The Significance of Iowa

I've heard many comments that question the usefulness of Iowa in the political process, specifically the caucuses.  I admit that when I lived on the East Coast, I had the same question.  How can a small, largely rural, Caucasian state have so much influence in a political process when its demographics do not reflect the makeup of the rest of the country?

After living for a year in Iowa, I now have a different perspective on that question.  Let me explain -

Iowa is a very unique place.  Because there are no large cities within 3 hours (Des Moines and Cedar Rapids rank 91st and 121st in population nationwide), Iowans are more immune to trends and fads.  They tend to be fairly independent thinkers not easily swayed by the mainstream press.  (We don't get the Wall Street Journal, NY Times or Washington Post.)  Life is simpler here and very impacted by the very harsh realities of economics and weather, so that Iowans have a sense of what is truly important.

Politicians don't get the "rock star" treatment here.  Candidates are treated like regular people who are going through a job interview.  They get asked tough questions and are expected to look their questioner in the eye and give an honest answer.  Iowans have pretty good bullshit detectors so leave your pretensions at the Illinois border!

Iowans take their time in making a decision.  The top three democratic candidates have remained pretty steady in the poll ranking because the people are still shopping and their decisions won't be made until a few weeks before the caucuses.  When the people show up across the state to caucus, they will have spent many months making the decision.

I've often heard the term "grassroots politics" tossed around and have spent a good deal of time watching it in action.  Voters are courted, one at a time.  I've seen candidates sit at a farmer's kitchen table and answer questions from a "crowd" of 10.  People here are active in local political organizations, vote at a fairly high rate, and stay informed on local and national issues.  I trust them to have a large voice in the process of choosing our next nominee.