Iowa & NH voters: Vast majority are white, rural, and Christian. (right?)

[MethuenProgressive]

I made that comment the other day when talking about how unrepresentative of our diverse nation those states are. The result: I was told to stop insulting the people of Iowa and NH. After taking another look at the demographics I'm still pretty sure of one thing: these two states shouldn't have such a disproportionate influence on selecting our candidate.

[cali]

1. small states should rotate the frontrunner status.

And you're forgetting about NV and SC which are very much in the mix this year.

[CK_John]

2. How many people do they feed vs NYC people. n/t

[dbackjon]

4. What the heck does that have to do with voting?

[dbackjon]

3. Agreed! Time to end their royal priveledge.

[T Wolf]

5. The ENTIRE political system is rigged - from machines to the actual set-up

of the government. Those small states run roughshod over the states with a majority of the population in Congress.

A few farmers from Bumfuck mean more than millions of citizens in the industrialized northeast? You could not come up with a more "unequally representative" system if you tried.

Wait - they did try and this is the result.

And the majority of Americans get screwed.

[petersjo02]

6. Wrong

Eastern Iowa, east of Des Moines, including Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids and all the places in between, are much more urban and suburban than western Iowa. Lots of university/college towns, smaller liberal arts college towns, all much more liberal than nonresidents think about when they give Iowa any thought at all. There is a pocket in southwestern Iowa that is wildly conservative (think Rep. Steve King type of conservative) but that is NOT the norm and not representative of Iowa overall. Our governor is a Dem, our state legislature is Dem in both houses, the congressman from our district is Dem as is the one from just north and east of us, plus another one in area to south and east of DSM. One senator Dem, Harkin, one Repub, Grassley, and Grassley is not the worst Republican out there by a long shot. He is fairly independent, if there is such a thing as an independent Repub. Don't paint us all with your broad brush. I predict we'll send on a good candidate for your consideration come January 3. Frankly, I have my personal favorite, but we can't go too far wrong with any of our candidates this time around. When I see a picture of them all together, it makes me proud.

[MethuenProgressive]

8. The US census seems to be at odds with your opinion.

Why?

[Raven]

7. While the rest of you are shopping at the malls, we folks in NH and

Iowa are studying the candidates'resumes carefully so that we can show you the way.;-)

[cali]

10. I actually think Iowa and NH do a pretty good job, but it's time

take away their first in the Nation status and rotate other small states in. I'm sure they'll do just as good a job. RI, for instance, is much more ethnically diverse, and so is NM.

[MethuenProgressive]

11. Yeah, but I'm shopping at a mall in NH, and watching NH TV.

I really like being able to see the coverage and ads on WMUR Ch 9.
And not paying taxes on my tools from Sears is a plus too!

[MadBadger]

12. And if they took it away from NH and Iowa and gave it to another state like lets say WI,

And all the candidates poured in there, then Im sure WI would study just as hard, they just have never needed to.

[suston96]

9. Methuen...forget about it...

You speak correctly and diligently and they hear, but they will not listen.

Early primaries raise big money for the political parties and I believe that is what is keeping these early primaries going.

If things turn out the way I believe they will, these may be the last Iowa caucuses. The political parties themselves will finally get the message.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. Actually NH's population mostly belongs to the Boston-Worcester-Manchester,

Statistical Area. The transformation of southern NH into part this urbanized region parallels to transition of NH from a solid Republican state to a swing state and now perhaps a swing-state that leans Democratic.

[MethuenProgressive]

14. I'm talking stats about NH & Iowa voters.

Although I'm glad to know that Manchester belongs to the Boston-Woostah-Manchester Statisy=tical Area. :hi: