By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | After all the concentration on Iowa, the presidential candidates have moved on, and now are campaigning in other early-round states.
What can we take away from the Iowa results? Several things.
- The Iowa caucuses took some of the bluster out of Donald Trump. He did less than expected here, though remains very much the person to watch. He may take New Hampshire, and should do well in South Carolina. Yet a little of the shine has diminished.
- Marco Rubio came through in a good position. He very well could end up the favorite of the GOP insiders, since these party leaders have nothing good to say about either Trump or Ted Cruz. Like many times when voting, you pick the lesser of evils.
- The Democratic side is turning into a two-person “hoss race.” Though most don’t feel that Bernie Sanders can really prevail, many are still concerned of what might could fall out to injure Hillary Clinton.
- What happened to the candidate who has the most Super Pac money, that is, Jeb Bush? Why don’t all those bundles of cash not translate into votes? Does he have bad advisers? Is the money not being spent well? Or is it simply that no matter what happens, Jeb (or that is, Jeb!) just doesn’t cut the mustard?
- How about the other governors in the race? John Kasich and Chris Christie have both been working New Hampshire hard. Can they survive the next round? And others with low standings in Iowa: is it time for them to “retire?”
- Iowa also killed the presidential hopes for another former governor, Democrat Martin O’Malley. Does he seek another high-level governmental appointment so that he can return in four, or even eight, years?
Give credit to one guy. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp came up with the idea for several Southern states to hold the presidential primaries at an earlier date, to give the region more clout. It’s looking more like the so-called “SEC primaries” on March 1 will do just that. Voting the same day will be Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. This combined voting day may take out candidates who show no strength in the region. Winnowing the crowd will allow voters in other states to make easier choices with the diminished field.
Or perhaps one candidate can come out of the SEC primaries so strong that their victory would be assured. Or, if the March 1 results keep several strong GOP candidates still running, it could result in a down-to-the-wire race, as some have suggested (including here), possibly pushing the race all the way to the convention floor. We doubt it, but this year has already seen several twists and turns.
Not only that, but should the Democratic race continue to be neck-and-neck, and with Sanders saying he is in the race to the end, and it appears that Hillary is too, could this party find that it might, too, end up in a convention floor fight?
We suspect both parties will eventually choose a nominee before their conventions. Yet right now, down-to-the-wire seems a possibility, though not a probability.
Diehard party onlookers are concerned just watching these political races. All the talk can be good for the country. Thanks, Iowa, for opening your doors to electrify the early politics of this year. From now on, politics will move fast. Enjoy it.
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