Iowa Caucus Sucks
Iowa Caucus Sucks
“I think there’s a lot of positives to them, but it’s hard to argue now because weve had cycle after cycle where there are issues,” – Plouffe
It’s Time To End A Broken Tradition
A Quick Rundown
For those that are unaware of how caucuses work, or how the Iowa caucus operates in general, here is a quick rundown on why it is important and the history in general. Iowa was decided to be the first in that nation when it came to caucusing. This meant the state would receive money pumped in from campaigns, countless media outlets visiting and covering the caucus, and the important distinction of deciding if a candidate is even viable, with some places saying that Iowa’s caucus is able to decide elections.
Starting in 1972, Iowa was split into 1,681 precincts where members of the different precincts were able to appear in person and show support for their preferred candidate . The two main parties, Democrats and Republicans, each hold their own individual caucuses and organize them as they see fit. This sounds like something that with planning and care could be a very streamlined and reliable process for showing the popularity of various candidates and possibly predicting the outcomes of elections. However, through mismanagement and poor planning, it has been plagued with issues from the start.
Iowa’s Republican Caucus
The Republican caucus in Iowa has historically been run relatively smoothly and is over relatively quickly. Republicans of each precinct are given a location in their precinct to go and listen to speakers and hear pitches for different candidates before casting their ballots to show support for their preferred candidate. It’s a smooth process that doesn’t lend itself to errors and, for the most part, produces reliable data about candidate popularity among voters. Historically, it has accurately predicted nominations and elections a little under half the time.
Iowa’s Democratic Caucus
The Democratic caucus in Iowa is an entirely different process that has rightfully earned the description of being “more poorly managed than the local Wendy’s.”
After introductory speeches, participants will group up depending on which candidate they want to be nominated. A full head count of the room is taken, and candidates that can’t get 15% of the room are considered non-viable. From there, the screaming starts as people begin desperately shilling for their candidate of choice in a bid to either make them viable or to increase the general support. The night draws to a close and a winner is announced after all non-viable candidates have been eliminated and a final headcount is performed.
