Messy Iowa caucuses leave cash-poor candidates scrambling

[left-of-center2012]

The Iowa caucuses weren’t just a colossal political mess. They were a massive money drain for Democratic presidential contenders who poured millions of dollars into a contest so marred by technical glitches that its ultimate outcome will be marked with an asterisk.

That’s forced a reassessment of political strategy born of financial necessity for candidates strapped for money. It has also created a predatory environment for stronger candidates trying to pick off donors of weaker ones.

That’s placed an even bigger spotlight on New Hampshire, where many of the cash-poor candidates were trying to raise money in between campaign stops ahead of the Feb. 11 primary.

As results from Monday’s Iowa caucuses were still being tabulated, former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who both trailed in the state, shifted their money around, canceled ad buys and sent out emails pleading for donations.

Biden, who has low cash reserves and has struggled to raise money, has pegged his bid for the nomination on his appeal in more diverse states that follow New Hampshire. But after a poor showing in predominantly white Iowa, he’s being squeezed.

https://apnews.com/047699869cf1cbb3d5445874d5b8b9c4

[UniteFightBack]

1. Iowa is a waste of money and time. Why does this state get all their attention while

everyone else is ignored. Time for a change.

[BlueWI]

3. Every candidate faces the same schedule

and even when Obama was running, there wasn't this constant outcry that Iowa is too white. It's probably more demographically diverse than it was in 2008.

Good candidates need to be competitive everywhere. Iowa has electoral votes too.

[UniteFightBack]

4. They spend a year kissing Iowa's ass and spending a inordinate amount of time there. Like I said

it's time for a change.

[BlueWI]

5. It may well change

but it's the collective decision of the parties to do it this way.

So it's up to the candidates to work within these conditions, which should have been well known to Biden after numerous election cycles.

[wisteria]

2. This is wrong, Biden didn't poor tons of money in Iowa

Bernie, Warren and Pete B did though