It’s Not Heaven, it's Just the Iowa Caucuses!

by Rick Cordaro, Onondaga YRs

I was born, raised, and educated in Iowa. When I tell people this, they assume I'm a farmer (I'm not. I grew up in suburban Des Moines, a city roughly the size of Syracuse, but with a much brighter economic future).

People figure Iowa is merely a patchwork of farms and hog lots somewhere "out west" with lots of flat land and very few people. Or they think Iowans grow potatoes (yes, people confuse Iowa and Idaho even though they are nearly 1,000 miles apart).

But every four years, Iowa becomes the center of attention for the media, presidential candidates, and the news consuming public. So, let me share with you a bit about the place.

First, some background: This is a state that has never had a female governor, never had a female member of Congress, and never had a female Senator. One current Senator is a Democrat, the other a Republican, and both are two of the most powerful Senators in Washington. Senator Tom Harkin (D) chairs the Agriculture Committee and Senator Chuck Grassley (R) is the ranking member and former Chairman of the Finance Committee.

The Governor's mansion has been occupied by both a Republican and a Democrat in just the last 10 years. President Herbert Hoover was from Iowa. And thanks to federal subsidies, 89 octane gas (that's the "mid-grade" gas here in New York, not the cheapest 87 octane or the premium 92 octane) is actually cheaper than the low- end stuff because it contains corn-based ethanol.

Now that you're up to speed, let's talk caucuses. By now, you know the Democrats have a wacky, drawn-out process of standing in groups horse-trading candidates and that Republicans simply cast a vote. But what is that like?

I spoke to my dad (a Republican) who caucused this year. He mentioned that it took 40 minutes, start to finish, to complete the process. That's because the Republicans give anyone in the room a chance to speak before the votes are cast. Joining my father was a United States Senator, several local elected officials, and a handful of regular citizens. My parents don't live in a high profile district, but the caucuses draw out all the big guns. Iowa is the first race in the country and no matter how many times New Hampshire negates the results of Iowa, it's a major political market that first week in January.

Then there are the commercials. I was back in Iowa over the Christmas holiday. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that three of every four commercials on network TV are for a presidential candidate. All those commercials we watch on YouTube and hear about on the news - they are running in Iowa. Going to Iowa makes me glad the candidates neglect New York! It is a constant, 24-hour, endless barrage of advertising.

And of course, there are the phone calls. Several times a day, the phone rings with another friendly voice chatting up their candidate. After a while, you just stop answering.

What does this all mean? If a candidate is not viable in Iowa, will they be viable anywhere else? Can they win nationally? Should you or I or anyone contribute to a candidate that is not electable nationwide? Any why do small states like Iowa and New Hampshire get to decide the fate of a candidate who may one day run the entire country? Do these states reflect the national interest? Is the process broken?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions, but I will be casting my vote on Super Tuesday! You should too. Vote for your favorite candidate in the primary and vote Republican in November.

Rick Cordaro is the Chairman of the Onondaga County Young Republicans and serves as Executive Director of the New York State Young Republicans.

A Message from Executive Director Rick Cordaro

One area where we YRs can band together to support one another outside of politics is through our professional lives. Many YRs work in industry or own their own businesses. We have members who are attorneys, real estate agents, insurance sales people, engineers, consultants, and serve in many other professions. At some point, one member may need the goods or services another member provides. Shouldn't we have a way to connect them in these areas?

I think so, and so, I am going to create a portion of our web site that allows any YR to promote their products or services. If you would like to be listed in the YR professional directory, please send your name, email address, web site, and one sentence description of your product or service (for example "real estate agent in Onondaga county" or "political consulting in the New York City area") to executivedir@nysyr.us. Hopefully this will be a valuable resource for all of us.

A Message from Rick Cordaro, NYSYR Executive Director

I am honored to serve as Executive Director of the NYSYRs. My role is "multi-disciplinary" and involves just about any task the elected leadership throws my way. I'm more than happy to oblige! My latest accomplishment is our new web site. Please check it out at www.nysyr.us. You will find much the same content, but in redesigned form. If you have suggestions, want something posted, or spot an error, please let me know!