Republican voters await the beginning of the Iowa Caucus at the Holiday Inn in Coralville, Iowa, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. (Jonathan D. Woods/The Gazette)
Yay! It’s here! The primary season kicks off tonight with a rollicking caucus in Iowa! That may seem hyperbolic, but it’s not far from the truth this year :) Some years, the Iowa verdict is obvious well before the votes are counted. Iowans tend to take the caucus seriously, knowing full-well the significance of their place in the election season. But this year, that seriousness has translated into caution and wariness. While some voters seem certain how they will cast their ballots, others are still wavering. With the close poll numbers coming in, it should be very interesting to watch. #eepsooexciting
I’ve always wanted to attend the Iowa caucus; it’s sort of a vague dream of mine. Maybe next time :)
Maybe you’re wondering what is so special about it, or even what the caucus really is… Here’s a few articles that will help you with that. (Basically, the Iowa caucus is so special because it’s first. And it’s first because…it is. :). The Iowa caucus only predicts the Presidential winner every so often, but it does tend to foretell which candidates will survive the primary season, and who might as well drop out of the running early on.
For those of you wondering about the difference between a primary election and a caucus: FactCheck.org has a great write-up on this (it’s really short–take a look!)
Caucuses are unique in that they allow participants to openly show support for candidates. Voting is often done by raising hands or breaking into groups according to the candidate participants support…Primaries are a direct, statewide process of selecting candidates and delegates. Similar to the general election process, primary voters cast secret ballots for the candidates of their choosing. -FactCheck.org
For a more detailed answer, check out this wisegeek.com article.
And for those of you wondering how the Iowa caucus itself really works: here’s a great resource from Iowa.
The primary season (caucuses included) is always more fun when both parties are contending, but this year, given the roster of GOP candidates, I still expect a lot of exciting stuff.
And Tonight is Important Why?
As for what’s happening tonight: The New York Times Election 2012 column has an article today, “Iowa Caucus: Five Things to Watch,” that’s well-worth a read. It’s a snappy, SHORT article that sums things up well (or at least I think it does). I recommend a quick look for anyone who wants to jump into the election season, or for anyone who loves people-watching, patterns of behavior, and other such interesting things!
And Then What’s Next?
After Iowa, there are a few more primaries this month:
- New Hampshire (Jan 10)
- South Carolina (Jan 21)
- Florida (Jan 31)
New Hampshire is the first official primary (not a caucus), so there tends to be a lot of pressure on that as well. Stay tuned; I’ll try to keep general updates posted. If you want a true election center, though, I recommend the nytimes.com 2012 campaign center (they have a great app for phones, too) or the cnn.com election center. Both of these sites usually do well with infographics—or at least PICTURES ;)
`What IS a Caucus-race?’ said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that SOMEBODY ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything.
`Why,’ said the Dodo, `the best way to explain it is to do it.’ (And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.)
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (`the exact shape doesn’t matter,’ it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no `One, two, three, and away,’ but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out `The race is over!’ and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, `But who has won?’
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said, `EVERYBODY has won, and all must have prizes.’
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, chapter 3
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alicepic/alice-in-wonderland/1book9.jpg
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