So, what does the primary Iowa win mean?

[Cow Poke]

Ok. Thanks.

Would another moderator like to change the title of this thread, please?

This is about ME, isn't it?

[mossrose]

This is about ME, isn't it?

Thank you!

[Cow Poke]

Thank you!

[firstfloor]

Is Ted Cruise any relation of Tom Cruz?

[Mountain Man]

I don't understand US politics, and would appreciate a bit of elucidation.

Presidential primary voting basically determines who will get delegate votes at their party's respective presidential conventions. Each state has a certain number of delegates, and those delegates are divided between the candidates based on votes. So even though Ted Cruz technically won the Iowa vote, he only gets 8 delegates while Trump and Rubio both walk away with 7 each, and Ben Carson gets 3. Between Hillary and Bernie, the delegate split is 23 to 21. So nobody from either party really dominated.

At the convention, the delegates from every state will all cast their votes, and the winner will be that party's presidential candidate.

[One Bad Pig]

Presidential primary voting basically determines who will get delegate votes at their party's respective presidential conventions. Each state has a certain number of delegates, and those delegates are divided between the candidates based on votes. So even though Ted Cruz technically won the Iowa vote, he only gets 8 delegates while Trump and Rubio both walk away with 7 each, and Ben Carson gets 3. Between Hillary and Bernie, the delegate split is 23 to 21. So nobody from either party really dominated.

At the convention, the delegates from every state will all cast their votes, and the winner will be that party's presidential candidate.

IIRC some states are "winner takes all delegates." One candidate usually ends up with enough votes to make the convention pro forma. If not, then you get some back room dealing until a candidate gets enough votes. It is a more representative process than it used to be, where party bosses from each state would meet and cast ballots until one candidate got the majority.

[shunyadragon]

I don't understand US politics, and would appreciate a bit of elucidation.

NO trashing candidates! I just want the basic idea of how stuff works, please!

Not much. Iowa and New Hampshire are not representative of the voters of the United States.

[Yttrium]

The Iowa caucuses aren't very representative of the nation as a whole, but they do help weed out the weaker candidates. After the caucuses, one Democratic candidate and two Republican candidates dropped out of the race.

[rogue06]

The Iowa caucuses aren't very representative of the nation as a whole, but they do help weed out the weaker candidates. After the caucuses, one Democratic candidate and two Republican candidates dropped out of the race.

That would be true regardless of where the first caucus or primary was held.

[Yttrium]

That would be true regardless of where the first caucus or primary was held.

Even Wyoming?

[rogue06]

Even Wyoming?

Even Alabamastan

[Yttrium]

Even Alabamastan

Now you're making my brain hurt, trying to figure out if that's really true.

[shunyadragon]

That would be true regardless of where the first caucus or primary was held.

Not correct. Iowa and New Hampshire are white states. There are many states that are more representative of the diversity of America.

[rogue06]

Not correct. Iowa and New Hampshire are white states. There are many states that are more representative of the diversity of America.

Please explain how that makes any difference in "weed[ing] out the weaker candidates."

Personally I would love to see the death grip that Iowa and New Hampshire have on the beginning of the election process broken.

[shunyadragon]

Please explain how that makes any difference in "weed[ing] out the weaker candidates."

Personally I would love to see the death grip that Iowa and New Hampshire have on the beginning of the election process broken.

You made assumption they were the same as other states, which is false. Larger more diverse states have given very different primary results in the past, and those winning Iowa and/or New Hampshire in the past have failed in larger more diverse states in the past.