Talk:Iowa caucuses

{{WikiProject United States|class=B|importance=|IA=yes|IA-importance=High}}

It would be nice if someone could remove the version which contains the pornography (23:33, 3 January 2008 65.79.135.239); I just UNDID it, but it should be removed completely, if someone can do that. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.215.250.142 (talk)

How do you get the loser who put the porno stuff on here forever banned?

Election winner versus popular vote winner

There is a ton to debate on this issue, and I don't care to do it. I think it's important to have the actual president highligted in the section, but would be willing to compromise with an "*won popular vote" after Gore if you think it is prudent. - Jaysus Chris 21:06, 9 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many political scientists and other academics in their calculations of prediction systems for presidential elections classify 2000 as a "win" for Gore since it is the popular vote that they are predicting. This is important, esp. in this context. pls leave this info. EdwinHJ | Talk 02:30, 10 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To be clear, the highlighted candidate in the Past Winners section of the Iowa Caucus article is the candidate who won the popular vote for their party's nomination? If that's the case, I think we just need to make that a little more clear and we're in complete agreement. I was under the impression that you were trying to indicate who won the general election. - Jaysus Chris 04:26, 10 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The distinction of Al Gore as the 2000 popular vote winner is no more relevant in the context of the Iowa caucus than it is to show George Bush as the winner of the presidency. To eliminate the appearance of political bias this distinction should be removed or it should be added that George Bush was elected president by the electoral college.

Native American word???

I'm deleting this sentence:

The term "caucus" used in this sense is believed to be a Native American word meaning "a meeting of tribal leaders."

A Native American word? That's like saying "a European word" or "an Asian word". A short glance at Native American languages shows that there are, to put it mildly, quite a few Native American languages. You'd think an encyclopedia would say which word and in which language, for example "the word xxxx in Creek, meaning yyyy". Also, the phrase "is believed to be" is suspect at best. Also, see the Caucus article for further etymological theories. --Smithfarm 17:41, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Iowa was rarely first

Hell, the Republicans have had earlier caucuses most of the elections between 1976 and '04. 1996 is an excellent case in point. Buchanan's victories in the little attended Alaska and Louisiana caucuses prior to Iowa were pivotal to his later successes, the same thing with Pat Robertson's victory in Hawaii in 1988. For one moment in time, it looked like they could go all the way.

huh?

"While they have been a financial 'boon' to the state, (the candidates have spent sometimes years campaigning) the political value of the Iowa caucuses has gone up and down over the years. In 1988, for example, the candidates who eventually won the nominations of both parties came in a poor third, and Walter Mondale in 1984, Bob Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000, all of whom went on to win the nomination, were badly beaten in New Hampshire."

Financial BOON? I thought the word was "boom"? Badly beaten in New Hampshire? I thought the article was on Iowa? 201.21.96.49 13:00, 12 March 2007 (UTC) ŠŠŠŠŠŠŠŠŠ[reply]

The word is boon, meaning "good thing". Boom is a different word, meaning "the sound an explosion makes". And the article is on Iowa and its consequences, and New Hampshire is partly a consequence of Iowa. - Shaheenjim (talk) 05:10, 18 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Iowa not first?

The article currently says, "While the Democrats have tried to preserve the position of Iowa and New Hampshire in their nominating schedules, the Republicans have not. Alaska and Hawaii generally have their caucuses before Iowa." What? I thought Iowa was first. I think it's first this season (2008). Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008 says Iowa's caucus is January 3, 2008, then Alaska isn't until February 5, 2008, and Hawaii isn't until March 2, 2008. - Shaheenjim (talk) 05:12, 18 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This transition is very confusing.

The section titled: Republican Party process reads:

For the Republicans, the Iowa caucus follows (and should not be confused with) the Iowa Straw Poll in August of the preceding year...

But the next paragraph begins:

The Republican caucuses are a straw poll where each voter casts his or her vote by secret ballot...

This is really unclear. I changed it to "In the Republican caucuses, each voter casts his or her vote by secret ballot..." because mentioning a "straw poll" again just seems to contradict the previous statement.

--Jrgsf (talk) 13:36, 24 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Past winners

Why does the Past winners section only go back to 1972? Kingturtle (talk) 16:20, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Time of caucus in 2008

I've put in the time that the Democratic caucus starts, sourced from CNN. I don't know when the Republican caucus starts, but I'll try to find it. --Elperlman (talk) 16:57, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Controversy update

I think the controversy section could use some work. The section lists a laundry list of criticism, but the last sentence could really use its own section, or least a much more prominent part of the controversy section. I propose expanding this criticism, and filling in the other side's argument (e.g., the value of retail politics (http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/12/why-iowa-a-defense-of-the-iowa-caucuses/)). This item is by far the most prominent of the controversy items, and therefore deserves more attention. --Elindstr (talk) 18:01, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Soldiers "lose" their vote?

I have a problem with this sentence: "Absentee voting is also barred, so soldiers who come from Iowa, but must serve in the military lose their vote."

First off, it needs a comma, but more importantly, how can a soldier "lose" something he never had? The sentence assumes that primaries are the normal thing and therefore these weird caucuses cause people to "lose" their votes. It would be better to say they don't have a vote or can't vote. 68.219.59.81 (talk) 23:26, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's not the only problem with that sentence. Each soldier is entitled to a vote, so the soldiers do not "lose their vote". They "lose their votes." This "singular they" crap is now so out of control that some people seem to have forgotten how to use plurals altogether. 170.140.210.108 (talk) 23:46, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Vandalism on page

'RAPTOR JESUS' whatever the heck that nonsense is, appeared when I loaded the page. I consider the small paragraph to be out of place, not pertinent to the topic of the page, and senseless vandalism. I hope someone removes it soon. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.240.207.71 (talk) 23:41, 3 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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