saturday: Iowa Straw Poll Day! Tips From a Veteran!

It's straw poll day in Iowa. For those involved in politics in Iowa, this is our Superbowl, our Oscars, our Olympics...it's a big deal. And I'm excited. I had a hard time sleeping last night because I was so excited. Even more so than 4 years ago. And back then I had a VIP pass!

This year is my husband's first year, as he was in Iraq four years ago. Even though he's a native Iowan and we've been together for 8 years, he still had no idea how big of a deal the Straw Poll really is. I feel he's still going to be amazed.

So from a Straw Poll veteran, here's a few tips...if you haven't left already.

1. Go hungry. There's going to be plenty of food.

2. Wear comfortable shoes. If you're going to go tent cruising, you'll be doing a lot of walking. While the Vera Wang black heels are cute, they're not practical.

3. Greet the candidates. Don't be afraid of them. They're people just like you and me. And they want to meet you. Don't be nervous. Ask them the tough questions you have. They WANT to meet real people. That's why they're there.

4. Listen to the speakers. Take the time to listen to everyone, not just your particular candidate. You'll learn something.

And last but not least,

5. Don't feed the trolls. I was given this great piece of advice from Nansen via Britney at RightOnline this year and they are so right. There will be people protesting, yelling, trying to get you to react. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS. They thrive off of attention.

And most of all, have fun. Enjoy the day. And please, don't feed the trolls.

Shuffle Saturday: Politics in Iowa...With Kids??

I love living in Iowa. I'm an Iowa farm girl at heart, spending much of my childhood summers playing at the family Century farm, dropping rocks down the well, swimming in the (clean) cattle trough (we didn't have livestock, but the silver containers made good swimming pools) and learning how to drive a stick in the cornfield...I won't say how old I was. :)

I am amazed at the different paths my life has lead me down. In high school, I wasn't even interested in politics. I knew my parents had a "Ross Perot" sign in their front yard, but that was about it.

Fast forward a few years and I worked as a canvasser for RPI (Republican Party of Iowa) my last semester of college- and after graduation from Iowa State (where I was a Conservative Political Opinion Columnist), I worked for the Iowa House Majority Leader. After session ended, I went to work for Senator Grassley's campaign and was elected Secretary and then Co-Chair of the Polk County Republican Party. All by the time I was 25.

I've made some really great friends in the political world (including my co-author of Mommy's Recess) and had the chance to meet some really great Political figureheads.

And now that I'm a mom, I can share this love of politics with my kids. My five year old already thinks that a Democrat is a dirty word (not by our teaching, he's just come to that assumption) and he thinks it's neat to see people on CSPAN who are also in a picture with mommy and daddy hanging on the wall.

I love bringing my kids to events...while it is a little stressful for me to manage all three, I'm lucky enough to always have a friend at any political function who is more than willing to watch a kid or two.

And it makes for some really great photo ops. How cool would it be to say, "And here's a picture of me with President so and so back in 2012." Now, I'm not saying I've decided who I'm supporting in the Iowa Caucus or even the Straw Poll...but I have an idea. With my work as Communications Director for CAPE PAC, I really can't publicly endorse anyone, which is fine. It gives me more of a chance to keep an open mind and open heart.

Yesterday we attended the Pucks and Pizza with Pawlenty event. The boys loved watching the Hockey game, the pizza and Liam enjoyed meeting "that Fox News guy" aka Tim Pawlenty. When Liam told him what he called him, T-Paw laughed and said, "I like that! I might have to use that!"

And, of course, we got some great photos.

So with all of the candidates criss-crossing the state, take your kids out to listen to the candidates and get a picture. They'll learn, you'll learn and you'll have a good time!