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Dems kick off Iowa caucuses amid worry over beating Trump
The Associated Press ^ | February 3, 2020 | By STEVE PEOPLES, THOMAS BEAUMONT

Posted on 02/03/2020 8:03:12 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Democratic campaign that has cost more than $1 billion, dashed the ambitions of veteran politicians, forced conversations about race, gender and identity and prompted fierce debate over health care and taxes crests Monday in the Iowa caucuses.

By day’s end, tens of thousands of Democrats will have participated in the famed Iowa caucuses, the premiere of more than 50 contests that will unfold over the next five months. The caucuses will render the first verdict on who among dozens of candidates is best positioned to take on President Donald Trump, whom Democratic voters are desperate to beat this fall.

It is a moment thick with promise for a Democratic Party that has seized major gains since Trump won the White House in 2016. But instead of optimism, a cloud of uncertainty and deepening intraparty resentment hangs over Monday’s election, which, after a multi-year buildup, will finally begin to reveal who and what Democrats stand for in this tumultuous era.

“If anybody tells you they know who’s going to win, either they’ve got a whisper from God or they’re loony, because nobody knows,” said Deidre DeJear, the former state chair for Kamala Harris and the first black woman to win a statewide primary in Iowa.

Polls suggest that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may have a narrow lead, but any of the top four candidates — Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — could score victory in Iowa’s unpredictable and quirky caucus system as organizers prepare for record turnout. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who represents neighboring Minnesota, is also claiming momentum, while outsider candidates such as entrepreneur Andrew Yang, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard could be factors.

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Delaware; US: Hawaii; US: Indiana; US: Iowa; US: Massachusetts; US: Minnesota; US: New York; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: amyklobuchar; andrewyang; associatedpress; berniesanders; california; caucuses; clowncar; deidredejear; delaware; election2020; elizabethwarren; fauxahontas; genderdysphoria; getshorty; hawaii; homosexualagenda; india; indiana; iowa; jamaica; joebiden; joeclowncarbiden; kamalaharris; massachusetts; michaelbloomberg; mikebloomberg; mikepence; minnesota; newyork; petebuttigieg; slingingbull; southbend; stevepeoples; thomasbeaumont; tomsteyer; tulsigabbard; vermont
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1 posted on 02/03/2020 8:03:12 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Worthless. No secret ballot. Caucuses are a joke


2 posted on 02/03/2020 8:07:09 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

One key issue could be how the caucuses are run.

I’ve heard that a candidate needs to get at least 15% support in order for their votes to count in the caucus. If you support a candidate who has less than 15% support, then you will be asked to support another candidate. And all of this is done publicly, so that a caucus goer will be publicly persuaded to support certain candidates.

So, in such a crowded field in which some candidates will fall below 15% support, people’s 2nd choice could make a big difference.


3 posted on 02/03/2020 8:07:35 AM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Sanders is in the lead and Fake News spiked the last poll because it’s likely some of Warren’s support would have moved over to Sanders if it was clear he was the likely winner.


4 posted on 02/03/2020 8:08:35 AM PST by lodi90
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Aren’t there 4 contestants missing from the trail in Iowa until Wednesday?


5 posted on 02/03/2020 8:09:20 AM PST by rktman ( #My2ndAmend! ----- Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Monday’s election, which, after a multi-year buildup, will finally begin to reveal who and what Democrats stand for in this tumultuous era.

They still don't know what they stand for? How odd.

6 posted on 02/03/2020 8:10:11 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Fake News wanted to keep Warren above 15% so she makes the second round. That prevents Bernie winning in a blow out.


7 posted on 02/03/2020 8:10:28 AM PST by lodi90
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To: lodi90

If Biden is really doing as badly as the spiked Des Moines Register poll shows, he will have a horribly low delegate count because of the 15% threshold per locality.

More info on the spiked Des Moine register poll here if anyone has not seen it:

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/02/bernie-mania-update.php


8 posted on 02/03/2020 8:10:47 AM PST by cgbg (The Democratic Party is morphing into the Donner Party)
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To: DesertRhino

IOWA Democraps...stay home...boycott the Caucuses or, attend the Caucuses and line up for and vote to support “Mickey Mouse”...who is much better then any of the low life scum & vermin Democrap Deadbeats you have been offered as 2020 POTUS candidates. Wise up...you are screwed with political losers...period!!!


9 posted on 02/03/2020 8:11:22 AM PST by JLAGRAYFOX (Defeat both the Republican (e) & Democrat (e) political parties....Forev er!!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Democrats shouldn’t be worried. They’re not going to beat Trump.


10 posted on 02/03/2020 8:11:39 AM PST by Hardastarboard (Three most annoying words on the internet - "Watch the video")
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To: Dilbert San Diego

The Democrats couldn’t rig the election enough for Hillary in a very crowded GOP field. The Democrats can’t even cheat well anymore, this election is going to be fun to watch.


11 posted on 02/03/2020 8:14:42 AM PST by cnsmom
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But I thought they ‘peached fohdie fibe


12 posted on 02/03/2020 8:18:46 AM PST by dsrtsage (Complexity is merely simplicity lacking imagination)
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To: 1Old Pro

“They still don’t know what they stand for? How odd.”

************************************************************

Yes. Of course these things change.

40 years or so ago Democrats may have oddly believed that if you were a man, you would remain a man for life. Also, they might have even believed, strangely, that marriage was only between a man and a woman.

So, you must understand that to be a Democrat the certainty of what you “believe” will always have to be up to date.


13 posted on 02/03/2020 8:23:06 AM PST by Sir Bangaz Cracka (wHAT A HOT STEAMING LOAD.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

As my mom used to say, stop bawling or I’ll give you something to cry about! By tomorrow at this time the Dems will really have something to cry about.


14 posted on 02/03/2020 8:23:43 AM PST by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Cho0ck Libtards!


15 posted on 02/03/2020 8:24:27 AM PST by Big Red Badger (Despised by the Despicable!c)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

READY - AIM - VOTE

Hangin’ out with the earthworms grass roots is kicking in. Not even Lois Lerner types can help you, ‘rats.


16 posted on 02/03/2020 8:33:28 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 ✔ @TrumpWarRoom MSNBC’s Chris Matthews says he’s “not happy” with the Democrats running for president and he doesn’t think any of them can beat Donald Trump. He says the candidates all have “obvious problems.” https://mobile.twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1224351727450804225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1224351727450804225&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2020%2F02%2Fchris-matthews-im-not-happy-with-any-of-the-democrats-running-for-president-cant-beat-trump-bernie-will-win-big-tonight-video%2F


17 posted on 02/03/2020 8:41:14 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Correctomunde:

wiki says about iowa caucuses:

“Each precinct divides its delegate seats among the candidates in proportion to caucus goers’ votes. Participants indicate their support for a particular candidate by standing in a designated area of the caucus site (forming a preference group). An area may also be designated for undecided participants. Then, for roughly 30 minutes, participants try to convince their neighbors to support their candidates. Each preference group might informally deputize a few members to recruit supporters from the other groups and, in particular, from among those undecided. Undecided participants might visit each preference group to ask its members about their candidate.

After 30 minutes, the electioneering is temporarily halted, and the supporters for each candidate are counted. At this point, the caucus officials determine which candidates are viable. Depending on the number of county delegates to be elected, the viability threshold is 15% of attendees. For a candidate to receive any delegates from a particular precinct, he or she must have the support of at least the percentage of participants required by the viability threshold. Once viability is determined, participants have roughly another 30 minutes to realign: the supporters of inviable candidates may find a viable candidate to support, join together with supporters of another inviable candidate to secure a delegate for one of the two, or abstain. This realignment is a crucial distinction of caucuses in that (unlike in a primary) a voter’s second choice can help a candidate.”


18 posted on 02/03/2020 8:45:22 AM PST by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
dimocrats should select their weakest candidate. So when the long knives come out after the election, they can squarely “blame” the poor quality candidate for the reason they lost to the bad Orange Man
19 posted on 02/03/2020 8:49:28 AM PST by Londo Molari
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To: bigbob

“... stop bawling or I’ll give you something to cry about! ...

We’re brothers!


20 posted on 02/03/2020 8:54:43 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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