Iowa and New Hampshire :: Not What They Used to Be!

I agree with the Christian Science Monitor's article titled "In GOP race, Iowa and New Hampshire aren't what they used to be". It reminded me that Michele Bachmann won the big-time Iowa Straw poll just a few months ago. Here are a few good clips from the article:
"When Iowa Republicans caucus on Jan. 3, chances are the voters will know more about the candidates from nationally televised debates and interviews than from personal interaction. Ditto the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10."
...
"On-the-ground retail campaigning, it just doesn't pay," says Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. "That's a disappointing realization. The idea of Jimmy Carter building support one by one is not nearly as effective as having a good debate moment that goes viral on YouTube."
...
"The GOP’s new rule awarding delegates proportionally based on the vote, rather than winner-take-all, in most contests before April also makes the early contests less important than in the past."
Hat tip to Iowan Shane for pointing me to the article even though he vehemently disagrees with what it says.

1 comment:

  1. I suspect that much of the nomination process has already taken place before we have come to an actual vote. I have mixed feelings about the decrease in importance of New Hampshire and Iowa, but it seems all the voting has become less meaningful.

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