The Paddock

Turnout is always relevant. I think it's important, especially combined with New Hampshire, but I agree it's overrated. But Iowa + New Hampshire usually knocks a couple people out of the race so it's important. It can give people boosts or can kill others. If someone is supposed to win Iowa and doesn't it makes the supporters of that person or people on the fence about the guy to start scratching their heads and wondering if maybe they should back someone else. The same with New Hampshire. And on the flip side if someone comes out of nowhere and wins it puts the national spotlight on them and they have a great chance to parlay that into a good run. 5 of the last 8 democratic nominees for president won the Iowa caucus. Also 5 of the last 8 republican nominees for president won the Iowa caucus.

Why is it called a caucus and not an election?

Cause in the end they are gonna elect someone who is gonna dickus.

It clearly has a bearing on who is not the nominee. Just 2-3 weeks ago, Santorum was talking about where he'd have to place to keep from dropping out and now he's likely to win it. Newt pulled up because the thought he had a strong finish in the bag, and he'll probably be in single digits.

The other relevance it has is in how it's shaped our farm policy over the last 50 years. Every candidate has to pander in Iowa, so no candidate can take on Big Agriculture. It's why we have a stupid ethanol subsidy. I don't know if I agree, or even understand this, but I've seen it argued that our subsidy increases the demand for corn syrup which is a very unhealthy substitute for real sugar--so the Iowa caucus makes us fat, gives us diabetes, makes us use a fuel that's costlier to the environment than petroleum, and gives us bad candidates.

This thread is full of comedy.

To win the Republican nomination for President, a candidate will need to get 1,144 delegates. But the process for getting those delegates varies from state to state.

A total of 12 states hold caucuses that are used for doling out delegates; 37 states will hold a primary while this year, while Missouri Republicans will hold both a primary and a caucus. Missouri's primary will be held on February 7, but delegates will not be determined until a party caucus in March.

Of course in a primary, voters go to the polls, cast their vote and the winners are announced. But with a caucus, registered voters go to a specific location at a specific time and the voting is done publicly. New College of Florida Professor of Political Science Frank Alcock says it usually begins with someone standing up and making a pitch for a specific candidate.

And yes I stole this from somewhere. . .

You are correct... I'm sure he's happy.

Right. Unfortunately I have a feeling its gonna boil down to who do you hate less. Not happy with Romney at all. Romney or Obama=lost America.

You don't seem to have much confidence in your country.

I don't know what Romney's going to be if he's President, but it runs somewhere in the gamut between Reagan and Clinton. Obama is maybe slightly to the left of Clinton, but right of Nixon or LBJ. Neither is extreme and both are well inside the lines of what we've had over the last 75 years.

But you'll say that's when we developed all of our problems--and that's true. But that's also the time period when we developed all the things that make us great--the world's biggest and most resilient economy, the world's greatest military, the world's best higher education system, and the world's model for an open democratic society. Four years of Obama or Romney may help us or hurt us, but it's not going to doom us.

On the other hand, there are some Republican candidates who are extreme by historical standards. We've certainly never had a president, or even very many politicians, like Paul. We've never had a president as hard to the right as Bachman, Perry, Santorum, or the guy Newt has been pretending to be. You might guess that the election of somebody like that would set our country on a better course, but you'd only be guessing and you'd be betting against very strong odds.

Bachmann is dropping out. At least we've lost the craziest of the crazy. Perry is going back to Texas to think things over.

Yep. And don't forget the lortabs he'll have for dessert. He had a chance before he opened his mouth lol

I never thought so before, but I think Santorum will be getting many of Bachmanns votes... and Perry's too if and when he drops out. Santorum is for real all of a sudden... he's appealing to many Reagan supporters (conservative Democrats and Independents included). At this point... I have no idea who to vote for. I was committed to Cain, but since he's been out...