As Democratic presidential candidates descended on the Iowa State Fair, a plane buzzed overhead, an ominous warning fluttering behind it on a banner: “Focus on Rural America.” Democrats hoping to win the White House in 2020 recognize how critical that advice is after 2016, when Hillary Clinton turned in strong […] Read more »
Will a Third-Lane Candidate Emerge?
After driving more than 500 miles around Iowa over three days this past weekend and listening to almost 20 candidates, the two strongest impressions I received were just how fragile Joe Biden’s front-runner status is, and how Elizabeth Warren’s ascendancy continues to be underestimated. Granted, you didn’t need to drive […] Read more »
How Much Does Iowa Matter?
This past weekend was all about Iowa. … In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew discusses just how important Iowa really is to winning a party’s nomination. The team also takes a look at American voter opinions and the science of aging to address the question of […] Read more »
Iowa voters support climate action
Seven in 10 (70%) Iowa voters support government action to address climate change, including nearly four in 10 (38%) who strongly support such action. Iowa voters specifically want the federal government (73%), Iowa’s state government (70%), and their member of Congress (68%) to do more on the issue of climate […] Read more »
Farmers back Trump’s tariff fight, but don’t think it helps them
As the Trump administration’s trade fight with China deepens, the impacts are starting to pile up — particularly in the nation’s farming communities where tariffs targeting agricultural products are hitting hard. And with 2020 approaching, the ongoing dispute could have serious electoral implications. Polls show a mix of presidential support […] Read more »
Iowa is awash in candidates but don’t expect clarity until the very end
… Iowa’s place at the front of the nominating process has been set by tradition and now by rules established by the Democratic and Republican national committees. Its presidential caucuses kick off the primary caucus season and it acts as the great winnower of candidates. Only a handful of this […] Read more »