Some may wonder how profoundly the lives of Iowans are changed in the months and weeks that lead up to the nation's first presidential nomination contest. As it turns out, this political process is difficut to tune out.
The Iowa Caucuses, to be held on February 1st, have been particularly noteworthy in this election. As Ted Cruz and Donald Trump cause political upheaval in their party due to the candidates' distaste for the Republican establishment, the Democrats are faced with an increasingly popular Bernie Sanders who could be poised to win the Caucus. All of this refutes generally accepted political forecasts from months ago that predicted easy victories for both former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The New York Times has interviewed various residents of Iowa to gauge their reactions to the political process that has engulfed their state as of late.
According to an Iowa resident who chose to go by the name "Malcolm," "I want to caucus so I registered to vote online this morning. Twenty minutes later, someone from the Hillary campaign texts me about a political rally. I don't know how she got my number. I lie and say that I will be attending. I'm not actually going to attend.
He continued, "If there's one thing I've learned in my 18 years, it's that it's not best to talk politics and personal rankings of Kanye albums with your friends. It's a recipe for disaster nine times out of 10. He texted back that he was Team Hillary. Crisis averted."
It is clear that the democratic process beginning in Iowa has a large effect on the daily lives of its citizens, who are constantly considering nominees and possibly attending rallies. Many believe Iowa to be a microcosm of the American psyche, and thus a perfect starting ground to gauge the future success of certain candidates.
