Why It’s OK If Your Candidate Doesn’t Win The Iowa Caucuses

The Iowa caucuses have an important role in picking the next president of the United States. They just have a poor record of picking the right candidate. As we get closer to February 1st and caucus time, the polls are close in both parties. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are neck and neck on the Republican side while Bernie Sanders has drawn even with Hillary Clinton with Democrats. And while no candidate will tell they don't want to win Iowa, losing isn't the end of the world.

Since 1972, the top vote getter in the Democratic caucuses has gone on to win the nomination 7 of 9 times, but won the presidency just twice, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Since 1980, the winner of the Republican caucuses has won the nomination just 2 of 6 times, with only one winning the Presidency, George W. Bush in 2000. Looking back at the 2012 Iowa caucuses tells the same story. Rick Santorum won the state with Mitt Romney coming in second. Romney would of course go on to win the Republican nomination. In 2008, John McCain finished 4th in Iowa before winning the nomination.

There's a reason that many candidates still believe there are "three tickets out of Iowa."

[via The Des Moines Register]