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August 29, 2008 12:39:49 CDT

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Iowa Farm Town Meditative About Caucuses

Posted Jan 3, 08 1:56 CST in Politics 

(Newser) – To win over likely caucus-goers in Fairfield, Iowa, candidates need to tap their spiritual sides, the Wall Street Journal reports. Roughly a third of the little farm town practices transcendental meditation, and citizens have elected a meditation devotee mayor. The candidates are pandering accordingly—Barack Obama, for instance, pointed his podium east (the direction gurus say energy flows), and won over said mayor.

Fairfield is proof that Iowa isn’t the homogenous bastion of white, Protestant farmers it’s reputed to be. Iowa is full of unusual little constituencies that, in a caucusing environment, can swing precincts. Fairfield leans left, but even Fred Thompson has paid it a visit. Surprised by a meditation question, he quipped, “Rested mind and body, huh? I could have used that.”

Source Wall Street Journal

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Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.), founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, creator of the Transcendental Meditation technique and located in Fairfield, Iowa.   (Wikimedia Commons)
Susi Deneroff, from left, Lydia Elliott, Mike Bishop, Maria Scozzari and Mike Scozzari, all members of a Transcendental Meditation group, mediate in Miami, Florida, on November 16, 2003.   (KRT Photos)
In Fairfield, Iowa, while candidates try to sway locals, locals try to sway the world using transcendental meditation.   (Shutterstock.com)
2008 Republican Presidential Hopeful, Fred Thompson defends his staff in snowball fight with the press in Fairfield, Iowa.   ((c) freddthompson)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
ADHD: Meditation, not Medication   (MaharishiUniversity (YouTube))
David Lynch on "Darkness and Light" in Fairfield, Iowa.   (MaharishiUniversity (YouTube))

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Barack Obama  • Fred Thompson  • Iowa caucus  • Iowa City  • Fairfield


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