Iowa Caucus - MONDAY

[neverfstop]

I guess it's time to discuss it....

• DeSantis has focused all of his (last ditch) efforts here to show up 2nd. He has governor's endorsement.
• Trump is still polling like 30% above everybody else, so he's projected to win.  Plus polling strong among evangelical voters & being pushed by pastors
• The weather is expected to be AWFUL and could really skew turnout even more than usual
• Should we all just ignore Iowa? I with the GOP would move towards a better & more representative 1st state with a primary 

Corrected to say MONDAY...I was assuming it was Tuesday, but it's being held on MLK day.

[lilac05]

Please ignore Iowa.

Signed,

An Iowan who wishes she wasn’t

[erbear]

Iowa should not hold the first caucus.

[SusanBAnthony]

I caucused in IA in high school and college..fond memories.

My parents and all the family friends I have in IA still love it.... But all Dems so 🤷

My dad is now retired. He has too much time on his hands, and really hates Kimmy. I'm trying to convince him to make sitting at the IA capital with hilarious signs that poke fun at Kimmy his new hobby.

#offtopic

[turboteal]

I wonder if the not Trump candidates will use the weather/turnout as an excuse for not winning, assuming Trump does.

[turboteal]

They called it for Trump like 30 mins in, with 1% reporting lol. Race for 2nd seems tight between Desantis and Haley. Seems like turnout was pretty good actually?

[lilac05]

Jan 15, 2024 21:29:19 GMT -5 turboteal said:

They called it for Trump like 30 mins in, with 1% reporting lol. Race for 2nd seems tight between Desantis and Haley. Seems like turnout was pretty good actually?

Well, Trump told his supporters "if you pass away, it's worth it." 

It's really, REALLY cold here, but that doesn't keep most people home when they are walking from their car to a building. Roads are still pretty dicey in some places, but again, it's winter in Iowa...that doesn't really impact much, especially since the snow isn't actively falling.

Our local Moms for Liberty leader apparently suggested some conspiracy that someone was controlling the weather to decrease voter turnout. No, idiot...your party is the one reducing voter turnout by requiring that everyone be at the same place at the same time. Screw other obligations like work or life.

[neverfstop]

Trump won 98 of 99 counties.

Haley came in 3rd, but did win the 1 county by 1 vote.

Turnout was at a record low.

On to New Hampshire next week.

[underwaterrhymes]

I hate all of this so much.

[ECB]

The coverage this morning said how all his legal troubles are actually rallying voters around him. I will never stop being baffled by people who support him.

"Biden's SON has legal problems - Biden is a bad man, vote him out! Trump HIMSELF has legal problems - oh, nothing to see here! Just go about your day!"

[dutchgirl678]

Turnout was 40% lower in Iowa compared to 2016 and only 110k people turned out to caucus. That is not just because of the weather.

ETA: And while he won, 50% of caucus goers voted for someone else.

[erbear]

Jan 16, 2024 9:14:33 GMT -5 ECB said:

The coverage this morning said how all his legal troubles are actually rallying voters around him. I will never stop being baffled by people who support him.

"Biden's SON has legal problems - Biden is a bad man, vote him out! Trump HIMSELF has legal problems - oh, nothing to see here! Just go about your day!"

I was just thinking this reading about today’s legal woes. I actually think it’s helping him — people are tired of it (because he is NEVER being held accountable) that I think people are starting to actually believe the “political witch-hunt” mantra, even those who don’t really support him. This is not to say that the legal system shouldn’t continue to hold him responsible, but without any convictions, ever, I think this is helping Trump.

What a shitshow.

[eddy]

I am so grateful it is over. That is all. Move along candidates. 

Also it is an absolute disgrace how much money goes into something that culled 100,000 votes. The amount of ads we have had to put up with was just utter insanity. 

@@@

My son watched an ad over and over and over again about attacking trans children that was a Ron DeSantis ad. It was on anything he watch regardless if it was an obvious kid show. Absolutely disgusting, all of it. 

[neverfstop]

Jan 16, 2024 9:59:51 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am so grateful it is over. That is all. Move along candidates. 

Also it is an absolute disgrace how much money goes into something that culled 100,000 votes. The amount of ads we have had to put up with was just utter insanity. 

@@@

My son watched an ad over and over and over again about attacking trans children that was a Ron DeSantis ad. It was on anything he watch regardless if it was an obvious kid show. Absolutely disgusting, all of it. 

 ALL OF IT....the political economy is expected to spend $16B on the 2024 election.  Just think what we could do with that money.  How many school lunches or healthcare or other important issues we could fund if we weren't trying to buy politicians. 

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/2024-election-ad-spending-record

[eddy]

Jan 16, 2024 12:11:39 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Jan 16, 2024 9:59:51 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am so grateful it is over. That is all. Move along candidates. 

Also it is an absolute disgrace how much money goes into something that culled 100,000 votes. The amount of ads we have had to put up with was just utter insanity. 

@@@

My son watched an ad over and over and over again about attacking trans children that was a Ron DeSantis ad. It was on anything he watch regardless if it was an obvious kid show. Absolutely disgusting, all of it. 

 ALL OF IT....the political economy is expected to spend $16B on the 2024 election.  Just think what we could do with that money.  How many school lunches or healthcare or other important issues we could fund if we weren't trying to buy politicians. 

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/2024-election-ad-spending-record

And it isn't even money well spent. It is just spending money because they have it. 

[wildrice]

Jan 16, 2024 9:42:23 GMT -5 dutchgirl678 said:

Turnout was 40% lower in Iowa compared to 2016 and only 110k people turned out to caucus. That is not just because of the weather.

ETA: And while he won, 50% of caucus goers voted for someone else.

This just drives home how ridiculous the whole thing is. So he got around 50k votes from white Republicans. Why should we think this represents anything? 

It's true that he will likely be the nominee, but I am doubtful he will end up with any kind of landslide victory. 

[lilac05]

Jan 16, 2024 12:11:39 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Jan 16, 2024 9:59:51 GMT -5 eddy said:

I am so grateful it is over. That is all. Move along candidates. 

Also it is an absolute disgrace how much money goes into something that culled 100,000 votes. The amount of ads we have had to put up with was just utter insanity. 

@@@

My son watched an ad over and over and over again about attacking trans children that was a Ron DeSantis ad. It was on anything he watch regardless if it was an obvious kid show. Absolutely disgusting, all of it. 

 ALL OF IT....the political economy is expected to spend $16B on the 2024 election.  Just think what we could do with that money.  How many school lunches or healthcare or other important issues we could fund if we weren't trying to buy politicians. 

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/2024-election-ad-spending-record

I just saw on Instagram that Sharon McMahon’s community raised just over $1 million dollars to give to RIP Medical Debt and she just got notification that it paid of $170 MILLION in medical debt. 142,830 people got a letter in the mail letting them know that their medical debt had been forgiven. GONE.

It’s infuriating to think of the million ways that the money could be spent that would actually benefit people…but instead, they spend it on mailers that get trashed immediately and radio/TV/social media ads that people spend more time trying to avoid than watch. $123 million dollars wasted…and I think that’s only on ads.