I wish I hadn't voted already.

[Moiraine]

[Blackshirts007]

awwww sh#t, ROMNEY 2012

[JJ Husker]

There it is. I've been trying to tell you guys but, would you listen?

[BigRedBuster]

That's funny.

 

I lived in Iowa for 15 years. As much as I am interested in American politics, I got really sick and tired of it when I lived there. If you have never lived in a state like Iowa that is targeted by politicians, you should try it sometimes. It will open your eyes to how these people work.

[strigori]

For those of us in Omaha, its pretty close to living there. Our TV stations run all the ads for a chunk of the state of Iowa. We just get to miss the mailers and robo calls.

 

Why Iowa gets special treatment is something I don't understand, and needs to change. The rightwing nutjobs that dominate the GoP side of things there more or less eliminate any reasonable candidate. Less than 3000 votes if i remember correctly were cast in the GoP caucus and that is what is taking a huge factor in the race? insane.

[BigRedBuster]

Nut job is a term that can be used for both sides in that state as far as politics. if you think it's just on the GOP side, then you obviously haven't paid attention.

 

And, I'm not even necessarily talking about the campaigning from the candidates themselves. For the 2016 Presidential campaign, the candidates will start visiting Iowa next year. Yep...it never stops there. And, I never understood why Iowa and New Hampshire carry so much power.

 

I believe that should go around.

Here is my plan for Presidential campaigns after living in Iowa.

 

The order of primaries would be controlled by a Presidential election committee. This committee would hold a lottery similar to the NBA draft goes through. This lottery would be held 3.5 years before the election and the state that was first automatically is dropped to the last place in the next election. The other 49 states are put into a pool and the order is drawn out.

 

Now, The earliest a primary can be held is June 1st of the year of the election. All primaries are to be completed by August 1st. The candidates then have till the second Tuesday in November to campaign in the General election.

 

That makes this process from the first primary to the General election 4 months. It doesn't need to be any longer.

 

The power in the election is spread around and one state or region doesn't hold the power all the time.

 

The money that Iowa and New Hampshire now bring in from the media and candidates will get spread around.

 

Another idea I have toyed with is to have regional primaries and not state primaries. So, it still will be competed in 8 weeks but we have 8 regional primaries of states grouped together. One primary each week. That order would go through the same lottery system described earlier.

 

Oh...and....caucuses need to be outlawed.

[Creighton Duke]

How funny! One of the guys has a sign that says "Obama/Biden '08". Doesn't he know that that was FOUR years ago...or is this picture four years old...? Nah, that would make to much sense.

[Moiraine]

How funny! One of the guys has a sign that says "Obama/Biden '08". Doesn't he know that that was FOUR years ago...or is this picture four years old...? Nah, that would make to much sense.

 

Heh. Ya it's from 2008 (it was on yahoo today though).

[Conga3]

How funny! One of the guys has a sign that says "Obama/Biden '08". Doesn't he know that that was FOUR years ago...or is this picture four years old...? Nah, that would make to much sense.

 

Heh. Ya it's from 2008 (it was on yahoo today though).

When this happens I wonder if it's a computer script associating a picture with a story based on keywords (Obama, rally, Iowa) - or a REALLY lazy person picked an old photo for a recent news story...unless the story was about Iowa Hawkeyes parades for Obama in 2008? Then I'm not curious ...just disappointed.

 

Anyway, Iowa sucks.

 

GBR!

[strigori]

Nut job is a term that can be used for both sides in that state as far as politics. if you think it's just on the GOP side, then you obviously haven't paid attention.

 

And, I'm not even necessarily talking about the campaigning from the candidates themselves. For the 2016 Presidential campaign, the candidates will start visiting Iowa next year. Yep...it never stops there. And, I never understood why Iowa and New Hampshire carry so much power.

 

I believe that should go around.

Here is my plan for Presidential campaigns after living in Iowa.

 

The order of primaries would be controlled by a Presidential election committee. This committee would hold a lottery similar to the NBA draft goes through. This lottery would be held 3.5 years before the election and the state that was first automatically is dropped to the last place in the next election. The other 49 states are put into a pool and the order is drawn out.

 

Now, The earliest a primary can be held is June 1st of the year of the election. All primaries are to be completed by August 1st. The candidates then have till the second Tuesday in November to campaign in the General election.

 

That makes this process from the first primary to the General election 4 months. It doesn't need to be any longer.

 

The power in the election is spread around and one state or region doesn't hold the power all the time.

 

The money that Iowa and New Hampshire now bring in from the media and candidates will get spread around.

 

Another idea I have toyed with is to have regional primaries and not state primaries. So, it still will be competed in 8 weeks but we have 8 regional primaries of states grouped together. One primary each week. That order would go through the same lottery system described earlier.

 

Oh...and....caucuses need to be outlawed.

I stand by my nutjob assessment. It is far, far worse on the GoP side than on the Dem. The last two winners in Iowa caucus? Huckabee and Santorum. Neither one come close to being a sane candidate, and the kind of far right wing bend someone would have to take to win in Iowa rules out the best and brightest from that party. There are sensible moderates, but you wouldn't know it because they all keep quiet in fear of the nutjob element.