The results of the Iowa caucuses are in. Obama won on the Democratic side and Huckabee on the Republican. Here is the rest of the vote breakdown, including the number of delegates to the national convention each candidate received from Iowa.
My thoughts, as you might have assumed, are focused on the Republican side (or should I say, the side that Ron Paul is on?), and here they are:
This was good for Huckabee. It’s somewhat discouraging for those of us who wish to return the federal government to its limited Constitutional functions, restore individual liberties, lessen our tax burden, decrease bureaucratic red tape and regulations, and once again gain the respect of the world.
It was a disappointment for Romney who was counting on a win and spending ridiculous amounts of time and money to persuade people to vote for him in Iowa.
Thompson did better than I expected, but I think he may have peaked.
Ron Paul placed 5th with 10% and received two delegates to the national convention. This is Remarkable considering the hurdles placed by the political establishment and media. Most would have considered him done after the first debate. We can’t forget the attempt by the Chair of the Michigan GOP, Saul Anuzis, to have Dr. Paul barred from participating in the following debates. And unlike the other candidates, Ron Paul is still in full upswing.
Rudy Giuliani got 4% of the vote and zero delegates. Fox news will be including him in their debates on Sunday, but Ron Paul was not invited.
Ron Paul received 29% (the highest of all republican candidates) of the vote from Independent voters who participated in the Republican Caucuses. This solidifies the point that he is connecting with the general electorate better than his opponents. This will also have a significant impact in New Hampshire where Independent voters are much greater factor.
As Daniel McCarthy points out, “It’s a good indication of which Republican actually appeals to the electorate at large. As Dr. Paul has said all along, if he isn’t receiving the majority of Republicans’ votes yet, that’s because the Republican Party has shrunk so much lately, and lost touch with Republican-leaning independents. Huckabee is the choice of a dying party — but Paul will bring revival.”
Ron Paul was the only candidate besides Huckabee and Romney to win a county: Jefferson County! Very fitting.
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