SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2016
Ready, Set, Go!
That 30-Day Dash when Iowa becomes the center of the political universe has finally started, and today, everybody’s begun counting the final days until the 2016 Iowa Presidential Caucuses on February 1.
The Hill’s Jonathan Easley says Presidential candidates are in an all-out sprint, campaigns are sharpening their attacks, doubling down on time and resources spent in the state, and placing their final bets on the ad buys and infrastructure they hope will bolster their get-out-the-vote efforts. Political watchers are expecting a record GOP turnout at the caucuses, as well as a substantial winnowing of the field in the weeks that follow the February 1 vote. [READ MORE HERE]
Also at The Hill, Ben Kamisar says GOP candidates for the White House are scrambling for a strategy to 1,236. That’s the number of delegates a Republican needs to win the GOP presidential nomination and prevent a chaotic convention in Cleveland. It’s been nearly 40 years since a Republican contest came down to the convention, but it’s conceivable that this year’s wild race featuring front-runner Donald Trump could be decided by GOP delegates in July. [READ MORE]
But Whistleblower Hawkeye Bureau Chief Jan Michelson remembers The Blower’s coverage of those Raucous Caucuses four years ago, when the tied results were what The Blower had predicted: Mitt Romney eked out an eight-vote victory over Rick Santorum, whom Charles Krauthammer predicted had a 1-50 chance of being the nominee. Ron Paul’s camp spun: “My third place finish was nothing to be ashamed of,” after which our Quote for Today Committee chose as its quote the day: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Fourth-place Newt Gingrich was furious, and sources say he’s plotting an Anti-Romney Alliance with Santorum. Fifth place Rick Perry headed back to Texas to re-assess his campaign, after spending $407-per-vote, more than all the other candidates combined. Michelle Bachmann said “Bye-Bye” after coming in sixth, and Jon Huntsman easily secured seventh place with his one percent of the vote. Noted Iowa Political Reporter Ypsen Tadwell said that after all the hype, Iowa’s 25 delegate count stood at: Romney (6), Santorum (6), Paul (6), Gingrich (4), and Perry (3). How many delegates will the Republican nominee need— in 2012, it was only 1144. Right-wing Radio Talk Show Host Rushmore Limbaugh said when John McCain endorses Romney it would symbolize much of what the GOP base doesn’t want in its 2012 nominee. And The Blower said, “Wake up, TEA Partiers!
More Totally Fascinating Political History Later
