Poll: Clinton leads Sanders by 9 points in Iowa

[CajunBlazer]

9. No one should care who wins in Iowa

First of all, the precinct caucuses (what passes for the Iowa primary) are totally non representative - only about 10% to 12% of the registered voters attend. These folks are usually the most motivated voters because caucus meetings can last up to 3 hours and are full of discussions and politicking. No way is this small percentage of Iowa Democratic voters representative of the whole.

Second, the votes for the candidates in the precincts has no effect on the election of Iowa's delegates to the National Democratic convention. In each precinct caucus, following the vote for the candidates (which is what you will see reported that evening on the news), there is a vote to determine who will be the delegate who will represent the represent the precinct in the county caucus to be held later on. At the each of the county caucuses the precinct delegates elect a delegate to represent the county at their district caucus which is held still later. At the each of the District caucuses the county delegates elect a delegate to represent the district at the Iowa State Democratic Convention which is held still later. The the district delegates at the state convention then elect the delegates to the National Democratic Convention. The whole process will not be completed until sometimes in July.

Note, the voting for the actual candidates at the 99 precinct caucuses to be held February 1st, and which will cumulatively determine the "winner" in Iowa, is totally meaningless in the determination of Iowa's eventual delegates to the National Democratic Convention. The entire caucus system should be abolished and replaced with a simple vote, but it isn't going to happen. This is as close to the smoke filled back rooms in which major party nominees used to be picked and I guess the officials of both parties in Iowa like it that way.

So why should anyone care who wins the evening of February 1st in Iowa. That vote is both no representative and meaningless.