I already know who ONE winner in Iowa will be... Not a candidate.

[Bucky]

By turning into a tight contest, I think Iowa--is it called the Cornhusk State?--has put itself back on the political map. For the last few election cycles, Iowa was for Democrats essentially considered someone's back yard and thus sort of marginal to the national nomination process. New Hampshire was the big ticket item and Iowa at best became a thinning ground.

In 1988 it was Gephardt's, in '92 it was Harkin's. By locking up a regional vote and then going on to nothing else, they created a false political impression that Iowa wasn't such a big deal. In '96 and '00 incumbants ruled the process and the best the people of the (Cornsilk?) State could do is play along or join some hopeless protest candidate.

But this year New Hampshire was the regional/parochial contest. For the longest time three fellow Yankees dominated the buzz there and the three Southern and two Midwestern candidates couldn't crack the ice. (Clark has changed that, but only once everyone left town; and Edwards is starting to pick up, but mostly on account of his performance in Iowa, the Corncob State).

Iowans have now made their state (which is far more urbanized and far more representatitive of the country), the more exciting of the two first contests by not falling in for the local-most guy this time. It's a real horse race, the first place where the presumed frontrunner with the bucks and the bodies can be held back. Clinton was the first presidential candidate to bypass The Cornear State with no noticeable effect. Clark and Lieberman may be the last ones to ever do so.

Besides whoever gets the most delegates, the real winner this year may be Iowa, the Corndog State.

[iowapeacechief]

1. Corny slurs allowed?

But you're right. The Iowa caucuses is a real test this time.

[not systems]

2. Cornhusk State? Nope. That is Nebraska. n/t

[acmavm]

3. Nebraska - Cornhuskers, Iowa - Hawkeyes

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