Iowa Caucus Guy’s Presidential Election Blog

Living in Iowa, the Caucus has always been something I write about.  I love all manner of Presidential politics, but I have branded my writing around the Caucus, since I have such an upfront view of it. It is an important part of Iowa's role in the nation. So, little doubt why it showed up again as the headline story of the Des Moines Register this past Sunday.  While I know it would be inaccurate reporting to gloss over the failings of the Iowa Caucus, I think many Iowa media outlets delight in the 'trainwreck' aspect. The article highlights words like 'fiasco' and 'disaster'.  Yet it leaves out any mention of the App and the usage of it, nor does it mention that things were complicated when the -for-private-use- phone numbers were shared online, and  lines were jammed by trolls and National media. Some Dems I know will tell you that they want change too, but I think much of the furor comes from the outside looking in.  There was a t...

I have never read Maureen Dowd at length, but how could I resist this cover. Most of us are probably not nostalgic for 2016 just yet, but at some point, politicos will want to examine how Trump got elected, and this will be a good reference point. Seemingly better equipped candidates like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio (and even Hillary Clinton) underestimated Trump's populist appeal and 'straight-talk' style. In retrospect, they would surely not have misjudged him.  While I don't think Trump has been able to fully transition those skills as President (I often wonder if Trump had pivoted to the Center, how his approval rating would have changed), one should look at Trump's strengths and how he exploited his opponents' weaknesses. Whether you like the guy or not, his style brought in the crowds for sure, and the good news for the Democrats, is that no one hanging in the GOP wings looks to have Trump's charisma. As far as Dowd, she is quite astute.  She...

I pondered what to do next with this blog as the Caucus has ended. Things surely did not go as I planned.  One of the largest, most interesting Democratic fields in history was winnowed pretty quick.  Iowa, often a battleground state, seems to be checkmarked  either as a red state or a less interesting purple state. I will continue to share humorous and interesting stories from the campaign trail, but is there even going to be a Trail in these pandemic days.  Perhaps, we are back to the 1880s when candidates like James Garfield and William McKinley gave speeches from their Front Porch . When I talk about politics, the part I love is the campaign itself.  I read a lot of books related to Presidential campaigns, and I thought it was a no brainer to share some reviews here.  I am going to try to add one each Wednesday.  We will see how it goes.  I often try to leave my opinion out of my blog (as much as I can) but of course, it will seep ...