Democratic event in Des Moines evokes concert atmosphere

DES MOINES — Katy Perry stood on stage under a bright autumn sun in downtown Des Moines — adorned in a white dress with an American flag cape, and a campaign logo sticker on her dress — and told the hundreds of people packed into a stadium parking lot that she was proud to support Hillary Clinton.

'She's my firework,' Perry said before belting out a verse of 'America the Beautiful,' then segueing into her hit song, 'Firework.'

Perry, a pop star extraordinaire, headlined a rally for Clinton's presidential campaign Saturday afternoon ahead of the evening's state party fundraiser.

The Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at Hy-Vee Hall drew more than 6,000 people to hear from each of the three Democratic candidates for president — Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley.

Hoping to stoke enthusiasm for their campaigns and lure supporters and volunteers, the candidates held music-driven campaign rallies Saturday afternoon.

Dennis Goldford, a political-science professor at Drake University, said Saturday provided campaigns an opportunity to bolster their grass roots organizations.

'This is an organizing event, both to energize the faithful and to get as many cards on as many people as you can to be able to identify and contact the faithful,' Goldford said.

Clinton and Sanders are dominating the Democratic race so far. Two polls published this week showed Clinton leading Sanders by 7 and 11 percentage points, with O'Malley stuck far behind in the low single digits.

They are the only three Democrats left standing after an eventful week in which Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee dropped out and Vice President Joe Biden decided to not run.

HILLARY CLINTON

It would be difficult to argue that Sanders' or O'Malley's pre-dinner rally could match the star power of Clinton's, which featured Perry — who sang three of her hit songs, encouraged young people to vote and even talked briefly about some of the central issues of Clinton's campaign — as well as Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton.

'I know I'm not the main act,' Bill Clinton joked.

Bill Clinton, a two-term president in the 1990s, talked extensively about his wife's background, saying it was important for voters to know because they will choose the next president 'to do a job.'

Sandy Collier, of Missouri Valley, said she is ready to hire Hillary Clinton for that job.

Collier, who attended Clinton's rally, said she supports Hillary because she likes 'everything she says.'

'She's a common person, she's logical,' Collier said.

Bill Clinton also joked that he has selfish reasons for wanting voters to support his wife.

'There's been a lot of talk about breaking the glass ceiling, and I want to talk about one barrier that has not been broken. I want you to support Hillary for me … because I am tired of the stranglehold that women have had on the job of presidential spouse,' Bill Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton spoke only briefly, thanking the crowd for their support and imploring them to do the same in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Clinton told the crowd she would fight 'for fairness, for justice, and for the kind of America that every one of you deserves.'

BERNIE SANDERS

Hundreds of Sanders supporters gathered across the Des Moines River from the convention hall for a rally and concert that included the Quad Cities Metro Youth drum line.

Johnson County Supervisor Mike Carberry told the crowd if they're tired of feeling the burn — 'with a u' — of inaction on climate change, of Citizens United allowing big money to buy politicians and corporate interests controlling government, then they need to join the Sanders revolution and 'feel the Bern.'

Carberry was joined by Gary Kroeger, of Cedar Falls, a candidate for the 1st District Democratic nomination. Despite giving Sanders his '100 percent feel the Bern endorsement,' Kroeger said the campaign is not about the Vermont democratic socialist.

'We are not following him,' Kroeger said. 'He's with us.'

That's because the election 'is not just about electing a president,' Sanders said. 'It is transforming America. That's what this campaign is about.'

His campaign, he continued, 'is about saying loudly and clearly that the establishment politics and establishment economics is not working for the middle class and working families.'

He called for people 'who have given up on the political process, people who are demoralized, who don't believe that government listens to them … (to) stand up loudly and clearly and say, 'Enough is enough, this country belongs to all of us, not just wealthy campaign donors.' '

Cynthia Poindexter, of Des Moines, is there for him. A former Californian who lost her home to the bank during the recession and her job in a corporate takeover, Poindexter called Sanders 'the answer to all my prayers.'

'He's for real,' said Poindexter, who will caucus for the first time. 'I have total faith in that man. I've never had more faith in anyone.'

Sanders then led his army of supporters across the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge to the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. That, he said, was just the first leg of a longer march.

'This is a march which will end up in a year when you will join me in the White House,' Sanders said.

MARTIN O'MALLEY

Not far from the Katy Perry-Bill Clinton venue, O'Malley supporters waved banners and shouted supportive chants of 'oh, oh, oh, oh, O'Malley' to passing motorists outside Veterans Memorial Auditorium while an airplane flew overhead pulling a 'Revolution Starts Now! Feel the Bern!' banner that promoted Sanders' bid.

For his part, O'Malley, a former governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, played guitar and serenaded an enthusiastic throng of supporters who rallied in an outdoor plaza before turning his attention to the challenge he faces in the race.

'Tonight's another important milestone in this race. The Iowa JJ Dinner is always an important turning point in the campaign,' O'Malley said, noting that Iowans 'play a critically important role in selecting the next president, and they always have a way of surprising the pollsters.'

He acknowledged he faces an uphill battle, telling supporters 'there are some people who say to me, 'Hey man, you face a tough fight, these are tough odds.' Well, you know what, I kind of like a tough fight. I never bet against the United States of America so I kind of like the odds as well.'

O'Malley said he's up for the challenge.

'I think it shows that we're fighting for things worth saving,' he told reporters after making brief remarks and performing three songs. Asked whether Saturday was a 'make-or-break moment' for his campaign, he said: 'Every day's a make-or-break moment.'

O'Malley said he has been encouraged by the retail nature of Iowa's caucuses and the responses he's received on the campaign trail.

'The great thing about Iowa is that people aren't intimidated by big money, they're not intimidated by polls. They expect to see each of the candidates two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight times before they make up their minds,' he said.