Posted on 01/06/2016 12:34:48 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Here's a news flash. The Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary will not matter this year, at least not in the way they've mattered every four years for as long as I can remember. You can take that to the bank.
Allow me to explain.
First, have you ever wondered why two small and -- in general terms, politically irrelevant -- states have such a profound impact on primary politics? Have you ever wondered why those two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, are like politics' own Kardashians -- famous because they're well-known, rather than for any innate value they bring to presidential politics.
Though neither state is representative of America at large, they're famous as the primary season's giant killers, taking down the seemingly most powerful primary candidates, generally on what seems like a whim.
Iowa's caucuses are almost bizarre in their byzantine complexity, and those caucuses only bring out the hard-core among primary-season voters. As a Nevada voter -- we have caucuses too -- I think the process is a bit strange; but Iowa takes that strangeness to an extreme. Instead of checking off a ballot and dropping it in a box, a caucus voter has to commit to several hours of interaction with neighbors and strangers, usually on a bitterly cold winter's night. Those who show up aren't really representative of Iowa voters, let alone America's voters. But they've managed to secure a seemingly unshakable "First in the Nation" status, and the media -- and political operatives -- take them seriously.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
And southern NH is, or used to be anyway, just a place to sleep for Beantown liberals who didn’t want to live in the filth they created in MA.
nope, back to defining terms and such....like the fact I live rent free in your head.
The un-informed voters are easily swayed by who wins the first couple of primaries.
Inaccurate description of Iowa caucuses. The straw vote is indeed “checking off a ballot and dropping it in a box”.
Iowa caucuses are the same kind of local organizational meetings that every state has, with what has been a non-binding presidential preference vote added.
Who did rock-solid GOP state Oklahoma pick in 2008 and 2012 with their closed GOP primary?
Yup, here in New Mexico I’m in the same boat. It’s all over by the time we vote and we don’t count for squat.
Same for SD
If the respective political parties really wanted to let the people choose the candidates then all states would conduct primary elections on the same day. Just like the general elections.
I calls them as I sees them!
IMO, it should be 10 States over 5 days, rotated and picked randomly.
I’m quite tired of the pandering to TWO States that seem to ALWAYS strip the rest of the country of their voice/choice.
Setting the bar low for a Trump loss. The place where Trump becomes a loser
Winner must have 50%+1 or there will be a run off one week later of the top 2.
I voted for Scott Brown too——and Leverett Saltonstall.
I loved the old WASP politicians.
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Good article thanks for posting.
I LOVE it!!
Trump is seen as a winner solely because of his commanding lead in the polls. If he can't turn that into primary victories then his support may go somewhere else.
That's true to a certain extent. But I don't think he's put all his eggs in the basket of "I'll be the nominee as long as I can be number 1 in the polls". I think he has a strategy for every step of the way here.
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