Four things to watch for in the Iowa caucuses
by Naomi Lim
| February 03, 2020 02:45 PM
DES MOINES, Iowa — Well, it’s finally here.
The first Democratic presidential candidate launched his campaign in July 2017. Now, Iowa caucusgoers, who have been relentlessly harangued by campaigns, pollsters, and reporters for more than a year, will on Monday weigh in on which candidate they want to take on President Trump for the White House in the fall.
The primary process has whittled the historically crowded field down to a more manageable size. But the unpredictable nature of caucuses, designed to encourage participants to change their minds, and the unusual number of Iowans who are still undecided before the opening 2020 nominating contest lay the ground for a bumpy ride across this first finish line.
Here are four observations to keep in mind on caucus night:
New rules and the number of tickets out of Iowa
Caucuses are complex.
Candidates need to pull 15% support at individual sites scattered across Iowa, whether it’s a local school gymnasium or church basement, to remain viable in the state’s 1,678 precincts. Backers of candidates who fall short can “realign†with another contender, with their friends, neighbors, and campaign organizers often trying to cajole them into joining their hopeful’s corner.
The caucuses usually serve as a mechanism to narrow the field, but not this year.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party will disclose raw vote counts from the first and final alignments, in addition to the resulting state and national delegate allocations. The extra data points, along with Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, provide lower-tier candidates with a plethora of excuses for a poor performance and reasons to stay in the race.
Some candidates with long-shot bids have already given up on Iowa, focusing their efforts instead on the New Hampshire primary election next week on Feb. 11. Others, such as Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, said this weekend they would compete in the second contest “no matter what.â€
"Of course I'm going there. We have a strong operation there, and then going beyond,†Klobuchar, 59, told Fox News Sunday.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/four-things-to-watch-for-in-the-iowa-caucuses
