This week was the start of the Iowa State Fair. Besides being one of the few places in America where you can eat fried Oreos AND watch a baby pig being born, the Iowa State Fair is also the unofficial kick-off to campaign season in the state. Presidential candidates swarm around the Des Moines fairgrounds while being followed by thousands of reporters and camera crews.
But, while eating every major food group from a stick can be fun, Iowa hasn’t been all that kind to national frontrunners. Part of it is the composition of the electorate. On the GOP side, it’s heavily evangelical and rural. On the Democratic side, it’s overwhelmingly white and liberal. CONT.
Amy Walter, Cook Political Report