The Naked Truth
columnist: EJ Moosa

Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Why Iowa Makes Perfect Sense

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Why the Iowa Caucus is a Great Laboratory for us to Study the Candidates

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by EJ Moosa
(Libertarian)
Monday, December 31, 2007

I have read many articles complaining about the Iowa Caucus process. "Why Iowa?", people ask. "They are not representative of the rest of America".

Maybe not. But what we should be watching for are the answers to the questions that will arise from watching the Iowa Caucus take place.

Some candidates, who know that they are not likely to do well there have already written it off. I call those candidates "quitters". If they do not like the outcome that they think will occur, they quit. Candidates such as Guilliani, that have dismissed Iowa, and chose to focus elsewhere. Is that the sort of person you want as President? Not me.

Then there are those like Romney, who feel that they are going to spend their way to the top. He has outspent his opponents by a tremendous margin, buying up air time in Iowa as if there is no tomorrow. Yet he has not secured the lead. Is this the way he would be as President? Using money to get his way? Has he managed his funds prudently? What bang for his buck has he really gotten?

And what of Huckabee, who when he had his faith surge in the polls, and attributed it to God? What will he attribute to God if he finishes second or, God forbid, third? Will his rhetoric swing further into areas to motivate the religious right while alienating others? Will he now say that the anti-God movement has attacked him?

Then there is Ron Paul. Written off before the process began. Working diligently to convey a consistent message. If he finishes well, will he become arrogant and cocksure, or will he continue the same course as many expect him to do? Will he do well in the media spotlght that is sure to ensue?

How will the candidates make adjustments after Iowa? Will they "Stay the Course" even if the course is failing? Will they make the necessary adjustments to get their campaigns on track? Will they make excuses for not meeting expectations? Will they work harder going forward?

The Iowa Caucus is the chance for us, the American people, to see people who are used to winning, who are used to having their way, who are used to being in charge, and how they respond to the pressure. We cannot afford to learn that a candidate is a quitter after he is elected. We cannot afford to see any of the characteristics of a bad leader when we can no longer change our minds. We cannot afford to have a candidate spend our way out of difficult times.

Iowa gives us the opportunity to judge for ourselves what leadership skills each candidate has. Some winners will self destruct after Iowa. Not many Iowa caucus winners go on to become President.

Some losers will regroup and show their true strengths. Some will quit and go away. All of these things "We the People" need to know before we really select the candidate who will be the next President.

If we had primaries of two or more states to start things off, everything would be "spun" to such a degree, that only "We the People" would be the losers. We would not be able to sort out the truth from the fiction. It's going to be hard enough doing that with just the Iowa Caucus. We already know some will claim a victory by finishing second or third. The key is that Iowa is not about winning. No team would declare victory because they took their lead during their first posession of the game. It is about how well you execute a game plan that is meant to go the distance. It is about how well you adjust to the conditions, now and in the future. Iowa will show us if these candidates have prepared or not for any one of many possible outcomes.

Thank you Iowa for giving us this chance. We will learn so much more from this process than just the winner of your state's caucus. That allows the rest of us to make a much better decision in the end.

The process has to start somewhere. Iowa is as good a place as any to start. The finish will be up to the rest of us.

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2007 EJ Moosa, all rights reserved.
Published: Monday, December 31, 2007
Last modified: Monday, December 31, 2007

The views expressed in this article are those of EJ Moosa only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. EJ Moosa is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.

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