Well the Iowa caucus is now history and we learned a few things about the candidates and something about the caucus process along the way. On the Republican side the pollsters were wrong and on the Democrat side they were sort of correct.
Trump was picked to win in Iowa and he did receive more votes than any Republican ever has – except Ted Cruz. Whether Cruz is the greatest thing since sliced bread or whether he just had a better organization on the ground in Iowa will shake out in the next few weeks.
In all likelihood, Marco Rubio was the actual winner in Iowa because he wasn’t projected to do nearly as well as he did. With a strong third place finish – Rubio can expect a surge of contributions and has a great deal of momentum headed into New Hampshire and possibly beyond.
On the Democrat side – the overall winner was actually selected by six coin tosses. Clinton won the caucus process by five precincts and the winner of six precincts was determined by a coin toss – and Clinton won all six. Had Sanders won only one coin toss – he would have won the Iowa caucus! When Clinton was leading Sanders by a vast margin just months ago – one has to wonder if people aren’t actually holding their nose when they vote for Clinton because there is no viable alternative.
When a self-avowed socialist can get enough caucus votes to cause a dead even tie with arguably the most well-known woman in the world speaks volumes about Clinton’s popularity. I would rate her favorability – even with thinking Democrats – just above toe-nail fungus.
Before the primary season – Bernie Sanders was an obscure senator from Vermont who was elected as an Independent – so actually he isn’t, or wasn’t even a Democrat. Bernie Sanders is an unapologetic socialist and even honeymooned in Russia—some say that he intellectually never returned to America. Who would have thought there were so many socialists in Iowa? Actually what flocked to Sanders were basically young people who want government to give them free things while soaking the people who have income. Bernie Sanders is Santa Claus, the owner of the free candy store, and Willy Wonka all wrapped into one grumpy ole socialist. And this nut bag almost beat the Clinton machine!
After the dust settled in Iowa several Republican candidates have a decision to make. Actually all the Republican candidates other than Trump, Cruz, and Rubio have a decision to make. Realistically most of the Republicans who are left after the top three were never in the race to begin with. Some are capable – they just never could garner a following. Unless I missed someone – there are four governors, present or past, in the Republican field – together, I doubt they have ten percent of the perspective voters in their camps. Mike Huckabee bowed out last night with his usual sense of humor – whether with humor or not, several others should get the hint and also head home.
If the Democrats had a moral compass and anyone with the slightest bit of gumption their leadership should have a chat with Lady Clinton. What the United States is going to be drug through during the remainder of the primary season isn’t going to be pretty. There is constant dribble of corruption and bad news that follows the Clintons like the residue odor of a sewage plant. The news isn’t going to get any better—the State Department will continue to release emails sent to and from Clinton’s private server – some will be classified and some won’t. Different groups will continue to investigate a possible connection between the Clinton Foundation and corruption. Most thinking Americans – both Democrat and Republican probably agree with Bernie Sanders “Enough is enough”!!!
There are two certainties in this political season: Hillary wouldn’t quit if she was being escorted to a federal courthouse to post bail, and Bush and some of the other Republicans can’t admit the song has ended and it is time to leave the dance.
Have a good week. Bill Shuey is a freelance writer from North Carolina.
heads you win; heads you win