Iowa Caucus running thread

The kids were home-schooled, but then enrolled his kis in an online public charter school. I don't have a problem with Pensylvania paying for his kids' education, as he was a resident representing the state in the Senate.

My opinion towards these online public schools aren't favorable. In Minnesota, it was a cash grab by districts deling with the loss of students due to open enrollment.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04323/413675.stm

 

Despite being a former Iowan who also went to the University of Iowa, I will agree with everyone who says Iowa (and New Hampshire) are dubious states to begin the presidential winnowing process.

That being said, the caucuses are a fascinating evening for political nerds to observe.

I should mention here that there's a big procedural difference between the GOP and Dems in the caucus. The Republicans gather at their precinct location, a representative from each campaign gives a brief speech touting their candidate, and a straw poll is done via ballots.

The Democratic caucus is much different -- supporters have to physically gather together in groups, a head count is done, and if a candidate doesn't have at least 15 percent of the voters in the precinct, those voters are allowed to switch to another, "viable" candidate. The 10-15 minutes of lobbying for these newly uncommitted caucus voters is chaos personified.

And out of that mess in 2008 ... came our current president.

 

When it's on-target and not easily refuted, it's dynamite.

 

By whom? None of the other candidates, with the possible exception of Rick Perry, have the money or affiliated SuperPAC to run enough attack ads to make a significant impact. And when they have had a chance to get in free shots in debates, they either come up wimpy or can't get face time.

Even if Santorum does as well as or better than predicted tonight, the other "anti-Romney" candidates aren't going to immediately coalesce around him. They're going to stay in it, and give Romney a divided opposition, until at least South Carolina. And they'll come after Santorum then for his endorsement of "moderates" Christie Todd Whitman and Arlen Specter in past elections.

Frankly, I wonder how serious many of these candidates really are about being President. Are they just in this to build their national profile for a future run at another office or to land FOX News gigs or sell books?

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

 

How does someone vote in the caucus if they have to work at night?

Don't you have to be present at a certain time to vote?

If you are the night walmar cashier, you don't get to to go the caucus. I am surprised that no one has filed some sort of lawsuit over this.

 

I'm rooting for the flip-flopper over the racist and the sexist and the batshit crazy.

 

It's Iowa ... everybody's a farmer.

But you're right. There's really no way to "vote early." And I remember babysitters being in high demand on caucus night (we had to use one in 2004 and 2008).

 

Newt claims (and I emphasize CLAIMS) he's got $9 mill in fourth-quarter contributions to throw at the Mittster. IF TRUE, that'll buy plenty of bullets.

 

They were saying on the news last night that no republican has ever won the nominee without winning South Carolina and that the person who has won South Carolina has never done so without winning Iowa or New Hampshire.

It will be interesting to see if that's the case again this time since it's all but a foregone conclusion that Romney will win New Hampshire and Gingrich has a double-digit lead in South Carolina.

Maybe Santorum will sweep all three states...

 

Romney wins and ends it tonight. Nobody else in the field can give Obama a contest, and even the wackoist of Republican voters knows that, even if they won't admit it.

 

After the first four (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida...) it's hard to imagine Romney not running the table (likely exception, Georgia...) through Super Tuesday.