Caucuses provide Iowa’s ‘political nerds’ an opportunity for media stargazing
Tim Benton, Mary Benton, Karen Doland, and a friend posing for a photo with Jake Tapper and Tom Brokaw. (Photo: Hunter Walker/Yahoo News)
DES MOINES, Iowa — Mary Benton was screaming in the lobby of the Des Moines Marriott Downtown on Saturday night.
Benton just had her most exciting moment in 16 years of what she describes as Iowa caucus “stargazing.” She got her picture taken with CNN’s Jake Tapper and former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw.
Benton was with a group of her friends in the hotel, which is the epicenter of the political media scene that converges in Iowa ahead of the caucuses that take place Feb. 1. They came to the hotel to meet and mingle with the journalists and politicos who crowd the lobby bar. It’s a regular ritual for Benton and her friends.
“There’s a rounds, You make the rounds,” Benton said. “The Marriott’s been big, though.”
Benton is an attorney. Her boisterous, beer drinking group included her law school classmate, Karen Doland, who is a judge, and her husband, Tim.
“We did not coordinate this meeting tonight,” Doland said. “We’re just political nerds and we happened to run into each other tonight.”
Iowa on our minds, as the campaign nears its climax >>>
Benton said their stargazing circuit also included the downtown restaurants Centro and 801 Chophouse.
“801 Grand is the place to really see people,” Benton said of the steakhouse. “We saw Larry King 12 years ago. Larry King, Tucker Carlson, and many others.”
“Mark Halperin we saw tonight,” Doland said. “I saw Jennifer Epstein on the way in. I follow her on Twitter. She’s been following the campaign. It’s just nice.”
“These are the people who are the celebrities,” Benton added.
Doland is from Des Moines and Benton said she lives nearby.
“We were just talking about whether we’re just political nerds or if everybody feels this way,” Doland said. “To see Tom Brokaw, to see Jake Tapper … here in Iowa you have a chance to meet them. We’re honored to do that. Not everyone gets to do that.”
“And truly it is the journalists we’re more excited about than the politicians,” Benton said.
Benton was wearing a popular t-shirt from the local shop Raygun that is festooned with the face of Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) However, Benton claimed that she and Doland are undecided voters.
“I don’t think either of us have truly decided yet, but I saw this and had to have it,” Benton said of the shirt.
The pair said they don’t favor a particular news outlet.
“When you’re a news junkie, you’re a news junkie,” Doland explained. “So, CNN, Bloomberg, everything, Twitter.”
“Jon Stewart,” Benton piped in.
Though they clearly enjoy a wide selection of media, the pair was adamant that meeting Brokaw on Saturday night was their best moment.
“He’s a legend,” Benton said of Brokaw,
“To hear his voice,” Doland added before being interrupted.
“This tops when I talked to Chris Matthews twelve years ago,” Benton said.
The group eventually left the Marriott and went over to 801 Chophouse. A few hours later they returned. Benton rushed over to this reporter to share the news of her latest success.
“You’re not going to believe who I just shook hands with – Chris Matthews,” she said. “I told Chris Matthews, I said, ‘I saw you sixteen years ago. … And I saw Tom Brokaw earlier tonight.’”
Benton let Matthews know where he ranked on her list.
“I told him that now … my meeting you had been surpassed that I got to meet Brokaw,” Benton recounted.
Benton said Matthews responded to this by joking that Brokaw is “so competitive.”
“I can die now,” Benton added. “I can die now.”
But Benton’s night wasn’t done. She spotted CNN and ABC contributor Ana Navarro walking across the lobby.
“CNN!” Benton shouted at Navarro.
Navarro nodded at Benton and kept walking.
“She was a bit standoffish don’t you think?” Benton declared. “Some of them are gracious, but some are a bit standoffish.
UPDATE (10:42 p.m.); After seeing this story Navarro reached out to Yahoo and asked for Benton’s phone number. Navarro called Benton to say hello.
“She was so nice,” Benton said. “For Pete’s sake, she didn’t have to apologize to me.”
