Why Iowa Has Become Such a Heartbreaker for Democrats

[pstokely]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/us/politics/iowa-democrats-republicans.html

"Many Democrats now believe that Iowa is all but lost to the party, and that it is time to let go, a view driving a fierce debate over whether to drop the state’s presidential caucuses from their leadoff role in 2024 and beyond. Iowa is small and unrepresentative, more than 90 percent white, and the 2020 election showed that Democrats’ future is in the Sun Belt, with its racially diverse electorate and college-educated suburbanites.

Other party strategists are quick to note that Mr. Biden barely won his two Sun Belt pickup states last year, Georgia and Arizona, and that the party can’t afford to bleed more of its traditional voters while making only tenuous inroads with a new constituency.

What’s the matter with Iowa, and by extension much of the northern Midwest, for Democrats? Many officials say the party’s cataclysmic losses stem from the erosion in quality of life in rural places like Des Moines County and small cities like Burlington, which are a microcosm for a hollowing out that has led to sweeping political realignments in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Schools have closed, rural hospitals are cutting all but bare-bones care, and young people with college degrees have fled for opportunities in Des Moines or Chicago. Employers have backfilled jobs with immigrants, often after weakening unions and cutting pay."

[LonePirate]

1. It's long past time we removed Iowa from its first in the nation status.

It is simply ridiculous for our party to keep a 90% white state as the first nominating contest, especially since that state will not be voting blue in November 2024 or anytime soon after.

[bottomofthehill]

3. We should remove caucuses period

They are a fucking train wreck. I worked 2 jobs for most of my early life. It was hard enough to vote when tie polls were open 12 hours a day let alone a 2 hour caucus.

[msongs]

2. ummm, all these bad things happening are result of republican policies. doh!

"Schools have closed, rural hospitals are cutting all but bare-bones care, and young people with college degrees have fled for opportunities in Des Moines or Chicago. Employers have backfilled jobs with immigrants, often after weakening unions and cutting pay."

[Probatim]

4. When all the radio stations are blaring Rush Limbaugh 24/7, it

deflects anger away from those policies.

When critical thinking skills are "learned" from hate radio and not school and your own experiences, this is the inevitable course.

[onetexan]

5. Theres no critical thinking, its nonexistent

With RW radio as u mentioned. Indoctrination involves no critical thinking. The indoctrinator does it for you.

[agincourt]

6. I grew up there

my theory is that the racist's and brown-shirt fanboys didn't vote like 20 years ago. With the Trump-shit ascendant they finally found someone awful enough for them to vote for. Ditto for Nebraska.