A huge victory, without cozying up to the ethanol lobby unlike some other candidates who wanted to increase the ethanol subsidies. Cruz showed that you can stand up to them and still win.
That was probably the most impressive fact of the Cruz campaign. I do not recall anyone ever opposing the king corn lobby in Iowa going anywhere. The big ethanol/ADM agrichemical farm equipment manufacturers have certainly never seen anything like what Cruz did to their power base.
Cruz just beat a very determined machine. But like most victories, Iowa is little more than a ritualistic opportunity to crow a bit and beat ones chest in victory.
former Iowan