General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn which we discuss why the Iowa caucuses are a terrible idea that is getting worse -Charles Pierce
Back in 1992, the late Senator Paul Tsongas, a serious man of great dignity, driven a little batty by Bill Clinton's native abilities to be all things to all people, started parading around with a stuffed panda that he called "The Pander Bear." It didn't work. But if you want to see true pander bears at play, get a load of the following events in the Republican pre-primary competition that have followed hard on each other.
First, Senator Aqua Buddha calls for another "Great Awakening," reversing what many saps believed was his firm commitment against the theocratic wing of his party.Then, we have not a single potential Republican candidate for president demonstrating even the least ambivalence toward Indiana governor Mike Pence and the anti-gay law that has blown up in Pence's face. The most comical of these is our old friend Jeb (!), who said he doesn't think people will use a law that allows them to discriminate to, you know, discriminate.
Then, we have Chris Christie, who preceded Jeb (!) as the "moderate" in the field, suddenly supporting a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks almost immediately after an influential anti-choice group called him out for being the only potential GOP candidate who hadn't. The problem isn't that these people are soulless cowards who would sell their gray-haired grannies to the Somali pirates for five points in the next Gallup Poll, although that is surely the case. The problem they all have is Iowa.
On its face, the prominence of the Iowa caucuses -- a jerry-rigged, easily-gamed, and otherwise hopeless system that couldn't even produce a final result for six months the last time around -- in our presidential nominating process is a joke. In the general election, the state is worth a paltry six electoral votes, the same number as have Mississippi and Arkansas. Nobody gives a damn about Iowa three minutes after the caucuses close. Up until then, it's the place where campaigns go only to die.
This is because, at least on the Republican side, the jerry-rigged, easily-gamed, and hopeless caucus system is the province of the hardest of the hardcore evangelical Christianist Right. Iowa is not a laboratory in which candidates have to address diverse voters and diverse issues. At least on the Republican side, it is the litmus test of all litmus tests. There is no room for even the slightest heretical deviation from the pure anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, god-bothering faith. Consequently, even if there were influential Republican moderates any more, and there aren't, any of them seeking the presidency either would have to ignore Iowa entirely, which would open a separate can of worms nationally, or the candidates would have to tailor their positions until they are irreconcilable with anything the candidates previously had said anywhere in their entire career.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a34025/the-problem-with-iowa/
elleng
(130,153 posts)NO THANKS for reminding me of clinton vis a vis him.
in which
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Dukakis was the candidate in '88; had nothing to do with Bill Clinton.
elleng
(130,153 posts)elleng
(130,153 posts)Mopar151
(9,965 posts)It's a frightful friggin' annoyance, especially if BirchBaggers produce an allergic reaction in the rational side of your brain. All our local TV outlets pummel us with those godawful, scary-voice attack ads. A regional primary system, starting in April or so of the election year, would make far more sense.
Arguing against change in the status quo is the same thing that drove NH to grab "first-in-the-nation" status in the 50's - Motel rooms. Rental cars. Resturaunt meals. Bar tabs. And the intangible of a bunch of small city Babbits having a small scrap of political psuedo-power - the same currency ALEC uses so well with state legislators.
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)2012 clown car was top notch comedy. You couldn't make that stuff up.
Cha
(295,920 posts)progressoid
(49,825 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)--Brings in billions with all the reporters and hangers-on.
--Provides opportunities for "gotcha" moments, and lies that can be used later for other "gotcha" moments.
--Is a disenfranchising process for people who have to work at blue collar jobs; all of the shift workers, taxi drivers, anyone who works the midshift, they get fucked out of exercising their franchise because they have to work while all of their "farmer" (cough) buddies are caucusing.
Iowa is going to insist that the Beauty Contest has value; I think they over-estimate the actual value of the process. There's nothing worse than seeing some poor bastard who is not comfortable in a rural, farming environment put on a checked shirt, a pair of ill fitting jeans, and some shitkicker boots and pretend to give a crap about corn. It's just ... debasing. Of course, some idiots don't mind making fools of themselves:
I don't think it reveals much about the candidates, they all pander, it's tiresome and uncomfortable, and it wastes time that could be spent exploring other issues.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)He had the largest repertoire of completely moronic facial expressions in the history of humanity.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)Iowans understand their role and do know how to play the game. Going into 2000, the little college campus I worked at in western Iowa hosted all the candidates at least once. Imagine a town of ~8000 (if you count the livestock at the IBP) on a campus of about 1200, visited in person by all the candidates! The wonder of soft auditorium seats, A/C, and freedom from used air serviced by livestock, which the locals say...smells like money!
Of course, that part of Iowa is thinly populated and the nearest thing to a 'big city' is Ft Dodge. Giving a speech on Putin's dangers in the auction barn in Hampton isn't quite like giving it at the ballroom of a Hilton hotel.
But there it is...almost literally a Field of Dreams. And if a candidate will build it (a political team) and take the show to hay mows, high school school gymnasia, and any of myriad small college auditoriums...THEY (Iowans) DO COME!
It's sort of a combination baseball minor league and vaudeville circuit, which would have to be created somewhere if it didn't already exist. And the greatest logistical challenge would be getting the equivalent of Iowans, who know and can patiently and respectfully fulfill their roles, without laughing out loud at the stupidity or throwing shoes at outrages.
Those crazy caucuses, with all the influence that one can imagine brought to bear by a group of zealots loading up a van and getting to a caucus are really a good thing. And the not-ready for prime-time get juxtaposed to the superstars and graciously filtered out. All the little details are there, the things the campaign staff must handle to get on stage in big cities. Despite some historic "AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" moments, coming up short in Iowa usually isn't immediately fatal for a major player.
elleng
(130,153 posts)Thanks.