A serious question: Does Iowa even matter?
Aren't these just caucuses that result in zero electoral votes (the real primary occurs in May, or something)?
I understand that this is important for 'PR', and if you are on a shoe-string budget you need to build the 'Media momentum' by winning this fake popularity contest - but it really means zero vote-wise. And for someone like Trump, who is pretty much funding his own campaign (and getting free Advertisement from the Media that dogs him at every step), don't these caucuses mean nothing?
Below is an explanation how the Iowa Caucus results in electoral delegates to the national convention.
Yes, a weaker candidate is helped by winning this caucus - it causes national voters to consider this candidate, especially if the candidate is number three or four or five. It can boost such a candidate upwards into a higher rank which is important for the next debate, plus the candidate will eventually get the electoral Iowa delegates.
It does hurt a front runner if he doesn't win this caucus because it raises questions as to why he didn't win and some of his national supporters may switch to the winner, if they weren't totally in the tank already for that candidate. He also doesn't get the Iowa final electoral delegates to vote for him at the national convention. There were 25 Republican delegates from Iowa the last time, in 2012. Not a huge number of delegates, but the loser doesn't get them.
How the Iowa caucus works:
“Unlike the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, the Iowa caucus does not result directly in national delegates for each candidate. Instead, caucus-goers elect delegates to county conventions, who in turn elect delegates to district and state conventions where Iowa's national convention delegates are selected. Ironically, the state conventions do not take place until the end of the primary and caucus season: Iowa is in fact one of the very last states to choose its delegates.[3]”