Iowa holds its own Cockus

GET IT?!

Merry Caucsmas to anyone caucusing. May you…do whatever it is you are supposed to do.

I guess we can put all discussion on Iowa returns here. Mostly I just wanted to write that headline. Anyone else gnawing off their fingernails because they’re worried we’re about to be trapped in a Biden and Mayo Pete sandwich?

History lesson:

2016:

• Hillary Clinton (23 delegates), Bernie Sanders (21 delegates)
• Ted Cruz (8 delegates), President Fuckface (7 delegates)

2012:

• Obama – basically unopposed
• Ron Paul (22), Mitt Romney (6) – Rick Santorum got more of the vote because of complicated caucus ass shit didn’t get any delegates.

2008:

• Obama (16), Clinton (15), John Edwards (14)
• Mike Huckabee (17), Mitt Romney (12), John McCain (3) (and more)

2004:

• John Kerry (20), John Edwards (18), Howard Dean (7)
• GW Bush – unopposed

2000:

• Al Gore (29), Bill Bradley (18)
• GW Bush (10), Steve Forbes (7), Alan Keyes (4) (and more)

1996:

• Clinton – unopposed
• Well I can’t figure out a goddamn delegate count (or maybe theye didn’t do that back then?), but: Bob Dole (26%), Pat Buchanan (23%), Lamar Alexander (17%) (and more)

1992:

• Tom Harkin (26), uncommitted – what? (17), Bill Clinton (7)
• George HW Bush – unopposed

1988:

• Dick Gephardt (28%), Paul Simon (24%), Michael Dukakis (21%), Jesse Jackson (17%)
• Dole (37%), Pat Robertson (25%), Bush (19%), Jack Kemp (11%)

Some observations – the Democrat who wins Iowa tends to win the nomination – or rather, the last time that hasn’t happened was ’92. The same is not true for the Republicans. Republicans seem to run a higher number of viable/popular candidates in their primaries – Democrats tend to have a couple of them just dominate and all the other ones get almost nothing. In some ways, what we are experiencing this year is fairly normal for the Republican primary.

Notes for today:

• Bernie seems to have a slim lead over Biden, depending on what poll you’re looking at, but it’s anyone’s game. Also, since it’s not winner-take-all, second place is an OK place to be.
• Warren’s people are watching people’s kids while they caucus. Because duh!
• Why are Yang’s rallies not called Yangbangs?