Hillary in trouble in Iowa?

[Tim Bonney]

Hillary seems to be in trouble in Iowa. She's gone negative with Ssnders recently and it's got supporters asking if this will be like 2008 with an abrasive message not selling in Iowa.

[Sandy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but she didn't really do that well in Iowa last time around, either. She picked up about a third of the Democratic delegates. Timothy can probably shed more light on this, but from what I remember from political science, Iowa is much more than just a flat collection of farmland. The state is reliably Democratic, especially in Presidential election years, and a majority of Iowa Democrats are, like their counterparts in Minnesota, on the left side of the party. Iowa divides politically almost down the middle so to speak, with the Eastern part being majority Democrat, and most of the Western counties majority Republican. The Democrats who come from the west are the more centrist and conservative, those from the east are more numerous, and more liberal. In 2012, in some of those counties, particularly along the Mississippi River, and around places like Iowa City and Ames, Obama gathered more than 60% of the vote. So Sanders has a chance at doing very well in Iowa.

In Pennsylvania, she leads Sanders by more than two to one. But we're later, and in a cluster of several other states. BTW, Trump is running a distant fourth place here, among the GOP, in single digits at 7%.

[Tim Bonney]

That is a pretty good desription Sandy.

We have the full spectrum politically here. You are correct about the east and west of the state. Though there are exceptions. Sioux CIty is about 50/50 Dem and Republican. We are about 20% Latino and 3% Native American. So our ethnic diversity makes a difference.

In 2008 Clinton didn't present well because when she gets behind she seems to go on the attack and looks mean.

Her recent attacks on Bernie supporting single payer has been bizzare because she supported single payer in 1993. I didn't support HIlary in 2008. I supported Edwards and then was later glad he didn't win.

As of now I plan on caucusing for Sanders because I'm not pleased with Hillary's game plan. Up until this past week I was going to caucus for Clinton. In the general election either one of them comes ahead of any of the GOP circus.