What A Day - ’Twas The Week Before Iowa

Episode Date: January 27, 2020

There’s just one week until the Iowa caucuses, where voters will get their first chance to pick the candidate they’d like to see go up against Trump. We discuss the state of affairs and ask Pat Rynard, founding and managing editor of Iowa Starting Line, about his thoughts on the race.  NBA All-Star and MVP Kobe Byrant passed away yesterday, in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna along with 7 others. We discuss his legacy and reactions to the tragic news. And in headlines: Billie’s big night at the Grammy’s, Mike Pompeo goes off, and Trump’s defense takes the stage. 

It's Monday, January 27th. I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick, and this is What A Day, future Grammy Award winner in the category of Best Peppy News Jingle. You'll listen to it right now, like it's only a matter of time. Give us that big gold horn, man. I want to honk it. On today's show, a check-in on the campaigns in Iowa with one week left to go before voting gets underway, then remembering Kobe Bryant, plus some headlines.

After a long year of presidential campaigning, debates, endorsements, sometimes two at once, ads, pork chop on a stick, and other state fair foods, we are now one week from the 2020 Iowa caucuses, where voters will get their first chance to pick the candidate they'd like to see go up against President Trump. Yeah, literally anyone. Anyone else. I'm down for it. The ranked choice voting is good for you. The Iowa caucuses in this 3 million plus population state get the primary process rolling and and historically, at least, start to winnow the field of contenders. A little bit of history on Iowa. Since 1972, the winner of the caucus on the

Democratic side has gone on to win the nomination seven out of 10 times. And it often provides momentum for campaigns right before New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina vote in quick succession afterwards. Because the primary is so crowded this time out, with 12 Democrats still running, and there isn't one clear, consistent leader, the impact of Iowa could be big this year, especially as voters prioritize who they can see winning in November. Yeah, and we've talked about it a lot on this show. We've taken a look at who has been doing well in the state. So what is the latest thing that we know about this past week? Over the past week, we know about this past week? Over the past week, we've gotten a lot more polls, which was something that was pretty lacking in the weeks prior. The most recent ones we saw were from The New York Times,

showing Senator Bernie Sanders with a seven point lead, followed by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, then former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren after that, and a CBS poll showing Sanders leading by one, followed by Biden, then Buttigieg and Warren. So to take stock, you know, two with Sanders in the lead in one case kind of healthily. He was also in the lead in a recent Des Moines Register poll, but we're going to see a final one coming next weekend, just a few days before people actually go in caucus. And then there were a few others that were in the mix during this time that had Biden leading as well. But overall, with a competitive top four candidate group, some of the campaigns will likely be spinning second or even third place finishes as victories

for them overall, depending on where they're at. Not last, there's still 10. Yeah, exactly. Right. You know, top half. I spoke with Pat Reiner, the founder and managing editor of Iowa Starting Line, an independent news outlet in the state, about the dynamics of the race last week. I think for the broader national narrative, it's not necessarily how Iowa caucus boards are viewing it. But I think for the broader national narrative, the goal is to come in ahead of the other person who's sort of in your lane. So Bernie Sanders wants to come in ahead of Elizabeth Warren, and Warren would like to finish ahead of Sanders to kind of get the progressive base to rethink who the real champion for their cause is. Pete Buttigieg would like to come in

ahead of Joe Biden to kind of show that perhaps he is the main alternative for less ideological voters, I suppose, or just for people who want or to prove that, you know, he's got real momentum and he can be the person who, you know, folks who are looking for fresh faces. Yeah. So, you know, it's a little bit of a match up between Warren and Sanders and then a separate match up between Biden and Pete. Are there any final things that have happened to move the needle in the past days? You know, what's actually going on in the state? Yeah, I guess we won't know until it actually happens. A lot of the polling comes with the caveat that people remain undecided or they're going to make up their minds between a couple people late, even the day that they go out and make their ultimate decision. For those kinds of people, the fact that Warren got an endorsement

from the Des Moines Register, the largest paper in the state, that could certainly help if you're on the fence between her and somebody else could potentially end up bumping her up a couple of points. And then the other sort of dynamic that's been going on is that the senators who are in the race are still trying to juggle their time between an impeachment trial in D.C. and then coming back to Iowa, sometimes in the span of a single day. I spoke with Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor, about the importance of candidates getting in front of voters in person last week. I think there's always people who tune in to the caucuses who are caucus goers, who only towards the last month or so actually start coming out and going to events.

And if they have a chance to see one individual, and that's the only individual that they have a chance to see, you know, assuming that they that individual does a good job and they like what they hear, they're probably going to be a little bit more easily persuaded to end up standing in their corner. Makes plenty of sense to me. So what do we know about the candidate strategy going into next Monday then? Yeah, in the final stretch, the candidates are stressing slightly different things. We're talking about the folks who are bunched up at the top four here. For instance, Sanders believes, as he has for a while, that if turnout goes through the roof

and he and his campaign can reach unlikely voters and first-time caucus goers, he's going to win this thing. He thinks that they are getting out and finding those people and making sure that they show up. Warren is still emphasizing her own electability pitch, obviously a major concern for all of the candidates. The question that they get asked all the time is like, you know, how are you going to beat Trump? And she's assuring audiences that women can win. And she's pointing to her own record on that, obviously, and so on and so forth down for the rest of the candidates. But all the top contenders are, have these slightly different approaches to how exactly they're going to take that message and put it into practice in their organization and actually pull this off. Here's Pat Reiner again from Iowa starting line.

Elizabeth Warren, her field team, her ground game is very well regarded. They started very early on. And you started to see a lot of the late endorsers in this race move both her way and Amy Klobuchar's way. So I think if Warren wins, that's going to be a testament to the deep relationships that her field team has built over the year. What Bernie Sanders is trying to do, he's trying to have a huge, massive turnout of almost not even just first-time caucus goers, but perhaps first-time voters. Like, they are definitely on a pure turnout strategy. They are going out to find every type of unlikely working-class voter there is that likes Bernie's outsider message and working-class message. Biden is hoping to simply win over all of those regular caucus goers who see him as a safe choice.

I think the problem for Biden is I think it's less likely that he turns out a new big chunk of voters, which if this is the largest turnout ever, obviously that's very problematic for him. Pete Buttigieg's team, he also has built a very good field team over time. And what they are relying on is enthusiasm, inspiration, and momentum. Yeah, so lots of different strategies there. Well, we'll have to see which tactical bets pay off. Yeah, we'll keep following the race in the final week. And if you want to hear more about all things Iowa, listen to Pod Save America later today or go even deeper with Tommy Vitor's Iowa pod.

Also, we'll be doing a couple shows on the ground around the caucus next week. I even bought a coat for it. Yesterday morning, the world was rocked by news of the death of NBA all-star and MVP, Team USA Olympic gold medalist and Oscar winner Kobe Bryant. He and his daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California that left nine total dead, including Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altebelli, his daughter Alyssa and wife Carrie, and girls basketball coach Christina Mauser. Bryant was 41 and his daughter was only 13 years old. He is survived by his wife Vanessa and their daughters Natalia,

Bianca, and Capri. It's really tough news, especially here in Los Angeles, where Bryant played 20 seasons and became visual shorthand for the 90s and early 2000s when he led the Lakers to three championships in a row and five total. Akilah, what have you been seeing about all of this and how people are processing it? Yeah, I mean, well, his life wasn't perfect and we're going to get to that. But first, to your point about his pop culture larger than lifeness, it's just really

wild. I only knew about the biggest stars in the NBA when I was a kid and we all knew about Kobe. You know, my first pet was a goldfish named Kobe Bryant. And if you, you know, if you're trying to throw up a wadded piece of paper into a trash can, you'd be like, Kobe, before it went in, because it was just that ingrained in pop culture. And so I think a lot of what's being posted online and put out in statements is a nod to that. You didn't have to be a fan of the NBA or the Lakers or even really basketball to be aware of his place in history. I live near a mural in LA that's celebrating his final game for the Lakers, and people were leaving post-it notes with personal thanks and condolences and flowers

and candles all over the street. There was also a big gathering at the Staples Center where the Lakers play, and the Grammys also took place at the Staples Center last night, and it was, you know, just full of tributes to Bryant. Yeah, I think the reaction is just so, like, how universal he was. I mean, it was like he's obviously a basketball savant and has, you know, tons of different games. You could point to the 81 point game, the Achilles game where he's hitting free throws after blowing it out. But it really just seemed like he kind of touched everyone in very different sorts of

ways and was universal in culture and everything. And in recent years, too, had this very touching relationship with his daughter, who he wanted to see in the WNBA and, you know, was supporting as a rising basketball player herself. Yeah. The most poignant tributes have been those from fellow NBA players who credit Kobe for inspiring them to work hard at such a young age. On Saturday night, the night before the helicopter crash, LeBron James passed Kobe's record as the number three all-time scorer in the NBA. He was interviewed in what I'm sure he didn't think was going to be a eulogy about the impact Kobe had on his life and career. And in 2001, I believe I was playing in New Jersey and the

All-Star game, if I'm not mistaken, and y'all can correct me, it was in Philly, right? Yeah, that Saturday me and Maverick drove to the Intercontinental downtown Philadelphia and he gave me a pair of his shoes, which I ended up wearing that following night. It was the red, white, and blue Kobe's. I was a 15 and he was a 14 and I wore him anyways. And I sat and just talked to him for a little bit. He gave me the shoes. I rocked them in a game.

And it was the same night that we played Oak Hill against Mellow. And then I saw what he was able to do the very next night winning MVP here in Philly. It's a really tender memory. Well, Kobe's last tweet was congratulating LeBron on beating his scoring record, saying, quote, Continuing to move the game forward at King James. Much respect, my brother.

Hashtag 33644. And that number is in reference to how many points LeBron has made thus far in his career. Long-time teammate Shaquille O'Neal tweeted, quote, Kobe was so much more than an athlete. He was a family man. That was what we had most in common. I would hug his children like they were my own,

and he would embrace my kids like they were his. He went on to say that his daughter had the same birthday as Kobe's daughter, Gianna. The Raptors played the Spurs just moments after the news broke, and following the tip-off, both teams let the shot clock run out as a nod to Bryant's number 24. Now, we alluded to a lack of perfection on Bryant's part earlier. Akilah, do you want to explain that part? Yeah. So there was a very highly public rape allegation in 2003. The charges were later dropped and Bryant settled out of court, though he never admitted guilt in

that case. In an apology published through his attorney at that time, Bryant said, quote, Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. He went on to say, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter. And it's important to report the truth of his life. You know, there are a lot of survivors who have complicated feelings about his high profile death. And that's valid. People are grieving a lot of things within the story. And regardless, there are going to be people who think we're being too nice about his legacy and others who think we're being too harsh. And that's par for the course for a sometimes polarizing figure. The next Lakers game will be on Tuesday against the Clippers in the Staples Center. I'm sure even the Clippers fans are going

to be wearing Lakers gear. That's right. I mean, it's definitely going to be an emotional night. Let's wrap up with some headlines. Headlines. Two inmates in Mississippi died over the weekend, bringing the death toll up to 12 inmates who have died within less than a month across the state. Nine of the prisoner deaths have occurred at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, a former plantation converted to a sprawling prison complex. Earlier this month, a group of inmates, along with the rappers Jay-Z and Yo Gotti, filed a federal lawsuit against the state for what they say is a failure to prevent violence and to fix decrepit conditions. Hundreds of protesters flooded the state's capital on Friday, calling to shut down the controversial prison and repair the others. They're expected to show up again today. In impeachment news, Trump's discount Halloween

store of a legal team delivered their opening statements on Saturday. The lawyers kept their arguments short, wrapping up the whole thing in two hours, with much of it devoted to hyping up the arguments they'd debut on Monday. Also, yesterday, an unpublished draft of former National Security Advisor John Bolton's book revealed some key, first-hand evidence against the president. According to Bolton, Trump did withhold aid from Ukrainian officials, which, as a reminder, is the crux of this entire impeachment thing.

We'll see how or if the defense team will respond to this later today. Very interesting. Hot-headed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is getting roasted after reports that he lost it during an NPR interview that aired on Friday. Reporter and host Mary Louise Kelly asked Pompeo whether he had acted unfairly towards fired Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Following the interview, Pompeo asked that Kelly join him in his living room and then blew up for about nine minutes. Choice quotes include Pompeo making Kelly point out Ukraine on a map and saying, quote, people will hear about this when she reportedly did it correctly. Very strange reaction to someone being right. In a statement on Saturday, Pompeo trashed the press and accused

Kelly of lying, but not about what happened in their post-interview meeting, only that she said it would be off the record, which she disputes. I think I agree with Kelly. The Grammy Awards

were last night in Los Angeles, and in between Lil Nas X's era-defining, world-unifying performance of Old Town Road and Aerosmith bringing big hard rock cafe energy to the stage,

a lot of great performers got awards. Tyler, the Creator, won Best Rap Album, Anderson.Paak, And those are the headlines. Before we go, I have a little announcement. So I'm going to be out for the rest of the week, and I'm going to be back next week after the Iowa caucuses. So Gideon, please take good care of our listeners. I'm not up to the task. And that's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review. Tell us how much you're going to miss Akilah on a scale of one to 10. It better be 10. Or 11.

It better be 11. Tell your friends to listen. Yeah. And by the way, if you're into reading and not just vanity plates on Tesla's like me, what a day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe. I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick. And that's how you win the Grammy for Best Peppy News Jingle. It's catchy. We love it. That's not what it sounds like.

That's the horn for when we win. What a day is a product of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Sonia Tun is our assistant producer. Our head writer is John Milstein and our senior producer is Katie Long. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.