Monday, February 1, 2016

Iowa Caucus Results

Ted Cruz has pulled out a victory but that is a mixed blessing.  Only one Republican who won the Iowa Caucus - excepting those who were unopposed - went on to win the Presidency.

George Bush won it in 1980 but Reagan became the nominee

Reagan wasn't opposed in 1984

Bob Dole won it in 1988 but George Bush became the nominee

Bush was unopposed in 1992.

Dole won in 1996 and then went on to lose to the incumbent, President Clinton

George W. Bush won in 2000 and went all the way.  There's your path, Ted!  It is an ugly path that did not end well.

George W. Bush was unopposed in 2004.

Mike Huckabee won it in 2008 but McCain became the nominee.

Rick Santorum won in 2012 but Romney got the nomination.

Trump and Rubio are still sorting out 2nd and 3rd place.

Among the Democrats, Hillary currently has a slight lead.  However, the Democrat winner of the Iowa Caucus has always been the eventual nominee since 1996.  And it didn't really count in 1992 because Tom Harkin, an Iowa Senator, was running and demolished everyone.  If Hillary can hold on to her lead, history is on her side for being the Democratic candidate.
 
Already, Huckabee (R) and O'Malley (D) are suspending their campaigns.  Now that the voters have spoken, the culling will being in earnest.  Huckabee pulled better numbers than Christie and Santorum.  Christie has some hope of improvement in New Hampshire but Santorum needs to call it quits.  Beyond the top three Republicans, Carson and Paul showed best.  Kasich is polling well in New Hampshire and may reboot there.  I don't know what Jeb's plan is; I can hardly wait to hear him spin this into a positive.

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