Iowa's lead-off caucus spot is little concern

[Debi]

Although most Americans associate Iowa with its unique role in presidential campaigns, they also don't seem to care whether the state keeps the distinction, a national Iowa Poll shows.

More than three-quarters of people outside Iowa, or 76 percent, said Iowa had a connection to presidential campaigns, according to the poll conducted Sept. 26-30. More than half, or 56 percent, said the connection was strong.

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"I'm not a big political person so I don't really follow it out that early. . . . Whether it's in Iowa or somewhere else, it doesn't affect me that much," said Matthew Loand, a 40-year-old political independent from Chattanooga, Tenn.

Loand was among the 68 percent of Americans who said they do not care whether Iowa should continue to be the first to declare their choice for the presidential nominations.

<snip>

According to the poll, 21 percent said Iowa should continue to go first, while 9 percent said Iowa should not continue to be the first presidential test. The poll of 800 adults in the continental United States, excluding Iowa, has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

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http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051010/NEWS09/510100321/1056

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I wonder if Iowans care about Iowa being first(how many Iowans were polled?).

[IA_Seth]

1. I wasn't!

And I do care.

I agree that the process needs to be refined, and I think that adding a little diversity (maybe a different region...like a SW state - New Mexico?) would go a long way in shaping the rest of the election cycle.

But, I do think that Iowan voters have proven that we ask the tough questions, we listen straight through the phony-baloney, and we vote accordingly.

I think taking Iowa from its pole-position will kill us politically.

[Debi]

2. I thought that the headline and the way the story was written

was very misleading.

Asking people from across America how important Iowa going first is to them? Why not ask Iowans? Yet the headline and the story imply that it's not important to Iowans.

I wonder how much America will care about what Tom Beaumont and the Des Moines Register think if Iowa were to go 5th, 10th or 20th? Does anyone really think that David Yepsen's political insight is so great that he ends up MSM shows every four years because of some other reason than Iowa's First in the nation status?

Geez.