January 3, 2008, marks the first step in the United States Presidential nomination process for both the Democrats and Republicans: the Iowa Caucus.
Thousands of registered voters will attend party meetings — or caucuses — in precincts across the state. There, they’ll break into groups, according to whom they support for president. Based on those groupings, each precinct will send a number of delegates to the first in a series of conventions, culminating in the national conventions in late summer. Since 1972, the Iowa caucus has been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States and has served as an early indication of which candidates for President might win the nomination of their political party at that party’s national convention.
You’re probably wondering, though, “What’s so important about Iowa?” Iowa doesn’t necessarily represent a diverse cross-section of America. And although Iowa is one of the few states to hold a caucus, the other 49 states hold similar ballots, generally primary elections to choose the state party’s nominee for president of the United States, which it will present at the national party convention.
Iowa is the first state in the nation to have a chance to show its support for candidates. The level of support a candidate receives in Iowa gives a reasonable indication of how they will perform with the rest of American voters. If middle-American Iowans support a candidate, then that candidate has a chance with the rest of the nation. The results from the Iowa caucus tell a candidate whether his or her platform is desirable. It is the first chance for a campaign to find out if its message is affecting voters — should the campaign stay the course or change tactics? And the Iowa caucus is so important that some candidates bow out of the race if they do poorly in Iowa.
A strong showing in Iowa also sends a message to the national party leaders. Each party seeks a strong contender for the White House, and a good response from Iowans helps cement a candidate’s chances to win the national nomination. Being first in the nation certainly is important.
Since Iowa represents less than 1% of the entire nation’s population, according to 2006 U.S. Census estimates, many of you may feel as though this doesn’t concern you. Don’t worry, though; your time is coming and rest assured that Concrete Loop will keep you informed of upcoming primaries and caucuses.
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J. Dakar is the new political contributor at Concrete Loop. He will be hooking you up with social and political commentary, mainly focusing on the 2008 presidential election. For more info on J. make sure to check out his introductory post.
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I just registered to vote today, and I’m really excited about it.
I guess if it were Beyonce or some juicy gossip, there would be 100 comments already. Anyway, I am for change and I am for Barack!! 08 will be a historical moment for politics and as young people, we really need to get involved.
I CARE!!!
I can’t vote even if I wanted to…2 YOUNG
I care!!!! My whole family got their new Voters registration card yesterday.
I’m for change, I’m for Obama!!!!!!!!!
I am still teetering between Obama and Clinton. As a Black Woman I can see the victory on both sides. But, I dont want to make this about race or gender. I really want the best candidate to win. Our nation is in a heap of a mess. And, we need someone who will be about change.
It is for this reason that I am excited to see J. Dakar join the Loop. I think we all will need some unbiased, cleancut and clear perspective on this election.
Thanks for the post!
I for one am ecstatic that Concrete Loop is giving the 411 on politics. We often don’t spend much time thinking about these issues because, “it doesn’t affect me,” but these are the issues that DO affect our every day life. Kudos to Concrete Loop.
Please keep us updated on the primaries. I know there was a debate recently and I missed it. I need the heads up so that I can stay informed. I’m so glad CL has added this type of post to their site. We need this to stay connected to things outside celebrities.
So I guess this means that barack & hillary are going have to battle it out for the democratic party ? I hope obama wins the preliminary…..
@ Peach I certainly do care. I just turned 18 & I will certainly register to vote for the 08 presidential election.
& I’m glad that CL added this feature because there needs to be a balance & like someone stated ealier alot of people are misinformed or not informed at all.
i would love 2 c obama & hilary on the same ticxket. obama is the best candidate of them all. republicans suck
It’s eight o’clock on the west coast. Let’s give people the opportunity to show up. I’m just on here simply because I don’t have school and was still up.
Nevertheless, I won’t be able to vote in the primaries in February, but I’ll be able to vote in the Presidential Election and I am so excited. And myh whole fam is for Obama.
I can’t wait to vote! It’s definately a hard choice, and MS LADY (#6) described my feelings perfectly! As of now… OBAMA BABY!
*my
Keep it up CONCRETELOOP!!!! This was very educational, for many people who were lost and had no idea what was going. I certainly care and I will be voting!!!!!!!!
Barack!!!!! I hope his race wont hold him back, but I also hope black people don’t give him a pass just for being black. I plan on supporting him for being the best candidate. Hands Down
Yes…I’m glad CL added this feature also. BET News is airing a special entitled, “Whats In It For Us: Barack Obama and the Black Vote,” January 8th at 10pm… Be sure to check it out; its an opportunity for us Black voters to really get to know the man behind the political superstar persona…
But anyway, go Obama! Hes is HISTORICALLY leading in Iowa!
I agree with Ms Lady- right now I’m torn between obama and hilary, although either victory would be historical..We do need someone that’s gonna really do the job regardless of race, creed, or gender
Go Barack!!!
I’m another person who is torn between Hilary and Obama. My research on the two is still in progress.
The results from the caucus should be interesting.
I saw Obama speak at Washington Square Park back in September and I was really impressed. Politicians are always coming around here to get some votes and I can honestly say that this was the first politician that did not sound like a politician and was actually sincere. He gets my vote for that reason alone!
i luv how angel put this up b/c im sure many teens and young adults read this site and it’s essential that they know what’s going on in the elections and what it’s all about b/c believe it or not or little voices do make a differences…the presidential elections are extremely important since we are voting for who’s going to be running our country….so come on people get with it
i absolutely love this!!! it shows that YOUNG BLACK people are just as socially an politically saavy as the next person an a lot of times we need political satire broken down so we’ll know exactly what everything means…Love the step forward for positive change Concrete Loop keep doing ya thang in 08
update:::: according to msn rolling polls!
obama is in the lead amongs democrats by 4 points in iowa. and CLINTON IS IN THIRD after edwards — who would have thought THAT????
and if anyone cares —- hucakbee has gained 3 points over romney in iowa on the republican side of things :: yadda yadda bla bla
Good info J! Hey I came I came across a website that asks you to rate how you feel about the certain issues. Then based off your responses, it breaks down what candidates are for or against that topic. One thing that really surprised me is the candidates I automatically was voting for did not feel as strongly as I did when it comes to illegal immigration issues. Also, I was able to identify that on certain topics, my views are liberal (democratic) and some, my views are conservative (republican). None the less, I am a registered democrat and my vote would be loyal to race first then party… Sorry! Anyway, I really hope some if not ALL of you take a minute to check it out. I am quite sure that 4 minutes of your time now is worth way more than 4 years of your time with the wrong president in the future.
Check it out… http://minnesota.publicra...idate/poll.php?race_id=13
I can’t to vote!
I agree with Ms. Lady- I’m torn between barack and clinton.
I hope this presidental election is a historical one.
We need more black people to vote instead worrying about who did what to who and what this person is wearing, or how that persons looks.
I spelled presidential wrong.
i Gotta tell u guys… i’m from canada but i’m watchin this presidential thing u guys got goin on really close… i really thinks its important that young african americans go out and vote…. honestly i wish i could use ur votes… bc i swear when i heard bush got re-elected last time around i thought it was a joke… honestly if i were american and i had to vote tomorrow i would be behind barack obama (not just because his two-step on the elllen show was FLYYY) because he, to me, represents the biggest change…the biggest 360 ur country could get in this day and age… anyway thats just what i been thinkin… thanks angel for the info on that iowa stuff… i never knew…
Good synopsis J.Dakar. I did some research on the Iowa caucus a few months ago to try to get a better understanding of why it is so important. Iowa is like a bell-whether for the rest of the voting public. It’s still amazing to me that a state with less than 1% of the nation’s entire pop. can hold so much influence over the election simply because they are first.
I read that New Hampshire is trying to make a move to become the first to hold a caucus? J. Dakar, is this true? If so, what impact do you think this will have on future elections?
I would like to see what goes on during a caucus. Its somethign I have never heard of.
**off to research**
oh my bad… i guess my thanks should go to J. Dakar
#24: Good looking out with that site. I knew of a similar one that I was planning to include in a later entry. Looks like I’ve been scooped, though. Haha.
Peace and blessings,
J. Dakar
BRING ON THE DEBATE IN 2008!
Glad to see that CL has a political corespondent!! This is great, even for those who cannot vote are commenting. I think its wonderful that some of you are “torn” because that shows that we have some very strong candidates. At times, you almost have to “settle”, because there is not any good choices. I clearly remember my first time voting…believe it or not, I voted for the “Green Party”, because I did not want to vote for Bush or anyone else, but I voted because it was my human right….
wow thanks so much for the info on the Iowa Caucus. I’m not really familiar with politics so this will definitely help me make an informative decision when I vote for the 2008 elections. I’m happy that angel added you to the site to show people that african americans do care about whats going on so mucho kudos lol
Thanks for that info, J. I’ve been trying to figure out the significance of Iowa for the longest.
ConcreteLoop:
Love the newly added political commentary. It definitely increasess the value of your blog! I learned somthing today. I never understood the signigicance of the Iowa Causcus. If are blessed with the opportunity, (and not everyone has an audience), it is always a postive move to “educate” as well as entertain! Bravo Concreteloop!
#28: New Hampshire law makes its primary the first in the nation. Some might say, “Well, why are we talking about Iowa right now?” Remember, though, that Iowa uses a caucus system. Primaries and caucuses are two different methods of accomplishing, pretty much, the same basic thing. I’ll outline the differences in a later entry.
Peace and blessings,
J. Dakar
Thanks for the Info!!! Dang it!!! I can’t vote until 2012 = (
OBAMA ’08!!!!!!!!
WOW, VERY IMPRESSED BY THE SWITCH UP FROM THE SUPERFICIAL STUFF…AND YALL GOT NEW STAFF
WAY TO EDUMACATE!!!
i have to agree with the other posters- i’m very glad that CL added J. Dakar, i’m really excited to read his upcoming posts. Especially about the difference between a primary and caucus. I plan to spread the knowledge! haha
To the younger posters: even if you’re too young to vote, please keep reading and learning about the election process, so you will already know this information when it’s your turn to vote! and besides, you should always know what’s going on in your country, no matter what your age is.
Well may hat is off to CL for putting this on their pages, black people (including myself) need to become more educated consumers in regards to the workings of goverment and how we go about electing officials.
Responding to J: You know if you slow you blow…lol! In any event, I had your back
I’m also thankful that CL added a political view to their blog. This has really separated you from other black celeb blogs as you really are trying to include things that will help educate our community. Yo I’m really proud of you guys right now! The bloggers that keep this site running are classy and way ahead of other blogs (won’t even give names).
Thanks for the post J. I am so glad that CL added this informative new section on politics I hope this encourages people to get involved! Everytime I hear someone, especially a black person, say they won’t vote because “it doesn’t affect them”, I get so angry, I just want to smack them in the head like they do in those V8 commercials, LOL.
P.S. Obama has my vote! Not because he’s black, but because I agree with his views on almost every topic.
Thanks for explaining why Iowa is sooo important. I haven’t made up my mind on who I will vote for I will be paying attention to their views on certain issues. Just like someone said yesterday I am not just going to vote for Obama because he is black.
Doubt Hillary will take Iowa and Obama doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell. Neither does Guilliani or Edwards. Have any of you ever bneen to Iowa?? lol. Let’s see if I’m proven wrong. I hate to be a pessimist but it’s always amazed me that the states with the least amount of racial diversity are essentially the basic “standard” for our political systems and sets the tone. It’s not that I don’t think my vote will count, it’s that I don’t think my vote will count where it’s supposed to. I’m still undecided about voting right now because it seems like it’s already been written. But I guess I have a few more months to decide. Might just do like my friend did in the last election — just vote for an Independant off of GP.
BTW, this thread is a good look for CL. At the very least, those who know nothing about our political processes can have a forum to get educated on some level.
I’m watching it all closely. Shit is about to get real slick. I hope Obama doesn’t have any skeletons. If so, they’re all about to start coming out.
People be getting drunk and partying like a mofo at the caucus and conventions. All expenses paid!!! If you ever get a chance, go and get yo groove on! Most of the decisions and choices are made long before the party…ops, I mean “caucus” gets started! This is Iowa’s biggest gig! A token group of minorities are always invited, because we give the party…I mean “caucus” some extra spice! Nice and spicy like Beyonce’! Hey, maybe she and Kayne will perform! Remember, he was the one who said “Bush didn’t care about us” after Katrina!
Otherwise, everyone will go home after four days of “caucusiding” each other and the discriminations/seperation will continue. Politicians are so sneaky! They can be just as foul as hip-hoppers and rappers! Only difference is, caucusoids wear suits and ties instead of mini skirts and sagging pants.
Do you believe that Barack can change this country?
I sure hope so!
Thanks for this post…even if people don’t comment. They still read it. Thanks Concrete Loop! Keep em’ coming J…I’ll be reading.
Jess
republicans suck, is a silly statment on a serious issue. I hope that BET is giving out equal exposure to all canadates because it is the law. Also I hope everyone is looking is the issues at the issue. I’ve heard Obama speak in Austin and it didnt sound like anything I was for. Go to the website of these people and check out the’re issues. My personnal issues of importance are heath care, gun control, Iraq and immagration. Most notably is Health. As a soldier, wife of a soldier, and mother. madatory health care is important, but not if I have to pay for it. My husband and I do what we have to do to make sure our kids have the things they need. I dont understand why most parents in our race dont. Everytime I see us in rent a rim and buying things we dont need it confuses me as to why we need a tax to pay for health care when it is cheaper to just get heath insurance. Gun laws are tough but there are not being inforced. Shall I say TI. The law is clear. He needs to go to jail. HE was A drug dealer who sold drugs and helped killed his own “hood” that he is so proud of. He changed thats great but the fact of the matter is he was wrong and people are cheering him own cause gave out some Turkeys. Black people need to stop taking the bait. Laws work, but people like the cheerleaders stop them from being enforced. I faught in Iraq twice, been to Korea, Afgan, Africa, and I’ve seen with my own two eyes the people of these countries embrace us. Americans. And anyone who says they will get the troops out of Iraq is lying. Read your history, its not that easy. Not to mention when it came time to vote on that in 2006 the DEMs flaked because it was a holiday. And when we say “unpopular war” it suggest that a mojortiy was against the war. Which was not the case. Lastly immigration, I live in Texas, I as born in Texas. This is America and we have to take care of our own first, but I disagree with the wall thing. Cant put a wall up in Florida and they have just as much a problem as we do in Texas. You either learn the language and the history or you go back to were every you came from. No other country will you go to and english has taking over to the point where everyday life interaction is nearly impossible. In America do you have to know spanish or Hongal, or some other language to be effective in any aspect of life. Obama’s is for change of color. I believe his poltics are the same as everyone one else, and it doesn’t matter if he is black he dosent have my needs at heart. Obama is for Cush and not for change. WITH THAT SAID THIS IS MY TAKE READ FOR YOURSELF. FIND OUT WHAT IS INPORTANT TO YOU AND VOTE FOR THAT . NOT FOR THE COLOR OF SOMEONES SKINS, BECAUSE THAT MAKES YOU JUST LIKE THEM.
This will be the most interesting presidential election in history. Who would have thught years ago that a Black man and a White woman would actually be front runners for president of the U.S.?? My grandparents were always so proud to vote because you know their parents couldn’t! I wish more people had that pride and saw how important this is today as well.
OBAMA/EDWARDS 08
DONT FORGET VOTING AGE IS 17 AND 10 MONTHS
It is important for young people to vote, no matter what race they are! We are the future and it is best that we choose someone who has our best interest at heart!
I think there should be a discussion about America’s electoral process in general and the absurd amount of time and money that candidates waste on it. The election isn’t until November! These people should not be hustling for votes over Christmas. I wonder if the public and the media’s love of drama leads to this process being dragged out so long, but people should be able to learn candidates’ platforms in no more than 3 or 4 months and make an informed decision. Instead we have to listen to semantics and posturing as these candidates decide whether or not they should be for change or for change with experience or change with the right experience. I just can’t get excited about these early primaries.
I’m voting republican this year for sure…
kuddos for adding this info to the site! obama is for change but don’t get your hopes up, bush has messed things up so bad it may take 10 years or more to turn it around-
to: mm
YOU BET. texas Media outlets are about to make a killing in profits, being a DEM is ahead in the polls
right on Avatar Episodes,
Who ya for?