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Diner's customers, staff think about their choices in caucuses

By Amy Paulson/CNN

January 22, 2000
Web posted at: 4:05 p.m. EST (2105 GMT)

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- The Kirkwood Corner has served up plate-sized pancakes and fresh coffee since before World War II. Nestled in at 4th and Walnut in downtown Des Moines, the coffee shop is part of the art deco style Kirkwood Hotel and it is a place where customers -- regular or brand new -- are referred to as "sweetie" or "hon."

As in: "More coffee hon?" And, "What can I get you sweetie?"

On the Friday before the Iowa caucuses, the waitresses easily slip into political talk, some of it less than sweet. Here at Kirkwood Corner not all of them plan on attending the caucuses, but they do have strong opinions about the candidates.

Iowa caucuses

"I believe that the candidate that gets involved for the lower-middle-class would win by a landslide," says Sharon Reynolds, the coffee shop's manager.

Reynolds, a Democrat, has participated in the caucuses in the past, and says she might go Monday night "if I get a cook that'll show up."

"I'll be the staff," customer Tom Hipple jokingly offers. Hipple, a regular, has come in at 6 p.m. and decides he wants pancakes and eggs. That's all right, because breakfast is served all day here.

"We deal with a lot of people on limited incomes in the restaurant," Reynolds explains. "I'm a single woman. I'm 57 years old. I don't qualify for anything and a lot of people are just like me, they fall through the cracks."

It's not unusual on a cold winter morning for the cook here to serve up a plate of eggs and toast for someone who can't pay, as was the case Friday morning. The women place the order, and then make sure the customer on the other side of the counter eats every bite.

When asked how she feels about GOP Arizona Sen. John McCain, who isn't running an organized campaign in the state but claims his $240 billion tax plan is aimed at lower- and middle-income Americans, Reynolds reflects a moment. "He's got a lot of shadows," she says, referring to McCain's five and a half years in a POW camp in Vietnam. "He went through a lot and he could possibly relate, but once they get elected, they soon forget us."

"I look at all these men that are running and it's all about themselves," Reynolds says, her voice rising a bit. "They talk out of both sides of their mouths."

"Steve Forbes is spending his grandfather's and his father's money on running for president. You can't tell me that isn't about ego," Hipple chimes in.

After checking her work schedule, waitress Judy Crawford says she will probably go. Taxes and cuts in Social Security are "really important" to her "because our parents are getting older." And she adds that "there should be more advances with childcare, not just daycare but in providing medical care."

The suspender-wearing Hipple is a Democrat, a Gore supporter, and will definitely be going to the caucus Monday night. Of all of the people here in the coffee shop, he alone fits the profile of a typical caucus participant. Over 50 and male.

"There's only one issue. Education," Hipple says emphatically. "Without education, the rest of it doesn't count."

"The Republicans are awful on education," he continues. "They've been awful all along. The only thing they did that was remotely good was the Moral Land Act, that was passed during the Civil War, what, 1863?" He looks around and the women nod in agreement. "During the Civil War the Moral Land Act set aside funds for agriculture, schools and so forth. That was the only good thing they did."

"Voucher programs are the most corrupt payoff I've ever seen," he says, referring to Republicans' support of the program that provides rebates to those who attend parochial schools. His tirade nearly complete, he asks: "Benefits to private schools? Where are the private schools -- not in South Central Iowa. Look around."

Waitress Cheryl Reinig gets off work at 1 p.m. on Monday and is definitely going this year. It will be her first caucus, although she is old enough to be a grandmother. She says her husband has explained the whole process to her, well enough so she knows what to do on January 24. "It's the caucus that matters," she says. When asked what issues are important to her, Reinig, a Democrat, brings up the fact that she has a nine-month-old grandson. "I want something for when my grandbaby gets older," she explains.

So education and taxes are important to her. It makes her angry to hear that people who make more money than she does pay less taxes, she explains. "I've worked two to three jobs for the past 20 years. That's just wrong when I work my ass off and pay more money in taxes," Reinig says.

"I'm a farm girl," she says. "And the farmers work hard and the last few years have been really hard on them," she says knowingly, as she refills a customer's cup of coffee.

Reinig is right. Although the Iowa economy boasts an unemployment rate of 2.5 percent, the farmers have been stuck with high yields and low prices.

As easily as you can ask "What kind of pie you got?" the waitresses and customers at Kirkwood Corner have served up all of the key issues -- the economy, education, health care, taxes and Social Security -- of the campaign. For the women behind the counter, Monday night will come and go; the candidates will move on to New Hampshire. But these women will be here, pouring coffee, serving ham and eggs to men who can't pay, and waiting for someone to come along who is interested in taking care of the ones that, as Reynolds puts it, "fall through the cracks."

ELECTION 2000

With two days before caucuses, presidential candidates make final lap of Iowa (1-22-99)

Candidates in final push before Monday's Iowa caucus (1-21-99)

Presidential hopefuls stump Iowa with lowered expectations (1-20-99)

Bush, McCain continue to snipe over tax cuts, but is anybody listening? (1-19-99)

Bush, McCain battle in N.H. as other candidates search for Iowa votes (1-18-99)

Candidates battle over Confederate flag ahead of S.C. protest (1-17-99)

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