The race for 2020 is gaining speed today as the first votes are cast in Iowa, the first test of political strength, for the Democratic nominee for the presidency. Since the 1970s, Iowa has been the home of the first caucus.
Iowa voters take their pick seriously, as winners often gain momentum from the early voting. This year, with so many Democratic contenders still in the running and Bloomberg, a growing contender who bypassing early voting states entirely, there’s still a lot up in the air, meaning there’s a chance Iowans may not pick the candidate who will ultimately win the nomination at the convention. Caucus-goers have picked seven out of the last 11 Democratic presidential nominees but only four out of the last 11 GOP presidential nominees.
Here are five times the Iowa caucus results did not pick the eventual party nominees.
1988 Republicans
George H.W. Bush, who went on to claim the Republican nomination and the presidency in 1988 came in third in Iowa, after Bob Dole and Pat Robertson. Bush was the vice president at the time.
<i>President-elect George H.W. Bush and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole meet reporters at the White House, Nov. 28, 1988. / Photo Credit: Shutterstock</i>
1992 Democrats
The last time Iowa got it wrong for Democrats was 1992, when Bill Clinton, the eventual nominee and president, only claimed 2.8 percent of the vote and came in fourth place. That year, the Iowa Senator Tom Harkin was running for president and claimed more than 75 percent of the caucus vote.
<i>Iowa Senator Tom Harkin talks with Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton at a party fund-raiser in Indianola, Iowa, Sept. 27, 1992. / Photo Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP/Shutterstock</i>
2008 Republicans
When Barack Obama entered the national political scene, he won the Democratic caucus in 2008 and went on to win the presidency. But Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, won the Republican caucus in Iowa. He would not go on to win the nomination. Senator John McCain, the eventual Republican nominee had come in fourth place in Iowa with 13.1 percent of the caucus vote. The previous time McCain was up for the nomination, in 2000, he nabbed only 4.7 percent of the caucus vote and came in fifth place. Eventual nominee and winner of the presidency George W. Bush came in first that year in Iowa, and businessman Steve Forbes came in second.
2012 Republican
In 2012, Rick Santorum squeaked by with a victory by just a tenth of a percent in the Iowa Caucus, though the Republican party had initially called it for Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) who later went on to nab the nomination and run against President Barack Obama.
2016 Republican
Today’s president, Donald Trump, did not win the Republican caucus in 2016. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won 27.6 percent of the vote compared to Donald Trump who carried 24.3 percent.
This story was updated February 3 to clarify the number of times Iowa Democrats and Republicans have selected the candidate who ultimately became their party's candidate.
As the standoff between the U.S. and its allies continues with Russia over its possible designs to invade Ukraine, President Biden held a video conference call with European leadership and had 8,500 American troops put on high alert. Jamil Jaffer, a former associate White House counsel for the Bush Administration, joined Cheddar to discuss his views on the escalating crisis in Eastern Europe.
As controversy dogs the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China is hiring TikTokers and other social media influencers to promote the nation's history, culture, diplomatic efforts, and current trends.
The Supreme Court has rejected another request to block Texas' strict abortion law. This marks the third time the high court has declined to intervene in challenges to the law that bans abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, joined Cheddar News to discuss the impact of the law so far on women seeking abortion services in Texas.
Mayors in cities like Miami and New York City are considering introducing cryptocurrencies as a way to reduce economic inequality. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez has even pushed for distributing Bitcoin dividends to the city's inhabitants.
The U.S. will be implementing a vaccine mandate for all people entering through its land borders, removing exemptions for "essential" travelers such as truckers, students, and business people. While the Canadian Trucking Alliance argues that the new, stricter rule might exacerbate ongoing auto supply chain issues, some health experts see the potential for helping curb the ongoing pandemic. Anthony Santella, a professor of health administration at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to give his take on the updated border crossing restriction. "We can't just focus on one type of travel. We need to ensure that it's clear and consistent across all types of travel," Santella said.
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he believes the Fed's plans of increasing rates is taking its toll on some of the more speculative stocks and the technology market.
Mona Zhang, states cannabis policy reporter at POLITICO Pro joins Cheddar News to discuss major factors that caused Canada's retail marijuana sales to drop last year.
The January 6 committee has asked Ivanka Trump to give voluntary testimony, saying there's evidence she was in "direct contact" with her father on the day of the capitol insurrection. I's unclear whether she will comply with the invitation, but it marks the first time the House committee has sought testimony from a member of the former president's family. Bradley Moss, national security attorney, joined Cheddar News to discuss what the committee hopes to learn from Ivanka and what the Supreme Court's decision on Trump's Jan. 6 materials means for the investigation.
