Earlier today, I took my camera and walked around the Ames straw poll grounds at Iowa State University to give Hot Air readers a flavor of what this event is like. It’s more akin to the state fair taking place 40 miles south of here, with food, issue organizations, and music joining candidates and protesters. I talked with anti-war protesters, Greg Drobny of National Association of Gun Rights, a friend from Minneapolis supporting Tim Pawlenty, and a few of the other sights and sounds. The video wraps up with former Governor Mike Huckabee jamming with the band Nada on “Folsom Prison Blues,” in one of several stops for Huckabee at various candidate centers today:

It’s a lot of fun being here, although we have all spent most of our time here in the media room. Big thanks to my good friend Kerry Picket of the Washington Times for taping my intro.