A Night for Wing Nuts

Even though it's been 11 years since I lived in Iowa, I will always be an Iowan. As such, it's incumbent upon me to mullserve on the big caucus night. These are my mullservations in real time:

1. CNN has the best coverage. Yes. Hawkeyegirl gives the night to the Communist News Network.

2. All the pundits can really say about the Republican caucus process is it's "much simpler" than the Democratic process. Like anyone is surprised.

3. Where did all the evangelicals in Iowa come from? I can't name one person back home who's a self-described evangelical. Weird. But then again, I'm Catholic. I don't run in that crowd. I keep Jesus to myself.

4. It's a "clash of generations of epic proportions" according to CNN's Bill Schneider. Hillary gets all the old lady votes and Obama gets all the youngins.

5. CUSS WORDS. CNN is calling it for Huckabee. Grrrrrr. Hawkeyegirl's prediction: He can't win nationwide (I know - I'm not really going out on a limb with that one). A former Baptist preacher? Not gonna' happen. Welcome to my nightmare. Iowa Republicans now look like a bunch of wing nuts. But maybe this is good for McCain in New Hampshire and beyond. It could very likely end up a Huckabee vs. McCain match up in South Carolina. But don't forget about Giuliani who gave Iowa the hand and has been working Florida, Michigan and the other later primary states.

6. My family is not to blame.

7. Huckabee got 58% in Sioux County and 45% in Story County. Sioux I can understand. But Story County? Well wait, Iowa State is a more genteel university town.

8. Just a few months ago Senator Grassley accidentally referred to him as "Huckleberry" during a media interview.

9. Younger Iowa women are giving HRC the hand and are instead siding with the former state senator from Illinois.

10. The results are absolutely consistent with what would be expected. The caucuses are a function of the political parties and as such, the most politically active, informed and entrenched activists are the ones who turn out. Therefore, the most conservative and the most liberal candidates prevail. In other words, the wing nuts win.

11. With the three Democratic frontrunners, you get the same thing just in different packages. Clinton, Obama and Edwards are all big government liberals. On the GOP side you get Baptist preacher Huckabee, flip flopping conservaberal Romney, liberative McCain, good old boy Fred and give 'em hell Giuliani.

12. Now they're calling it for Obama. That really should put to rest some criticism of (and I quote) "lily white Iowa."

13. Chuck Norris was at the Fort Dodge Republican caucus. My mom met him and took several pictures. She didn't vote for his candidate of course, but she got "a big bang out of it." And "he's really small!" Apparently his wife is "really pretty." These are the important things everyone expects to learn at a caucus.

14. The pundits keep talking about the huge Democratic turn out. Well, let me be the first to report that navy blue Fort Dodge had a much larger than expected GOP turnout at Fort Dodge Senior High, site of the city-wide caucus. They expected only about 1500 but there was well in excess of 2000. They ran out of ballots and had to use makeshift ballots from Congressman Latham's notepad.

15. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) spoke for McCain at the Fort Dodge caucus. He's an Iowan you know. Grew up and graduated from high school down in Washington County. His dad was a GOP Congressman from southern Iowa.

16. Mom says the undercurrent at the FD GOP caucus was "anyone but Hillary." That's expected, but it's also not good. It reminds me too much of the "anyone but Bush" crowd on the other side of the fence.

17. I don't necessarily buy the line that Huckabee won on the back of evangelical Christians. There's way more to it. I don't get it, but there's definitely more to it.

18. The big winner tonight: The democratic process. Despite the outcome, all I can say is "Way to go, Iowa. You make me proud."

19. I think I'll close up shop and put in a movie. I'm in a "Rudy" mood.

Webster County Republicans
Huckabee: 37%
Romney: 22%
Thompson: 15%
McCain: 15%
Paul: 6%
Giuliani: 4%
Hunter: 1%

Webster County Democrats
Obama: 34%
Edwards: 31%
Clinton: 30%
Richardson: 5%