I’ve always been surprised at Harkin’s strength in Iowa. I don’t really understand why it’s not more Conservative. I’ve also questioned the caucus system that’s used in the presidential nomination process but what can I say after our recent Mississippi Republican primary.
Harkin’s strength comes from industrialized and Catholic eastern Iowa.
The Republican Party at its founding was not conservative. Neither was the Republican Party that was part of the Progressive Movement. The Iowa GOP has mostly been home to ‘moderates’, with a few exceptions like H.R. Gross and Steve King.
Iowa caucuses do NOT pick pledged delegates to the national convention. They are local organizational meetings. (How do parties in other states pick local party officials?) All the attention is for a casual, non-binding presidential preference poll.
Progressives believe that there is “No Progress without taxation.”
Unlimited taxation was an early goal of ambitious politicians in “both” political parties in a various pockets of Socialist Movements in America.
Minnesota was a hot-bed originating State for the “tax ‘em until they die” Progressives back in Progressive Teddy Roosevelt’s day.
Iowa is just downstream from Minnesota - - - .
The first, (in a National Election cycle), true American Primary State is South Carolina.
Unfortunately, TEXAS is one of the last.