Iowa? Where is it?

Gale Collins had a very interesting and head scratching Op-Ed in the NY Times today. She ass the question what about Iowa and why should we care. And she is talking about the Iowa Republican caucuses.

She points out there are about, on a good clear and sunny day, a hundred thousand caucus participants. A population less than Boise, Idaho. Mostly white. Mostly affluent. Mostly overly religious. Mostly old. A segment of the social spectrum that is quickly becoming a minority. Insignificant. Irrelevant. Unyielding and stodgy.

Will the African-American community care? Will the Hispanic community care? Will L A, New York, Houston, or Chicago care? No, no, no, and no.

So why are there thousands of TV, cable, and print news media hounds floating about and all those satellite trucks parked hither and yon all over Iowa? Well, just watch the nightly news. It sells ads. It fills in all the blank spaces in the news. It’s reality TV and it’s cheap to produce. Most of all millions of Americans have nothing better to do but watch mindless broadcast and cable news. And is better than Desperate Housewives.

Fifty years ago Iowa was billed as the first voter’s poll. Back then when a more moderate voter attended the caucuses. Sometimes giving a reasonable cross section of Middle America thinking. Not so anymore. It has not followed the sociological and ethnic trends. Thus rendering it out of touch. Caught in a political time warp. Meaningless and almost silly. Iowa! Get a life!