So why am I thinking about the caucuses on Christmas Eve? I'm not really sure, but it seems to be all I can think about lately. With presidential candidates invading towns statewide and one of them even moving to the state, all the political attention is on Iowa...and it's just getting started.
January 3, 2008, Iowa once again becomes first in the nation...first to caucus, first to elect delegates, and first to set the tone for the upcoming election year. Though the results of the Iowa Caucuses don't necessary effect the presidential elections or even have any direct correlation, it is udeniable that they are important nonetheless. In past years, the caucus results have caused some candidates to pull out of the race and even helped candidates who weren't even in the picture. According to the Des Moines Register Caucus History page, "Since 1972 the eventual nominee of each party has been among the top three finishers in Iowa."
With the early date, candidates have been spending most of their December in Iowa. Not only are they basically forced to spend their holdays in this bitterly cold state, but they've invested millions of dollars to campaign here; Democratic Chris Dodd (US Senator for Connecticut) even moved his family into a Des Moines home.
I'm going to attmept to keep this brief because I have the weeks ahead to report on polls, campaigns, results, etc.
Young Iowans, are you going to Caucus???
As I sit here and write this, my younger brother's 19-year-old friend looked over my shoulder and exclaimed, "Am I going to caucus?..No, I barely have time to vote, why would I waste my time caucusing." It's statements like this that really make me wonder if the young vote is going to be represented on January 3.
The caucuses are a process based largely on tradition; they can be confusing and they take an hour or two out of a person's evening, which is why it's understandable that they're not all that appealing to 18-24 year-olds. Then there's the factor that college students may be back home in other states for their winter break, and won't be able to be in Iowa for the caucus. However, Young Voter PAC, a Democratic based young voters group led by my Nebraska Street Team colleague, Jane Fleming-Kleeb, is willing to help out-of-state student with gas and hotel expenses if they want to come back to Iowa and caucus.
Whether you're an Iowa college student from another state, a first-time voter, or any other part of our young vote, the caucuses happening in a couple of weeks are important and this is your opportunity to do your part and let your voice be heard. Learn all about the process here if you're confused (it's actually pretty fascinating), then go represent your candidate on January 3.
Other Helpful Caucus Resources:
First in the Nation Caucus Site (Iowa Democratic Party)
Des Moines Register - Caucus Coverage and Resources
GOP Caucus Site