Essential Estrogen

It's been said that the caucuses are the reason that Iowa doesn't have an NFL team: there's simply not enough energy in the state for people to concentrate on both. In many ways this is true, although unfortunate for those of us who love the pigskin.

I snapped this photo by accident while trying to get a shot of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards working the "sign line" at the Hawkeye Community College event with Congressman Bruce Braley on Monday.

What's interesting is while I halfway remembered the lady's head popping into one of the pictures -- and, yes, that's Edwards right behind her -- I didn't really "see" her. I was too busy looking through the camera and trying to get the shot of the candidate.

While I don't want to get too melancholy on a Tuesday night, it seems to me that I'm truly a member of the press now because I -- just like "them" -- allowed myself to get so caught up in chasing the one that I forgot the many. For the next 30 days I'm going to wake up each morning and remind myself that all of this isn't just about the candidates and I will do my best to keep the focus on all of you.

At the end of the day, I'm going to be very proud to know that I've met the next resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. That being said, I'm going to be even more proud that I was part of this wonderful and often times crazy process in Iowa. Sign wars. Driving 10 miles on snow and ice in hopes of asking a question at a political rally. Walking past the expensive button, bumper sticker and t-shirt vendors because we know campaigns have free stuff inside. Plastering our bumpers with numerous candidate stickers because we haven't decided yet. Standing outside an event hall for an hour, in the rain, and only getting a handshake in return. Houses with rival candidate signs -- or rival party signs -- in the yard. A firm understanding that caucusing is better with warm treats and goodies.

No one does it like we do it. No one does it better.