This Hilarious Store Will Forever Change The Way You See The Iowa Caucus
Let's be real, we're all 12 years old at heart, and the word "caucus" makes everyone silently giggle. Don't try to be above it. Accept it and embrace it, just like RAYGUN in Des Moines, Iowa does.
With the Iowa caucus happening on Monday, Des Moines is in a frenzy. Iowans have been inundated with phone calls, door-to-door campaign volunteers, mailings and ads on TV, billboards and the radio with every candidate trying to ensure some votes.
That's where RAYGUN comes in with a bit of comic relief.
The hipster-friendly clothing and accessories store in downtown Des Moines offers T-shirts, buttons and boxer briefs labeled with hilarious one-liners related to the caucus and the media circus that surrounds it.
Taylor Frame, the director of stores and inventory, said,
Every four years we pull out our caucus merch and we throw it up there. This year's been a little more interesting because there's so many candidates in the field and such a wide range of personalities, we have been able to put up more sayings and more slogans.
Frame said the slogans come out of conversations among the staff, in a collaborative effort.
RAYGUN has been open for about 10 years now, and it's growing in popularity. Outside of the caucus, the store also has politically-themed merchandise, including funny shirts in support of same-sex marriage and Planned Parenthood.
In the last week, store employees saw Jamie Lee Curtis, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and newscaster Tom Brokaw.
Frame said,
We love it. It's a lot of fun -- one, to come up with all the products and the displays and everything and then two, the whole process of people coming in the store, the media, campaign staffers, meeting celebrities when they come in, that kind of thing.
I checked out the store to see what it had for this year's caucus. It was chill.
The store has buttons, stickers, postcards and tees, among other goodies.
Frame said, "We always hit it really hard with the caucuses." I'm only half sure he didn't mean that one as a euphemism.
Some of the products are sillier than others.
It's honestly a relief to be able to make "caucus" jokes in a safe space.
There you have it.
Preach.
Doesn't it often feel this way?
It's probably an actual transcript from a Fox News analyst's head.
RAYGUN has something for everyone...
...especially if you're feeling the Bern.
There's a special emphasis on the mass of news people who descend on Des Moines to cover the caucus. (Um, this is awkward. *waves*)
It's me. Sorry everybody.
It's helpful to keep a sense of humor about past mistakes.
RAYGUN: Making Iowa laugh again.
Citations: Santorum finished 34 votes ahead of Romney in new Iowa tally; votes from 8 precincts missing (The Washington Post)
