Iowa, insisting on having the first primary or caucus in the country, likes to think it chooses the parties' nominees (with only the 10 or 15 percent of its eligible voters actually turning out). Four years ago they picked Kerry as their Democratic choice, and all the rest of the states went into thumb-suck mode and said, "Well, OK, let's pick Kerry too." And he went through hell, and lost anyway.Anything could happen tonight (yeah, the caucuses start at 7 p.m., and too bad if you've got to be at work then, you ain't votin'). The poll numbers are close for Clinton, Edwards and Obama, and they're swirling around like crazy; some polls predict Obama on top, some... well you can figure it out.
But I think a lot of us are fed up with this notion that Iowa sets the tone. I get to pick my prom king or queen next month, and I'm just contrary enough to vote for the candidate I truly like best, even if it's not the one chosen in Iowa.
Except I don't know who I like best.
Never mind what I said, Iowa. You can make my choice tonight.
Oh, right. This is a food blog.
So here is a picture of nutritious Iowa food.
Lucky thing I eat locally. No tasty Cow Chips for me, thanks.
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15 comments:
Hmmmm. You mean you aren't supposed to vote for the candidate that you like the best? Perhaps that's what I've been doing wrong...
I talked to my aunt last night. She was manning some phones for a particular female candidate there, and her partner was knocking on doors. And...my aunt lives in Chicago! (Chicago is in another of those boring midwestern "I" states that is not Iowa.) It is what she felt she could do, not being able to otherwise sway the nomination.
And who says you have to be totally on-topic in your blog posts?
--el
That corn candle should be on the table when they serve the famous Girl Scout candlestick salad: half a banana, topped with a cherry, placed vertically atop a lettuce leaf with mayo dressing. And what IS that on the lower left?
What disturbs me most about the Iowa caucus is the enormous amount of money spent there leading to this run-up.
Dagny: Silly girl. It's never your choice. Let the men take care of everything.
El: If caucusing weren't so byzantine and exclusionary, maybe... But it's an undemocratic system with peculiar rules (no absentee votes, sorry soldier). I say let the Iowans do whatever they want tonight, but let the media grow a brain and not anoint our nominee based on the results.
Kudzu: That thing on the lower left looks like a corn doll. Heh. Fun!
Yeah, too, too much money spent on one state (and don't you think that's why they're so tenacious about their first-in-the-country status?). I think it's a house of cards by this time. Ready to fall.
Your electoral system makes my head hurt, I've not a chance of ever understading it.
Bah Humbug. I'm just gonna write in Al Gore.
Can I vote for the one I fancy the most please?
Oh, I forgot I can't vote. Maybe just as well. Although I am beginning to understand the system a wee bit more after 7 years here. At least I know what GOP stands for these days. Clever me. Duh.
Lewis Black proposes the following means of choosing the President:
The winner of American Idol, upon winning, throws a dart at a big map of America. Wherever the dart lands, a chimp is then dropped from a plane and parachutes down to the ground. The first person the chimp holds hands with is the next President.
Tell me how that makes less sense than the current method...
Morgan: It's only Iowa that makes it so crazy, and even Iowa Republicans do a much more straightforward job of it...
Mimi: Oh, I don't think President Gore can run for a third term. :D
Sam: Let me know who you fancy...
GOP = God's Own People.
Feh.
Peter: Why, that's fantastic. I'm, I'm... President! Thank you Lewis Black. Thank you chimp.
I always vote for the loser, anyway, so I've become discouraged. And our system really _is_ wacky, Iowa or no Iowa!
I've been pulling for Obama since 2004. I'm glad to see finally got around to agreeing with me.
Frankly, I enjoyed watching the caucus bruhaha -- it was like watching spring training and getting pumped for the season. Or watching previews and deciding which movies I will be seeing when they finally come out in five or seven months.
CC,
chuckle
your blog is about to get reaaaaaalyyyyyy fun.
i can smell it!
Damn -- I killed my own joke. IOWA! I meant to say I'm glad IOWA finally got around to agreeing with me.
Sigh.
Zoomie: Oh, were you a Deaniac too? :-)
Stephanie: That Iowa thing got my juices up. I hate sitting around in my pajamas in front of the computer in my mother's basement (oh, wait, no -- that would be the definition of a *blogger*) waiting for the next news cycle. Hurryhurryc'mon!
Kevin: I'm not funny, IT'S funny.
ceF: I'll hold back a little. Don't wanna run off all my regular readers, the Pickle Posse.
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