Iowa "First in the Nation" Status for 2024 Election?

[BustingNarratives]

Anyone heard what the status is on Iowa's chances to maintain the "first in the nation" status for the Dem Primary? Thought I heard they were potentially losing that but it's been mum since. The DNC (State and National) sure did "F" that up in 2020. Hard to fathom it is that difficult to count votes.

Iowa autopsy report: DNC meddling led to caucus debacle

State party audit finds plenty of blame to go around.

www.politico.com

 

[TheonGreyJoy]

Yes

 

[BrunoMars420]

I hope we are shuffled into the mix of like 32nd in the nation

 

[TheonGreyJoy]

I hope we are shuffled into the mix of like 69nd in the nation

FIFY

 

[cigaretteman]

I wish to heck they would just go with a primary and dump the caucuses.

 

[The Tradition]

Not sure why the DNC would want a state that is 99.7 percent whities choosing their presidential candidate.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Anyone heard what the status is on Iowa's chances to maintain the "first in the nation" status for the Dem Primary? Thought I heard they were potentially losing that but it's been mum since. The DNC (State and National) sure did "F" that up in 2020. Hard to fathom it is that difficult to count votes.

Iowa autopsy report: DNC meddling led to caucus debacle

State party audit finds plenty of blame to go around.

www.politico.com

Except the Dems don't count votes, they count bodies and it's done at thousands of different locations, including private homes. Add in the fact that each location must report via telephone their results, it has become unwieldy and archaic and is the poster child for political inefficiency. The caucus is an outdated way to conduct what should essentially be an easily held trouble free primary election. Iowa should come into the 21st century or step aside from its first in the nation status.

 

[QChawks]

I wish we'd dump Kirk and Brian Ferentz

 

[BustingNarratives]

Except the Dems don't count votes, they count bodies and it's done at thousands of different locations, including private homes. Add in the fact that each location must report via telephone their results, it has become unwieldy and archaic and is the poster child for political inefficiency. The caucus is an outdated way to conduct what should essentially be an easily held trouble free primary election. Iowa should come into the 21st century or step aside from its first in the nation status.

That sounds like a cluster and ripe for corruption ... probably with a difficult audit trail. Do the bodies have to be alive or can they be dead like my old state of Illinois?

 

[cigaretteman]

That sounds like a cluster and ripe for corruption ... probably with a difficult audit trail. Do the bodies have to be alive or can they be dead like my old state of Illinois?

They have to be able to get to the caucus site at a specific time and spend a few hours there being harassed by representatives of all of the candidates to join their group in their portion of the caucus site. Then, when one candidate fails to reach a quota of bodies, his or her folks are up for grabs and the harassment begins again, sometimes time after time until the winner of that precinct is settled.

 

[BustingNarratives]

They have to be able to get to the caucus site at a specific time and spend a few hours there being harassed by representatives of all of the candidates to join their group in their portion of the caucus site. Then, when one candidate fails to reach a quota of bodies, his or her folks are up for grabs and the harassment begins again, sometimes time after time until the winner of that precinct is settled.

Does not sound like a very democratic way to elect a candidate. Lots of opportunity for voter intimidation by a strong handed precinct captain.

Are photo IDs required at the Dem caucus?

 

[thewop]

I think there have been others earlier before, it's just that the media must really like the direct flight from DC to DSM...

 

[millah_22]

They have to be able to get to the caucus site at a specific time and spend a few hours there being harassed by representatives of all of the candidates to join their group in their portion of the caucus site. Then, when one candidate fails to reach a quota of bodies, his or her folks are up for grabs and the harassment begins again, sometimes time after time until the winner of that precinct is settled.

Gotta herd the sheep somehow.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

That sounds like a cluster and ripe for corruption ... probably with a difficult audit trail. Do the bodies have to be alive or can they be dead like my old state of Illinois?

Let's be real, the whole party driven primary system in place in our country is a joke and is controlled by the party bigwigs. It's the reason Hillary was up in 2016 instead of Bernie who had much higher support nationally. When the system is rigged by things like super-delegates and the like, your vote or choice doesn't matter unless it coincides with the party's wishes. We should conduct a nationwide primary all on the same day, winner takes all and gets the nomination. No delegates, no electorally biased bullcrap. This protracted and biased process is terrible.

But it will never change because we have abdicated our authority to the 2 primary political parties and they will never surrender it.

 

[BustingNarratives]

Let's be real, the whole party driven primary system in place in our country is a joke and is controlled by the party bigwigs. It's the reason Hillary was up in 2016 instead of Bernie who had much higher support nationally. When the system is rigged by things like super-delegates and the like, your vote or choice doesn't matter unless it coincides with the party's wishes. We should conduct a nationwide primary all on the same day, winner takes all and gets the nomination. No delegates, no electorally biased bullcrap. This protracted and biased process is terrible.

But it will never change because we have abdicated our authority to the 2 primary political parties and they will never surrender it.

This for sure. I also think it is designed by both the Ds and the Rs to keep 3rd party candidates out. They suck up all the air time with the primaries for five months and then block them out of debates as well.

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

Not sure why the DNC would want a state that is 99.7 percent whities choosing their presidential candidate.

Obama won the 2008 Iowa caucus...

 

[millah_22]

Not sure why the DNC would want a state that is 99.7 percent whities choosing their presidential candidate.

Bc let's be real, outside of the 1st caucus, what does Iowa really have?

 

[BrunoMars420]

Bc let's be real, outside of the 1st caucus, what does Iowa really have?

Iowa is bottom 5 in interesting states to come too. I will say I enjoy living here tho but wish we were more like Wisconsin or Minnesota TBH

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Bc let's be real, outside of the 1st caucus, what does Iowa really have?

Approximately 7.3 hogs/person?

 

[millah_22]

Approximately 7.3 hogs/person?

ISU frats love those ratios.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Caucases are a joke. I have nothing else to contribute.

 

[joelbc1]

This for sure. I also think it is designed by both the Ds and the Rs to keep 3rd party candidates out. They suck up all the air time with the primaries for five months and then block them out of debates as well.

Blame Jimmy Carter...actually George McGovern used the “caucus” to secure delegates to the Dem Convention in ‘72 and parlayed the Iowa delegTe win to winning enough delegates to get the Dem nomination. Then 4 years later, Carter perfected the McGovern strategy, “moved” to Iowa and worked the caucus system all the way to the Presidency. The everybody got involved...Branstad and Iowa GOPers saw the economics involved in being first in the nation..
Candidates liked Iowa because is was relatively inexpensive and easy to get around. A perfect match. But, times change. The caucus was never intended to be a “vote counter” and by law and New Hampshire is guaranteed to hold the nation’s first direct primary.
The DNC wants someone else to be “#1” and has actively sabotaged the Democratic caucus to force this move. The last move was to force Iowa to do something it was never meant to do. Really a poor move by the DNC. Iowa probably shouldn’t be #1 but at least for Dems it has been A fairly accurate predictor....not so much for the GOP. In short, the DNC over promised knowing the caucus would under deliver and that failure would facilitate Dems to move the caucus elsewhere.

 

[BustingNarratives]

What's interesting about this thread that it seems like we finally have a topic that everyone agrees on ... the caucus system sucks. It's amazing that has not filtered up to the DNC to force the change to a more standard primary method. I wonder if they have done any polling or even focus groups on this issue? They poll everything else. Oh well, I'm sure the Iowa media is going to miss that revenue boost they get every four years. Personally, I won't miss all the ads.

 

[The Tradition]

New Hampshire is also nearly 100 percent white, too.

Just sayin'....

 

[joelbc1]

What's interesting about this thread that it seems like we finally have a topic that everyone agrees on ... the caucus system sucks. It's amazing that has not filtered up to the DNC to force the change to a more standard primary method. I wonder if they have done any polling or even focus groups on this issue? They poll everything else. Oh well, I'm sure the Iowa media is going to miss that revenue boost they get every four years. Personally, I won't miss all the ads.

I never said that...the caucus system does exactly what it is supposed to do...allow party faithful to meet in someone’s house, church, building and take care of “their political party’s business” ....onenight every 4 years. Before the voting for a candidate, the meeting was a grass roots assembly of Party activists and local officers were chosen, Party platforms ere discussed and voted upon and election strategies were explained. An unofficial straw poll might have been tamed before adjourning...often after midnight. The caucus system is unique to Iowa and was never intended to be a binding vote for a candidate. By Party rules, NH is guaranteed to hold the first in the nation open primary for POTUS.
Branstad Gerry-rugged verbiage and the Iowa GOP got around this agreement by holding a”straw vote”...which by the way presented the Iowa GOP plenty of accounting problems. The DNC coerced Iowa Dems to make their caucus something it was never meant to be...and then confused the issue with a “wired” method of tracking votes and reporting local results to a nTional desk.

 

[The Tradition]

Then comes South Carolina, which has lots of black folks, but that state does a good job of keeping them away from the polls....

 

[MitchLL]

Bc let's be real, outside of the 1st caucus, what does Iowa really have?

An alcoholic Governor and a bunch of college graduates that can't leave the State fast enough once they have a degree in hand.

 

[BustingNarratives]

I never said that...the caucus system does exactly what it is supposed to do...allow party faithful to meet in someone’s house, church, building and take care of “their political party’s business” ....onenight every 4 years. Before the voting for a candidate, the meeting was a grass roots assembly of Party activists and local officers were chosen, Party platforms ere discussed and voted upon and election strategies were explained. An unofficial straw poll might have been tamed before adjourning...often after midnight. The caucus system is unique to Iowa and was never intended to be a binding vote for a candidate. By Party rules, NH is guaranteed to hold the first in the nation open primary for POTUS.
Branstad Gerry-rugged verbiage and the Iowa GOP got around this agreement by holding a”straw vote”...which by the way presented the Iowa GOP plenty of accounting problems. The DNC coerced Iowa Dems to make their caucus something it was never meant to be...and then confused the issue with a “wired” method of tracking votes and reporting local results to a nTional desk.

Your previous post sounded more critical. So, if you don't think it sucks do you like the caucus system?

 

[BustingNarratives]

New Hampshire is also nearly 100 percent white, too.

Just sayin'....

Per 2020 census data .. Iowa is 82.7% white ... New Hampshire 89.8% ... so yes, New Hampshire is a less diverse state.

 

[The Tradition]

Per 2020 census data .. Iowa is 82.7% white ... New Hampshire 89.8% ... so yes, New Hampshire is a less diverse state.

I would bet that the vast majority of the 17 percent of Iowa non-whites are Hispanics, which isn't a race.

 

[bhawk24bob]

Would it be fair to assume that the state wouldn’t support a candidate that didn’t partake in the caucus system, who through no fault of their own would be viewed as anti-Iowan (or however you want to label its values) for not having to participate in a caucus style primary?

 

[anon_b29nm7v7dwp6r]

We (Iowa) really should not be anywhere near important decisions like picking a presidential candidate….on either side of the aisle….

 

[globalhawk]

This for sure. I also think it is designed by both the Ds and the Rs to keep 3rd party candidates out. They suck up all the air time with the primaries for five months and then block them out of debates as well.

Independents can’t participate in the caucus.

 

[gohawks50]

Independents can’t participate in the caucus.

Iowa’s Democratic caucuses are open only to registered party members, not unaffiliated voters or those registered as Republicans or with other parties. However, people can register or change their party affiliation on caucus night if they want to participate.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Independents are the folks that decide general elections, which completely shows why the caucus system is useless

 

[globalhawk]

Iowa’s Democratic caucuses are open only to registered party members, not unaffiliated voters or those registered as Republicans or with other parties. However, people can register or change their party affiliation on caucus night if they want to participate.

True. I won’t register for either party right now.

 

[joelbc1]

New Hampshire is also nearly 100 percent white, too.

Just sayin'....

correct....sometimes the DNC isn'g very sophisticated....(this is one of those times....as a Democrat I am allowed to say that and not be reprimanded/censored!)

 

[Jerome Silberman]

If Iowa loses it's 1st in the nation position(I think it should), the sound of the complaints about being "left behind" and the "coastal elites" is going to reach a fever pitch.

 

[NCHawk5]

If Iowa loses it's 1st in the nation position(I think it should), the sound of the complaints about being "left behind" and the "coastal elites" is going to reach a fever pitch.

Not as much as skyrocketing food and gas prices 🤷‍♂️

 

[Jerome Silberman]

Not as much as skyrocketing food and gas prices 🤷‍♂️

What is "not as much as skyrocketing food and gas prices"?