Petty and Vindictive
As you might imagine, I have plenty to say about the Iowa Caucuses and how our state and its Democrats have been treated by the national party.
But let’s just start with this.
Back in the 1988 campaign, Joe Biden’s run for president was derailed during an appearance at the Iowa State Fair, where he plagiarized comments made by a British leader. He had to drop out shortly after that misstep in Iowa.
Then came 2008, when the Biden campaign came to an abrupt end the night of the Iowa Caucuses, with the then-Senator suspending his campaign due to an abysmal showing.
Fast forward to 2020, and the former vice president was back in the pack in Iowa, well underperforming expectations…the same thing happened the next week in New Hampshire. It was only through intervention of popular local black politicians in South Carolina that Biden’s failing effort was saved, with a win in that state’s primary.
So now the president tells his party that South Carolina should move to the head of the pack, dislodging Iowa from the first-in-the-nation role it has held for a full half century, with a pretty good predictor of ultimate winners—think Obama and Carter, for starters–plus other eventual party nominees.
The national party has had it in for Iowa for a long time, because our citizens cannot be controlled in the way the party pros would like. Now, in a true political payback, this president awards the crown jewel to the state that was nice to him…taking it away from the state that rejected him in three caucuses, and one national election.
In the end, it’s nothing more complicated than that. This has nothing to do with openness, transparency, or access. It’s a mean spirited political ploy, and should be exposed for what it is. More tomorrow.
