You’re correct, its value to campaigns is that it’s the first, and that’s also by design for Iowa to have the money and influence that this brings.
If I were king though, it would not continue in this. It doesn’t deserve it and it distorts the primary too much in the wrong direction. Iowa’s caucus process is particularly weird and ripe for manipulation. The results are nigh meaningless.
So, it’s a wish on my part: that, somehow, it be rejected and removed from its current status.
thanks for your reply.
The caucus process may seem weird, but that is actually the begining of the political season. in it, each precinct meets as a group, wherein the participants nominate their choice of candidates, elect delegates, start the platform process, and a few other housekeeping chores.
The meetings are open only to residents of their respective precincts, and the Republicans are on a list.
The democrats do things differently. They form groups within their precincts, and count delegates. The group with the most delegates "wins", but there is considerable campaigning between groups, meaning that before the final count, people can and do move between groups. Progressively larger groups are thus formed until no further movement is seen, whereupon the final count is made, which designates their choice of candidate.
As far as I know, the Republicans and democrats meet on the same evening, thus making it nearly impossible for anyone to be in both caucuses. The process has its own checks and balances.
If someone wishes to caucus with the opposing party, they used to have to be registered by a certain cutoff date, but since there is now same-day registration, I don't know for sure if there is a cutoff date.