First no more? Iowa's political prestige endangered after presidential caucus debacle
DES MOINES, Iowa - Every four years for more than four decades, Iowa's status as the first state in the presidential nominating sweepstakes has held firm, weathering criticism for its largely white and rural demographics being at odds with the makeup of the nation as a whole.
But after Monday's debacle when the state's Democratic Party couldn't even turn in partial results for nearly 24 hours, the Iowa caucuses and the state's outsize influence in choosing the nation's top candidates for president may be over.
"This is a conversation that happens every four years," the state's Democratic Party chairman, Troy Price, said of the possibility of Iowa losing its status after facing withering attacks for the bungling of the caucuses. "There's no doubt that conversation will take place again."
Despite Price's downplaying it, the fate of the first-in-the-nation caucuses is in unprecedented jeopardy.
Monday's national embarrassment only amplified the growing criticism from party progressives that Iowa's lack of diversity should disqualify it from having such influence over how such a racially, socially and economically dynamic party chooses its top contenders. The fiasco also only layered more condemnation on the caucus process itself, a lengthy evening commitment that critics argue makes participation difficult for those with young families or who work night shifts.
"It's been a great ride, but
