Iowa Caucus Guy’s Presidential Election Blog

The election may or may not be over depending on who you talk to, but people on all sides for the most part are ready to put this thing to bed.  Even as much as I love this stuff, I am ready to put this bed to. 2020 was a good reminder to me that while Presidential elections are sexy, local elections are often much more impactful in our lives. Despite Democrats’ best wishes (as well conversely for the other side) there were no great revelations. Texas was never in play. There was no ‘blue wave’ nor a ‘red wave’.  The story inevitably is Arizona and Georgia flipping from Red to Blue. Georgia going Democratic for the first time since 1992. Arizona going Blue for only the second time (1996) since Truman was in the White House. As an Iowan who generally leans left, the Hawkeye state provides an interesting case. At six electoral votes, Iowa has seemingly been inconsequential, but with a reputation as a ‘purple’ state offers enough of a potential swing that Obama brought Bruce Springsteen

It all comes down to this.  37 months ago, John Delaney kicked off a campaign that posited that a Moderate Democrat could be the next President. Three years after ridicule of John’s quixotic run and promises of free college, free healthcare and Universal Basic Income, the next President may end up being a moderate Democrat. Mike Pence made one last trip to Des Moines on Friday afternoon with an agenda of Faith and Jobs (covered separately, I presume). The liberal Progress Iowa once again came through with a billboard for the occasion. This time proclaiming “Just one night of unprotected Pence can cause COVID."  Of course, one of the headlines of this cycle was two nights before, 135 miles away in Omaha. The headlines read that thousands of people (many seniors) were stranded for hours waiting for a bus to get them back to their cars. Many had waited hours prior to the rally and now unexpectedly were waiting in 32 degree weather.  You might expect me to be critical here, but the n