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Grab your skewers and get ready for some corn caucus commotion because this month we're rolling-up the Iowa Caucus, just ahead of next Monday's 'first in the nation' Presidential showdown. Ready or not America, election season is here.
First In The Nation Status: Why does the election season start in Iowa of all places? Popular rhetoric claims it’s a key first stop in fundraising due to the ethanol and high-fructose wealth generated by corn production. The truth is as thrilling as an Iowa v. Iowa State barnburner. In 1972, Iowa passed a state law mandating that their caucus must happen 'at least eight days earlier than anyone else's first big presidential party.' The eager beaver of the political world, the state's move stole the 'first to the primary' title from New Hampshire, sparking a rivalry between the two states that exists to this day. Although Iowa has been first for over 50 years now, New Hampshire has the better track-record of picking each party's ultimate nominee. As former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu (father of current New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu) said back in the late 80s, 'Iowans pick corn, New Hampshirites pick presidents.'
Different Parties, Different Processes: Republicans and Democrats adopt distinctly different caucus methods in Iowa. Republicans favor a private approach casting secret ballots that can be as simple as scraps of paper. On the other hand, Democrats have traditionally engaged in more public and interactive processes resembling something more akin to a cheerleading competition where caucus goers openly rally for their candidates and try to sway undecided voters. In other words, the count can be swayed by whichever set of supporters have the most team spirit. Team Biden allegedly contacted the Atlanta Falcons to explore the use of fake crowd noise in this year’s caucus.
Flipping a Coin for Democracy: In Iowa's Democratic Caucus, when two teams are tied for the most team spirit, the precinct chairs may use a coin toss as a final decision-making tool to allocate an extra delegate. In 2016 this actually happened. The standard operating procedure garnered media attention and several resume submissions by NFL referees looking to cash in on their NIL...
Predicting the Nominee: Dr. Fauci's first pitch at a National's game back in 2021 👇 - that's about how accurate Iowa Republicans have been at picking the candidate that would go on to win the party nomination. With a sub-.500 batting average since 1972, they've struck out with the past picks of George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and most recently Ted Cruz over Trump. In contrast, the Democrat winners in Iowa have gone on to win the party nomination 70% of the time. Just some food for thought as we head into next week's shenanigans.
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