| Vote for Barak and he'll provide free | | | | "It stinks," says veteran political |
| baby sitting. Isn't that illegal or at | | | | reporter Jack Germond. "The voters ought |
| least somewhat shadly? But alas, the | | | | to have time to make a considered |
| Iowa caucus process isn't democratic | | | | decision, and the press ought to be a |
| anyway, so why does Iowa get so much | | | | little less poll-driven, and we're not." |
| attention- other than because of | | | | Between the coverage and the |
| tradition. Why aren't there 3 or 4 | | | | hyper-compressed campaign calendar, he |
| states that have a PRIMARY (a democratic | | | | says, "the whole system this year is |
| process) on the same first day that's | | | | absolutely a disgrace." |
| representative of the nation. | | | | The term of choice for the more |
| Why do various campaign aides need to | | | | thoughtful reporters, in describing the |
| show up at Iowan homes with DVD's that | | | | Iowa rules, is arcane. With its arcane |
| explain how the caucuses work. Iowans | | | | caucus rules, Iowa remains a small |
| need help from outsiders to tell them | | | | battlefield. Only 124,000 Democrats |
| about their process? Nobody needs a DVD | | | | voted last time, less than a quarter of |
| to understand one-person-one-vote, a | | | | those eligible. So if Barack Obama, say, |
| level playing field, and a secret ballot | | | | edges Hillary Clinton by 2,000 votes, |
| And we need to blame the MEDIA for the | | | | he'll be hailed in headlines as a |
| hysteria that's a part of the Iowa | | | | giant-killer despite the tiny margin. |
| insanity! | | | | Much ado about nothing- escept for what |
| Every day there has been a poll as | | | | hype the press makes it. |
| though life and death hinged on what the | | | | When you read an honest reporter like |
| latest trend was. If you look at the | | | | Dan Balz you appreciate the depth and |
| polls one thing becomes obvious. There | | | | extent of the fraud that is being |
| is no trend. Who cares about what Iowa | | | | practiced on us all. "In a primary," as |
| thinks anything. I know, I know the | | | | he put it, "voters quietly fill out |
| MEDIA does. And so we see pictures of | | | | their ballots and leave. In the |
| Huckabee shooting a bird, praying on | | | | caucuses, they are required to come and |
| bended knee, and running in the cold | | | | stay for several hours, and there are no |
| morning snow with reporters. Anything to | | | | secret ballots. In the presence of |
| get an angle on a candidate that will | | | | friends, neighbors and occasionally |
| sell tabloid or TV commercials. Besides | | | | strangers, Iowa Democrats vote with |
| with all the 24 hour cable news | | | | their feet, by raising their hands and |
| networks, one has to fill the air time | | | | moving to different parts of the room to |
| with something- anything! | | | | signify their support for one candidate |
| What we have are less than 3,000,000 | | | | or another. For Democrats, it is not a |
| people offering their vote an attention | | | | one-person, one-vote system. … |
| to whomever will give them the time of | | | | Inducements are allowed; bribes are |
| day while 300,000,000 other Americans | | | | not." |
| look on with doubts. And in a state that | | | | Maybe Rudy Guiliani was smart by staying |
| 92% white, what does that tell the rest | | | | out of Iowa! |
| of us across the United States? Rudy | | | | What the Iowa insanity-laced caucasuses |
| Guiliani decided to woo the religious | | | | do is give the whip to the moneyed |
| right from New York, rather than get | | | | political professionals, to the |
| involved in Iowa directly. | | | | full-time party hacks and manipulators, |
| Every four years the press has been | | | | to the shady pollsters and the cynical |
| promising to swear off the bottle and | | | | media boosters, and to the supporters of |
| stop treating the Iowa caucuses as if | | | | fringe and crackpot candidates. Remember |
| they were a primary, let alone an | | | | that not Iowa but its "caucuses" put Pat |
| election. Credit Howard Kurtz of the | | | | Robertson ahead of George H.W. Bush in |
| Washington Post for being the first | | | | the race for the GOP nomination in 1988. |
| writer this year to try to hold his | | | | So is there any wonder the Iowa now |
| fellow journalists to that pledge. | | | | loves another ministger named Huckabee? |
| Listen, without that massive media | | | | The process might be a good way for Iowa |
| boost, prevailing in Iowa would be seen | | | | to pick its party convention delegates, |
| for what it is: an important first | | | | but it's an absolute terrible way in |
| victory that amounts to scoring a run in | | | | which to select candidates for the |
| the top of the first inning. | | | | presidency. |
| No big deal! | | | | |