The historical reason for the choice:
Before 1972, the Iowa caucuses received little attention. They occured in the middle of the nominating process and didn’t elect many delegates. After the chaotic 1968 election, new national party rules led Democrats in Iowa to implement a proportional representation system, giving more candidates room to compete in the state. The caucuses were moved up January not as a power play, but because the state party chairman was determined to give every delegate a copy of the rules and platform proposals. Officials determined that they would need four months to print the materials on their mimeograph machine.
A reader sounds off:
I couldn't help but notice Michael Crowley's tired piece on the irrelevance of Iowa. Any state in the union is capable of provoking criticism and scorn for not being "representative" of the nation and having their own unique interests. Any state.
The common rebuttal to the anti-Iowa crowd (and one I happen to agree with) is that a smaller, less dense, less media-saturated state allows for lower tier candidates to compete on the ground in ways that would be impossible in larger markets. So why isn't Rick Santorum and his Iowa efforts being rewarded? He's not very likeable or charming. Give Iowans some credit for not blindly rewarding the candidates who spend the most time in the state.
It's useful to remember that it was Iowa voters who launched Barack Obama to the presidency against the conventional wisdom of political journalists. This year, it appears that Ron Paul is likely to do the same despite hollow threats from political pundits and players.
Until Michael Crowley, Steven Taylor, and Stephen Bloom (whose superior attitude appeared recently in The Atlantic) offer up an alternative state and/or system to begin our political process, their perspectives only reveal their own unique detachment from reality and consequence. History is full of illogical traditions, habits, and processes. Such is life. It's a shame so many journalists can't embrace the unique positives of having our massive political process of money, power, and manipulation, try to first gain traction in a frozen prairie of Middle America.
The Dish 