The Note: One Night, One Room and Five Democratic Candidates
— -- NOTABLES
--SAME TIME, SAME PLACE: It's been almost eight years since Iowa Democrats have had to choose a presidential candidate and tonight will be the first time they get a chance to see all five of their 2016 hopefuls back to back, ABC's MARYALICE PARKS and JOSH HASKELL note. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb will all be in the same room, for the first time, since they each announced their presidential campaigns at a dinner hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party in Cedar Rapids. "I am excited. It will be our first time together," former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley told ABC News. "It's going to be fun."
--WHAT COULD GO WRONG?: All of the 2016 contenders will be sitting in the same hall, having dinner, according to the Iowa Democratic Party. No word yet on whether they might also appear on stage together at some point or whether there will be any kind of presidential candidate family photo. With speeches back to back, it will be also be great opportunity for some of the lesser-known candidates to distinguish themselves. "What we're very good at in Iowa is talking to each of the candidates and not making our mind up too soon," Andy McGuire, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, said in an interview with ABC News. "I don't think anybody's totally made up their minds yet."
--TODAY IN THE HAWKEYE STATE: Today both Sanders and Clinton will be holding events in Iowa with veterans. (Turns out the events are also in the same building, only an hour and fifteen minutes apart.) O'Malley spent yesterday talking to immigrant leaders in Des Moines about his proposals for comprehensive immigration reform. Republicans are getting in on the action too: In response to tonight's event, representatives from 15 Republican campaigns are holding their own rally, just a few hours earlier, to show they're committed to electing a Republican president.
ALL THE ACTION IN IOWA: Hillary Clinton will hold an organizing meeting at Need Pizza in Cedar Rapids at 2:35 pm ET and a kickoff party at Veterans Memorial Building in Cedar Rapids at 4:45 pm ET. Martin O'Malley will hold meet-and-greets at Digger's Rest Coffeehouse in Burlington at 11 am ET and Art Domestique in Washington, Iowa, at 1:30 pm ET. Scott Walker will be in Iowa, where he'll hold events at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport at 12 pm ET, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art at 3 pm ET, and at his state headquarters in Urbandale at 7 pm ET. Marco Rubio will be in Iowa, where he'll hold a lunch event at Uncle Buck's Grill in Council Bluffs at 12 pm ET, a town-hall at McCarthy & Bailey's in Sioux City at 3:45 pm ET, and a meet-and-greet at Decker Truck Line Inc in Fort Dodge at 7:30 pm ET. Ted Cruz will be in Iowa, where he'll visit a location where "Field of Dreams" was filmed in Dyersville at 10:15 am ET and hold a town-hall at his campaign office in Brooklyn, Iowa, at 4 pm ET. Mike Huckabee will be in Iowa, where he'll hold events at McOtto's in Anaosa at 8:30 pm ET, the Muscatine County Fair at 12:30 pm ET, the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City at 4 pm ET, and Pagliani's Pizza in Grinnell at 7 pm ET. Rick Santorum will be in Iowa, where he'll visit Ivy Bake Shoppe and Cafe in West Burlington at 10 am ET, Farmers Elevator Inc in Wapello at 11:30 am ET, and Brownell in Grinnell at 3 pm ET.
Related Stories
ABC News Live