with the upcoming primaries, all i hear about is iowa. can someone please tell me why iowa is so important?

Answer 1

Iowa is being mentioned because Iowa is first. You will also be hearing a little bit about New Hampshire because New Hampshire is second.

Up until now, all that the media has had to compare the standings of the candidates is money raised and poll results. Iowa is the first chance for people to "vote." The way they vote in caucuses may be a little bit different from how they vote where you live, but it is still real live people (not some randomly selected national sample) going out and officially expressing their views in an election.

Because there is a window between Iowa and New Hampshire (and another window between New Hampshire and Michigan), these results have a chance to resonate for a while. If candidate X does poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire, people in the later states get a chance to consider whether that candidate can really win and consider other possibilities. If candidate Y does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, people in the later states may pay attention to that candidate for the first time ever.

Recognizing the advantage that Iowa and New Hampshire have (both in terms of small size and in terms of being first), most of the candidates have spent an amazing amount of time in these two states. Many of the voters have had a chance to see these candidates speak in person (as opposed to merely getting a soundbite on the news). If you live in Texas or New York, you have probalby only given a little bit of thought to who you intend to vote for in the primary (unless you are a political junkie -- a very small segment of the population). If you live in New Hampshire or Iowa, you have probably given a good bit of thought to the candidates. Because of this greater exposure, candidates who can't connect to the voters in these states are probably not candidates who can win in the Fall.

For all of these reasons, failure to finish near the top in both states tends to mean the end of the road for candidates. You don't need to win in New Hampshire and Iowa, but you do need to finish in the top tier.

Answer 2

The 2008 Iowa Democratic caucus marks the traditional formal start of the delegate selection process for the 2008 United States presidential election, even though it is not the first primary held. Campaigning began as early as two years earlier, when various candidates began to make personal appearances. In 2008, the caucuses will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2008.

Answer 3

maximum modern-day day Presidents did not win the Iowa caucuses. the recent Hampshire wide-spread could help to envision the Presidential candidate for both events, although the South Carolina wide-spread to boot as large Tuesday primaries will also make certain how distinctive the states will vote. The social gathering convention writes the platform for each social gathering and promises their candidate to the voters. Presidential applicants change into determined from the floor of the conventions, yet no longer a lot anymore. in case you discover that you've a particular candidate in concepts, then get out their and paintings for them. call their community headquarters or the social gathering headquarters close to you and volunteer. once you've a dollar or 2 to deliver them, attempt this too. this is an substantial election--in a good number of approaches.

Answer 4

We are first in the nation.

The only real problem here in Iowa is that the first night of the caucuses don't really mean a whole lot. What we do at the precinct level is select our delegates to go to the next higher level, when a few weeks later, we select our delegates to go on to the next level, and finally, select our delegates for the Republican Convention, or Democratic Convention for those Iowans who are Democrats. The final tally isn't official for something like 2 months after the first night of caucuses.

The tally you will see on the news after we caucus on Jan 3 is simply the percentage out of all of the state, what percentage of delegates going to county level are slated for each candidate. Personally, I am going to try to get to be a county level delegate. Could be interesting.

Oh, and Louiegirl_Chicago, who grows the corn? That's easy. Many people I know grow corn. They are hard working Americans who sometimes have to work a job off of the farm to help pay the bills. The men and women, but mostly it's a man's field, who grow the corn are putting the food on your table. Those who grow the corn are for the most part the best example of what a great American is.

I am so sorry that you equate a domestic food source with killing the planet. Since you require food, as I doubt you are a hunter-gatherer in your spare time generating all of your food off the land, maybe you should remove yourself from needing any form of food since your existence causes people like my friend Bob from southern Iowa to kill your planet as he tends to his few hundred acres of corn. Yes, I think you could take a bold move and take whatever steps you need to take to not use a single resource from this planet so that you can help heal Mother Earth.

Answer 5

It all has to start somewhere.

Choices people make there will be magnified by the media. Statistics and coverage will pound us over the head, telling us how we should vote when our turn comes around. Honestly, listen, you will get the feeling that they are telling you how you should vote. Based on voters in Iowa.

This early information results in stratagy adjustments in both political campaigns and media spin.

Answer 6

iowa is the traditionally chosen state to start political caucuses, but of course that is not the reason it's iowa that is so important, these days.

the reason that iowa is important now is that iowa is the state that produces the most corn. yes, corn. due to the fact that representatives have not been required to read the bills that they vote on and had a bill up to vote on last year that would require that they read the bills that they vote on (i am writing it this way on purpose, i hope you can see), they have followed the flow that "global warming," as so sanctified by al gore is caused only by release of CO2 into the atmosphere by burning oil. therefore, they believe that ethanol that is made from CORN (when pond scum, switch grass (a weed), as well as sugar cane that grows as fast as a weed and could even support the livelihoods of more illegal aliens that speak spanish until it comes down to what they will get paid or to taking tenancy where they live) can just as easily, if not more easily, be grown and harvested to make ethanol, the almighty answer to our global warming woes, per al gore. (gee, i do hope you know that many places in the southern hemisphere of this planet are experiencing global colding, not gw...wonder why)?

well, then, who grows all the corn so needed to feed cattle (they used to get along just fine eating grass), make corn meal, make corn syrup, and even to make a replacement "plastic" to that which now is made from petroleum byproducts, as well as that corn that MUST BE used to make only CORN ethanol--which creates even more CO2 than does the burning of petroleum? (have you ever looked at your food package ingredients to see how much CORN in one state or another is part of them?). (and have you seen the prices of groceries zoom through the roof again, after gas prices skyrocketed, raising grocery costs already???, when al gore indicated that we should uses ethanol to battle "global warming?") WHO GROWS THE CORN?

well, it is not mom and pop anymore folks: i don't see many farms of 40 acres that have farmers plowing the fields with the mule, do you? they who grow and harvest and process the CORN are multi-billion-dollar-a-year Bottom Line farming combines that bought out all the mom and pop farms a long time ago. they are the mega companies. they are today's robber barons. they have us by the balls.

do you think for one minute that it is not in their best interest to have politicians vote on bills in their favor? now, how would they get the politicians to vote their way? well, i guess by giving large campaign contributions, don't you? in IOWA, where there is a lot of CORN.

this is why it is considered by those that believe they can hoodwink us for another 4+ years that iowa is ever so important. the politicians begin their gladiator fights in iowa, where all that corn grows.

who grows this corn?

Answer 7

Momentum. Make a good showing the first time, and use it it to spring board to the others.