No More Straws: Iowa GOP Cancels Tradition

There were once two traditional “starts” to the Republican presidential primary season, both of them taking place in Iowa. One of them is a caucus. The other, a straw poll, was recently cancelled by a unanimous vote by the governing board of the Republican Party of Iowa. Having faced criticism in recent years, many (including Iowa governor Terry Branstad) believe the tradition has, outlived its usefulness.

A Brief History

Created in 1979 as a fundraiser for the state Republican Party, the Iowa Straw Poll was scheduled for six months prior to the state’s caucus. (Click on the hyperlink in the first paragraph to use the glossary of political terms.) Held in the city of Ames, the straw poll, a day-long political event, has the feel of a county fair. Candidates participate by bidding money on booths (based on both size and strategic location). Before the voting, each candidate is given the opportunity to make a short speech. People cast votes by putting a piece of corn into a jar marked with a candidate’s name. Non-Republicans can vote, but everyone must be a legal resident of Iowa (or an enrolled student of a college in the state).

Criticism

What was once seen as a milestone achievement on the path to the White House had become a big financial burden for candidates with little return on the investment. There have been a total of six straw polls (the event is not held in the years when an incumbent Republican president is the assumed party nominee). Only two of the straw poll winners went on to capture the nomination–Bob Dole in 1995 and George W. Bush in 1999.

In 2011, Michele Bachman’s campaign put $12 million dollars into the event, won the straw poll, but finished sixth in the caucus before dropping out of the race. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, did not participate at all and ultimately won the 2012 Republican nomination. Likewise, in 2008 John McCain also secured the Republican nomination without participating in the Iowa event.

This year Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Mario Rubio, Rick Santorum, and Lindsey Graham have all publicly announced that they would not participate in the straw poll. These announcements likely led to the decision by the Iowa Republican Party to vote to discontinue the event, even after the Iowa Republicans had unanimously voted in January to continue the tradition . . . before Republican candidates began to drop out. For the record, Ben Carson and Donald Trump were said to be eager to participate.

What Do You Think? Is there any reason at all that the Straw Poll should have continued? Back your opinion up with at least two sources.