Inside the Bubble
Inside the Bubble: Campaigns, Caucuses, and the Future of the Presidential Nomination Process is a behind-the-scenes look at the 2020 Democratic nomination process focusing on the Iowa caucuses and the campaign workers who located there. For decades, Iowa held the first contest in the presidential nomination process, and individuals interested in campaign work considered it a holy grail. But in 2020, a record number of Democrats seeking to unseat President Trump and the hundreds of young campaign workers who located to Iowa created a political event unmatched in scope and scale. Those workers, embedded in the caucus bubble, focused for months on finding supporters for their candidate and ensuring they attended their precinct event the first step in selecting delegates to the national convention. And then Caucus Day came, and with it a technology-driven fiasco that seemed to foreshadow a year of pandemic and protest. The lessons learned in 2020 underscored the importance of local staff who organize and mobilize supporters for a candidate in whom they believe. And those lessons are applicable to any race of any party in any state. For students of US politics as well as aspiring candidates, political journalists, and campaign professionals, this book captures the drama and human perspective of campaigns and elections in America.
Barbara Trish is Professor of Political Science at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. She directs the Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights.
Bill Menner is a consultant on rural development and rural health. He was a White House appointee within the US Department of Agriculture and previously worked as a public radio political reporter.
Ive covered 10 Iowa caucuses and made more than 60 trips to the state and still I learned something on nearly every page. Memo to 2024 campaign reporters: Dont even think about flying into Des Moines or Cedar Rapids without a copy of this book in your baggage.
David Shribman,Pulitzer winning political columnist
This book is an invaluable resource for political journalists trying to make sense of the Iowa caucuses. This account makes the caucuses, with all their arcane rules and quirky traditions, accessible and compelling, told from the vantage point of the staffers who make them happen.
Melanie Mason,Political Reporter, Los Angeles Times
Through the window of the 2020 Iowa caucus, Inside the Bubble views the various players (candidates, surrogates, staffers, consultants, contractors, journalists, activists, voters, and technologies) and the politics of the 2020 presidential nomination campaign. Students of campaign politics, as well as their recent and aspiring participants, will benefit from this excellent in-depth examination of the nuts and bolts of campaigns and its vignettes about the personal experiences of its players.
Paul A. Beck,Ohio State University (Emeritus)
This really well-written book captures the drama and importance of the Iowa caucuses and of US presidential campaigns more generally. It would be a great choice for classes on campaigns, political parties, and elections. My students love to hear about young peoples experiences in politics and campaigns, which then open their minds to understanding American politics.
Marjorie R. Hershey,Indiana University (Emerita)
Inside the Bubble explains the incredible complexities and nuance of the first presidential nominating contest, specifically the 2020 Caucus, in accessible and easy-to-understand terms. By heavily incorporating the voices of campaign staffers, this book presents a unique, engaging, and human perspective on the Iowa Caucus.
Jimmy Dahman,Former Campaign Staffer, Biden for President, Pete for America
Inside the Bubble
Campaigns, Caucuses, and the Future of the Presidential Nomination Process
Barbara Trish and Bill Menner
First published 2022
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2022 Taylor & Francis
The right of Barbara Trish and Bill Menner to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Trish, Barbara, 1961 author. | Menner, Bill, 1961 author.
Title: Inside the bubble : campaigns, caucuses, and the future of the
presidential nomination process / Barbara Trish, Bill Menner.
Description: New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021005250 (print) | LCCN 2021005251 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367429782 (paperback) | ISBN 9781032039220 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781003189718 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: PresidentsUnited StatesNomination. |
Presidential campaignsUnited States. | PrimariesUnited States. |
Political partiesUnited States.
Classification: LCC JK521 .T73 2021 (print) |
LCC JK521 (ebook) | DDC 324.2736dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005250
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021005251
ISBN: 978-1-032-03922-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-42978-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-18971-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Newgen Publishing UK
To D.A. Smith and John H. Kessel, friends and mentors.
Contents
Our deepest appreciation to the many individuals who responded to our requests for interviews or just visited with us, allowing us to become a part of their lives, even for a short while. We also owe much to the many people who helped in this project who arent named or referenced in the book. In particular, Poweshiek County Democratic Party Co-Chair John Grennan provided invaluable insights, unfailingly. Grinnell College students David Gilbert and Leah Steding contributed deft research assistance. And each of our children Jack, Robert, Ann, and Kate supported the effort in tangible ways, often exactly when we needed their assistance.
One of our biggest challenges was to get approval from some of the campaigns to allow their staff to talk on the record. We are especially grateful to those campaigns that gave us access and to the staff and others who spoke on the record. Campaign organizers are a particular focus in the book, and we protect their identities by using pseudonyms. For all others, with one exception, we rely on real names.
Over the years, we have provided supporter housing to campaign staffers. Weve learned a lot from them and have enjoyed their company. Were appreciative of those who provided supporter housing over a variety of campaigns to our son Jack and to his wife, Jessica.