All eyes turn to Iowa
Today is the day that the GOP will allow Iowans to hold their caucus. The democrats hold it on the same day, but the DNC has seen to it that Joe Biden is virtually unopposed on the democrat side, and it will be that mail-in-ballot formula that has been a big success for democrats. Biden has kind of given Iowa the bird for South Carolina. Iowa is too white, in case you didn't know! Results to the democrat "caucus" will be held until Super Tuesday on March 5 to make sure South Carolina is first. Republican voters will brave below freezing temperatures to perform their civic responsibilities as citizens.
A caucus involves a more complex process than a primary. Voters get together and discuss their interests in a particular candidate. Unlike primaries, caucuses require voters to physically attend specific meetings, and in these days when voting has been made so easy to the lowest common denominator, that means there are lower voter turnouts. Iowa has historically been the launching point for many candidates. Sometimes i provides surprises that help shape campaigns.
This year history may have a new chapter as former President Donald Trump may just set a new record for the Iowa Caucus:
Trump, who has campaigned far less in Iowa than his rivals, hopes to break the record for the biggest margin of victory by a Republican in the caucuses by besting Bob Dole’s 12-point win over Pat Robertson in 1988.
Beyond that, Trump could become the first Republican to win an outright majority of the vote in a multicandidate caucus. With two asterisks, the closest any candidate — Republican or Democrat — has come to a majority was in the 1984 Democratic caucus, when Walter F. Mondale captured 49 percent of the vote to Gary Hart’s 17 percent.
(The asterisks: Tom Harkin won 76 percent in the 1992 caucuses, but only because the other Democratic candidates had ceded Iowa to him because he was a popular senator from the state. In 2000, Al Gore won 63 percent, but that was a two-person race, against Bill Bradley.)
Trump aims to break caucus records, but Iowa sometimes surprises (msn.com)
That would give Trump something to really crow about. After all, he didn't even campaign much in Iowa!
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Here is one of the candidates battling for 2nd:
Time for a hot coffee
bfd. when's the last time those rwnj dirt scratchers have actually picked a candidate, that wasn't an incumbent, that even made it to the ballot in a national election? the iowa rwnj primary is better suited to picking the candidate who won't ever be elected POTUS.
So, let's get rid of it?
It sounds so democratic.
trumpsters have demonstrated that they don't know the meaning of that word for over 7+ years.
Who are the people you call "Trumpsters?" And what makes them undemocratic?
any trump supporter after 1/6/21...
it's unbelievable to me that the former 'president' has any supporters whatsoever after 1/6/21
FYI - A recent poll found 43% of her supporters would vote for Biden if Trump was the nominee.
I'm sure they would do it holding their noses. Yesterday Joe Manchin said he might give the people an alternative. He will wait until Super Tuesday to make a decision. He wants to judge how things stand then.
Would you honestly vote for Manchin over Trump in a general election?
Yes, a significant amount of Haley's support comes from Democratic voters crossing over. Many would probably vote for Biden over Haley.
I'm not one of the people who detests both of the major party nominees. There are many people who hate the current choice.
They are the people who think both political parties have become too extreme.
It is sad that the 5 or 10% of the wackadoodles of each party is taking everyone else along for the ride.
I understand that argument, however the country has been pulled way over to the left in the past 3 years. I need a candidate that will correct that.
Yes, hopefully without taking us too far right. After showing his true colors not only can Joe not run on his record but he can't run as a moderate or as someone that will unite us. MAGA bad is all he has left.
Certain leftwing media outlets are already promising to go "full Hitler" once Trump gets the nomination.
List them.
I'd love to see that list.
Still waiting on that list.
I'm wondering why she's even bothering to run. It seems so obvious to me that Trump will get the nomination-- and by a large margin.
I think many times candidates run in a Presidential primary even when they know they don't have a chance of winning-- because they hope the winner will pick them for Vice President-- or even a cabinet position.
But Trump may be too angry at her for running against him...?
The Republican Party in Iowa is heavily MAGA, that is all one needs to consider about this. If Ronald Reagan was running against Trump, Trump would get 60 percent.
Iowa is a state of small cities and corn fields, it does not have a single "large" city. There is no urban or even suburban culture to speak of. Which it makes it extremely fertile ground for the MAGA mentality.
I think you just insulted the entire state of Iowa, one does not need to live in the urban quagmire to be an informed and educated participant in the election process in my view.
The electorate breakdown actually looks like this -
Iowa has a total of 2,348,787 eligible voters1. According to the latest data available, there are 727,977 registered Republicans, 700,430 registered Democrats, and 678,188 registered No Party voters2. The remaining 242,192 eligible voters are not registered with any party.
There is no urban or even suburban culture to speak of. Which it makes it extremely fertile ground for the MAGA mentality.
A radical, almost racist generalization which is ignorant and wrong, the opposite of which
The congested and economically blighted neighborhoods of our large cities are fertile ground for the socialist mentality is equally ignorant and wrong
The opposite of "which" what?
I havent made "racist" comments about this I have stated facts. Des Moines , Iowa's largest city, is the 111th most populous city in the country. It has less population than Modesto California, Laredo Texas, or Ft Wayne Indiana. Iowa's best claim to an urbane culture is at the University of Iowa.
What the heck is "radical" about what I said?
Another solid no frills logical argument. Bob, have you ever noticed those who get upset with that kind of argument?
One thing JR may be right about. The state of Iowa has become a dependably red voting state. Notice that John doesn't talk about the way Joe Biden snubbed it.
You make the point, intentionally or by implication that rural populations are too ignorant to think for themselves and flock to MAGA.
That's what's radical about that.
I was pointing out that, as usual, the broad generalization that you make with your comment is wrong.
Trump is likely to win in the Iowa Republican caucuses - I will agree with you on that point
“…the broad generalization…”
…pervades every aspect of every conversation on every topic…to no one’s benefit except those attempting to justify a self serving partisan attack.
We must be better engaging in the necessary debate…lest the apathy that will surely follow the vitriol leaves us vulnerable to the fringes on either side… taking turns destroying the strength silently hidden in our commonality.
Who's upset ?
I see two people who are rather upset here. Didn't you hear Donna Brazile yesterday? She said democrats never fought for Iowa. Maybe that's the problem. According to the figures Bob provided, Iowa was certainly winnable.
Are you saying that MAGA's cant think for themselves? Shocking.
Donald Trump is a traitor, and this is really barely disputed by anyone who wants to talk facts. There are a lot of MAGA, including people on this forum, who hem and haw and offer up a bunch of DENIAL.
We are in election year now, no more time for denying reality.
Gee, that makes sense. You seemed to have aimed it in the wrong direction.
Maybe you dont see so good.
Iowa's best claim to an urbane culture is at the University of Iowa.
I am sure that those at the University of Iowa will be pleased with your description of them as urbane, which means " courteous and refined in manner "
In my experience traveling through Iowa I found all of the people to be urbane unless provoked
I can see the avatar clearly. It speaks volumes. Btw I tuned into MSNBC when those air strikes were taking place. They were only talking about one thing. It seems there are a lot of angry people in that audience. The funny thing is that everything is going their way.
Actually John, the point i am making is that as usual you make the hasty generalization that all Iowans are mindless country bumpkins following MAGA out of ignorance.
The generalization, as usual, detracts from any actual point you try to make as you pontificate.
John forgot deplorable in his descriptions.
I didnt say that, what I was saying is that Iowa is predisposed toward MAGA ism. Is MAGA an ideology that appeals to ignorance? Trump is now and has always been the most unfit major party presidential candidate in American history. Yet he has dominated Republican politics for 8 years now. Explain that.
Your opinion is he is a traitor (using the colloquial definition) and you are welcome to it. The facts are he has never been charged or convicted of being a traitor.
A backlash at being ignored by elites.
Good , I'm glad you like it, it is one of my better recent creations.
They couldnt backlash against elites without supporting the most unfit candidate in history? No other Republican on earth could do it but Trump? LOL.
Here is the word you leave out - "birtherism". Trumps main appeal in 2016 was to white grievance.
It is at least an honest one.
“You seemed to have aimed it in the wrong direction.”
No, vic…it was aimed at all of us. Myself included. I responded to the gentleman in Ohio because I believe he gets it. It’s painfully obvious too many here do not.
The gentleman from Ohio needs no such advice.
They did it for Obama in 2008. LOL
It was not advice that was offered, just a confirmation of his intentions.
I agreed with him. You would see that if you could only take a moment out of your busy agenda to consider the context, but you seem to be on a roll, so do go on and on and on…only confirming the original point.
I guess that “birtherism” had a strong appeal to the former dem votes in the upper Midwest.
That was a great confirmation coming from you.
From the time Hillary Clinton, who was first to use it, it apparently never died out.
“…coming from you.”
Coming from me? What does that even mean?
You don’t know me. If you did, you might even enjoy my company. But I know you…
We became acquainted on a Babylon Bee article if you recall.
If we had seen with our own eyes Trump shoot an unarmed person in the middle of 5th Avenue, but for whatever reason he was yet to be convicted of it, would you still expect people to vote for him? The idea that he has to be "convicted" in order to be completely unfit is absurd.
Wha?
"Guilty in the court of liberal opinion".
The comment I was responding to (and what I was talking about)was about him being a traitor, not being fit or unfit or murdering someone. Poor attempt to move the goal posts to the absurd.
Just moving the goal posts.
In that case they should be very, very afraid...
He is rising again!
It seems our readers agree:
don't let him spin it, Vic
Its called an analogy, a technique used in discussions or "arguments" on a daily basis.
Someone doesnt have to be convicted to be unfit for office. The idea is ridiculous. Besides, a lot of maga say they will vote for him even if he is convicted before the election.
Do you have any analogies to him as President?
You know, the policies that secured the border, and generated a prosperous economy, kept energy prices low, enforced fair trades deals and kept the world at peace.
Anything on that?
In many cases it is called trying to compare apples and oranges (like trying to compare an opinion of being a traitor with a factual murder)and is intellectual dishonesty
And a lot more say they won't. That is why the attempt to convict him of just about anything before the election is so damn obvious.
No one ever said he does.
Not true and you know it. It was Hillary who started the birther claim. Obama himself once stated in a bio that he was born in Kenya. The main criticism of Obama at the time was that he intentionally obscured the details of his early years and claimed much that turned out not to be true. White grievance had nothing to do with it.
Did Obama's Literary Agent Say He Was Born in Kenya? | Snopes.com
Although Trump announced his candidacy historically early, it was well after he was susceptible to indictment for his actions post 2020 election. He announced at Thanksgiving 2022 , two years before the election, precisely to try and ward off indictments that he knew were coming.
Conspiracy nut lie.
More lies.
Video altered to suggest Obama admitted he was born in Africa
Web Jul 21, 2023 · CLAIM: Former President Barack Obama admitted on camera that he was born in Kenya , not the United States . AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The video was originally …
You are so far out of your depth to discuss these things it isnt even funny.
Or maybe it was to get his campaign financing engine in action as his Save America PAC has spend many millions on his legal defenses. As of October last year, the PAC had spent $37 million on law firms and individual lawyers.
And before anybody jumps on how spending campaign money on personal issues is illegal, (bolding below is mine to highlight)
[deleted]
“While it’s true that some of her ardent supporters pushed the theory,”
What kind of friends does she have.
A lot of people do, but not too many of them seem to be on this forum.
Well, none that you appear to acknowledge, anyway.
Generally speaking people that agree with someones position are often considered as knowledgeable and people that don't agree with the position are seen as ignorant or not as knowledgeable. After all how could someone not come to the same conclusion unless they were just not as knowledgeable.
I have asked virtually every conservative on this site to tell us what they "know" about the post election period in 2020 including Jan 6th. So far not one taker. Not one.
They didnt watch the J6 committee and thus dont know what that committee found. So please tell us how "knowledgeable" such people are.
Guess you don’t include an independent like me as I have written about watching 6 Jan from a hospital bed with a Greek Exchange Doctor and how ashamed and embarrassed I was.
I’ve watched or read the committee’s findings and applauded the prosecution and sentencing of participants.
Did they say they didn't watch it or are you just making an assumption because they don't want to answer you and see your rant one more time?
I have seen several say what they saw and what they thought about what they saw. You sure you don't just ignore it because they seem to come to a different conclusion than you do?
I'll go with 'erroneous assumption' based on nothing more than someone daring to have a different opinion.
whatever. people who want to beat biden and knew trump was innocent would say something. they dont because they cant, they dont have the information on their side.
by all means give us some facts to support your "opinions".
Not whatever.
Too many assumptions made about Republicans, conservatives, and especially Trump supporters, most of them hilariously wrong.
I'll start as soon as you can do so without insults..
you have a chance to prove it. lets see it.
Great argument
One hell of an assumption. Reminds me of the saying "If you have no facts just make things up".
And you have a chance every day to prove you aren't Trump-obsessed, let's see it.
Again, your generalization depicts Iowans as easily led idiots, which they are not.
When you find yourself in a hole, quite digging
Prove his contention (they don't because they can't present evidence of his innocence) is false. You do know how, don't you?
Apparently they are, and that's 'quit'.
His contention
He can provide proof
Do you use insults to try and hide the fact you have a weak or non existent argument?
Agreed.
In fact, I bet that even if he shot someone on 5th Avenue-- he'd still get elected!
If you are on the other side of the argument, you must present facts that disprove his contention. Otherwise, you are just going "nuh-uh". Positive proof is required from one disputing because his contention was that you could not show evidence. Can you or can you not provide evidence of his innocence to the charges?
I did not insult you. I asked you a question. If you cannot handle the question, that is indicative of a negative answer. Your problem, not mine.
Yeah, billionaires always rely on their supporters to fund their campaigns and to pay their legal fees.
Yeah, just like most politicians and most sports team owners. They seldom use their own money when they can get someone else to pay for things. Gee, who else do we know that gets others to pay their bills for them?
If it is, Donald Trump made it so. The New York Times disagrees. This morning the Times said it was mostly moderate Republican.
Iowa is a state of small cities and corn fields, it does not have a single "large" city. There is no urban or even suburban culture to speak of. Which it makes it extremely fertile ground for the MAGA mentality.
[deleted]
“…the leftist slime…”
…duly noted, summarily dismissed.
Until the day you realize such taunting is counterproductive you only contribute to the dysfunction…’tis sad that you seem to find some level of comfort in doing so. Sleep well.
People like this are not going to change. They think they are losing "their" country. If anything they will get worse as the nation becomes more diverse. They have to be defeated at the ballot box until father time has his say.
“They think they are losing "their" country.”
Forgetting everything our country was founded upon, everyone who sacrificed to protect it, and everybody who has a stake in seeing it succeed.
Travel around the rust belt, and Appalachia, it doesn’t look like success.
“..:it doesn’t look like success.”
Never, ever proposed we have succeeded.
Just reminding those who conveniently discount the promise that it takes hard cooperative work…not divisive harsh words, and never partisan false equivalencies.
Do you ever direct those comments to posters calling Trump supporters racists, or calling conservatives fascists, or 'thumpers'?
[deleted]
[deleted]
they feel picked on, therefore they dont need facts, good arguments or logic.
Thus, the need to replace them with foreign voters.
''Leftist slime,'' my you have a way with words I hope that comment made you feel better since it really does make one look quite childish or shows a total lack of respect for other humans since the generalization of yours cover millions of people.
Get out the coloring books.
All of the above leaves us only two takeaways from the Iowa Caucus:
1) The historic candidacy of Donald Trump. He is set for the third time to easily win a GOP Presidential nomination. (move over FDR) And he is doing it despite the greatest election interference campaign since Sergei Kirov had thoughts about challenging Joe Stalin.
2) The battle between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis for the alternative to Trump. Each now has about 20% of the vote according to polls with Vivek Ramaswamy a distant 4th holding about 10% of the vote. (add those up and you have 50% of the vote)
'Election interference campaign'??????????????????
That's hilarious
“…election interference campaign…”
You have no clue as to the extent our elections are conducted and protected from those that would by such partisan words call them into question. Get involved in the process or shut your mouth.
It's the revenge and retribution campaign.
How far we have come from ‘speak softly but carry a big stick…’
It is now crow loudly with a limp dick…
…and that not only defines the presumptive, preposterous nominee, but all the ignorant apologists in his condescending cult.
In other news:
After being caught in an affair and meeting with Joe Biden, Fani Willis is now crying racism
Fulton County DA Fani Willis blames misconduct allegations on racism - Washington Examiner
Why didn't Trump think of that? That's some argument to get out of charges of corruption. "You cannot expect a white man to be perfect and save the world. We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace.”
Yup, that cracked me up!
I believe that is two trials that have now been discredited.
in your dreams
In the end all the election interference may just backfire.
What election interference?
She surely isn't following MLK's legacy and vision. She should be ashamed.
If the polls are accurate, the race is pretty much over unless is Trump has some sort of health issue that causes him to withdraw. Someone needs to be within 10 points for any thought of a race to develop.
Just in:
The defender of "democracy" intends to go around the Supreme Court.
President Biden vows not to 'back down', says he's going around the Supreme Court ruling to deliver debt relief to American students. He just wrote, "In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on our student debt relief plan, we are continuing to use every tool at our disposal to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible. I won’t back down."
‘I won’t back down’: Biden cancels loan debt for 6.9M students in SCOTUS work-around (bizpacreview.com)
Well of course he is going to try, after all it's an election year and this is another partisan attempt to drum up votes for him. I find it amazing that the continued push to offer something to different groups that none of these groups seem to think how a good thing for one group can negatively impact other groups. These loans are not really deleted, they are just paid by other groups.
In this case by those not fortunate enough to have the kind of educations that entitle people to comfortable salaries.
It sounds like he is committing a criminal act....a high crime and misdemeanor. He should be impeached.
Except he's not. He's changing how and where the money comes from so it won't be a criminal act. If it were we'd be having the conversation on House impeachment proceedings. The only thing I've heard from House Republicans is on the cost not the legality.
Well, as trump has said, as president, he can do whatever he wants.
At least as much as Biden has.
It is funny that their only defense of Biden is to equate him to trump, the man who they’ve been in hysterics about for years. Great point you made, Biden is the same as the guy you accuse of being a traitor.
Gee, that would earn a "TRAITOR" label had Trump said it.
I know, kind of like the old chatty Kathy dolls. You don't even need to pull the string.
Biden actually does what they accused trunk of doing.
They always project.
who is trunk?
it is not we who are guilty of projection, no indeedy
One other thing, in honor of today:
“ I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Happy Martin Luther King Day.
Right wingers have been trying to appropriate MLK for the past few years but nobody is buying it.
How does that relate in any way, shape, or fashion to the post you responded to??
American Marxists have desperately tried to counteract those words above.
Nyet, Nein
MLK belongs to a side? How do you think he would feel about that?
Exactly, when I was a kid and my out of state cousins would come to visit, they always asked me, “Who’s side are you going to be on this time”.
Unfortunately, it was white America that was the impetus for MLK voicing those great words.
I had an uncle that would take the side of the side he thought was losing. He was a riot, especially when we ( the boys) would go camping. Cocktail time started at precisely noon. He might change sides 3 or 4 times by midnight.
If only that was sincere.
Proof that it is not?
And you choose to answer for another?
Asking for myself. Pretty sure this is an open forum.
Care to show proof or is deflection all you can do?
Not sure your motivation here.
Please feel free to share as one seemingly must…but do so in knowing anything, anything said is taken for what it is…
So just a senseless comment. Got it
“Got it.”
Oh, we got it.
When republicans stop judging people on the basis of their political character: 'ring me.' And stop quoting Dr. King out of context. Dr. King is a civil rights icon - nothing he ever vocalized for the cause is meant to be mantra for conservatism. After-all, a civil rights leader, Dr. King was by definition, strove to bring into reality that which was not the status quo of his time.
I still contend that the 2024 election is Nikki Haley's to win or lose. Remember that Ted Cruz challenged Trump throughout the 2016 primaries; Trump's support is still a mixed bag. Haley can gain ground in the early states and IMO Haley has an advantage on Super Tuesday.
Chris Christie crashed and burned simply because his campaign was all Trump, all the time. DeSantis has lost his way and no longer runs on anything relevant. IMO Haley has the experience to run on the issues and dodge Trump. Haley can go the distance just like Cruz did.
I hope so. And Cruz would be good choice as vice president, in my opinion. Vivek would be a be excellent as Secretary of State.
If you want to make the rest of the world laugh at us.
As long as they move the WH to CanCun.
Hate to break it with you but the world is laughing at bend over Joe already.
Unbelievable.
Well he dropped out of the primary yesterday. Will be interesting to see what he jockeys for now. I could live with Haley as the presidential nominee, and maybe even Cruz as VP, but Vivek just endorsed Trump and is over the top about it. That leaves me not even wanting to see him in a janitorial role at the White House.
Vivek was, IMO, always running for V.P. (or some cabinet position in a Trump administration). This is exactly what I expected.
No surprise, CBS reporting with 90%of the vote in Trump takes Iowa, looks to be a race for 2nd between Desantis and Haley, I'm thinking who ever comes in 3rd and 4th are done.