4 Things We Learnt From The Iowa Caucuses

source

The 2016 Presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in living memory. We’re still 10 months away from the election, and the sensational headlines are already hitting home. Last week played host to – what many call – the start of the election campaign in Iowa. The Iowa caucuses have a long-standing place in American presidential election history. It’s the time when the Republicans and Democrats come together to narrow their candidate field. Iowa is fiercely proud of its tradition, and the state has an uncanny ability to predict the ultimate outcome.

If that’s the case, then boy are we in for a treat. The Democratic vote was split almost down the middle between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton came away with the victory, but with only a hair to separate them. On the Republican side of town, Ted Cruz stormed to victory over headline-grabbing Donald Trump. Today, we’re digging deeper to find out what exactly happened.

Trump’s steam might be running out

Proof, if it were needed, that narcissistic, devisive politics can only get you so far, Donald Trump’s steam is running out. The New York businessman has lead a campaign based on headline-grabbing quotes. While that has brought him plenty of support, it’s not clear that it will translate into votes. That played out in a big way last week when Ted Cruz stormed to the number one spot in the Iowa caucuses. On a wider scale, Trump still leads in some of the US presidential election polls. His defeat in Iowa may simply be down to an ill-fated comment not so long ago. He famously asked “How stupid are the people in Iowa?”

Donald Trump can make Ted Cruz look progressive

A lot of people breathed a sigh of relief as Ted Cruz took to the podium. The thought of Trump as president has scared a huge portion of the country. But, let’s not forget that Ted Cruz has still spoken out in support of torture techniques like waterboarding. He is a fierce gun supporter, and proposes to repeal Obama’s healthcare plan. He is hardly a progressive candidate, but Trump has made him appear deceptively electable.

Bernie Sanders has the youth vote tied up

There’s a similar story over in the Democratic party. While Clinton perhaps thought her nomination was tied up, Senator Bernie Sanders isn’t giving up without a fight. In fact, he has mobilised an entire generation of young voters, and has rallied a political energy in much the same way Obama did eight years ago.

The Democrats are turning on each other, again

If there’s one thing you can always bet on, it’s that the Democrats will eventually turn against each other. Sanders and Clinton had their first knives-out fight regarding campaign funding. The candidates have already accused each other of a smear campaign. It’s very early in the election cycle, and the Democrats risk destroying themselves from the inside out.

Stick with us throughout the election, and we’ll bring you the latest updates as we have them.