Iowa — does it have the most informed voters on the planet?

[babylonsister]

Iowa — does it have the most informed voters on the planet?
November 8th, 2007, filed by Andrea Hopkins

Iowa has come in for a bit of criticism lately — particularly from other states. Iowa shouldn’t play such a huge role in the choice of presidential candidates, some argue. It’s too homogenous, too small, too white, too rural to represent American voters, they say.

Despite a lot of jockeying by other states to boost their role inobama.jpg the 2008 presidential nominating season, so far Iowa is still set to be first in line to choose the Republican and Democratic nominees, on Jan. 3.

Criticism aside, a week amongst Iowa voters is eye-opening. They are mostly white, and there are indeed a few farmers among them. They’re a bit older than the U.S. electorate as a whole. But they seem to be the most informed voters on the planet.

As candidates criss-crossed the corn state, voters young and old turned out to hear stump speeches, pose questions and meet the men and woman who could be the next president. And they are not easily swayed. Less than two months out from the Iowa caucuses, many said they were still undecided.

“I’m not sure yet,” said retired tool-and-die worker Ted Stolz, 64, as he took his spot among 200 others at an event for Barack Obama in Ottumwa, Iowa, this week.

“I lean towards John Edwards myself. He’s for the working man. He wants to get us out of Iraq,” Stolz added. But he still wants to hear Obama speak. He saw Edwards on Monday, shook his hand and asked him about overtime issues.

more...

http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2007/11/08/iowa-does-it-have-the-most-informed-voters-on-the-planet/

[mr_hat]

1. Thank you for posting this, Sis. >

As a native-born, world-wandering and eventually prodigal Iowan, I can say with justified pride that... Yeah. Absolutely.

edited: peer pressure

[babylonsister]

2. I'll bet you Iowans are. And I'll also bet that, come election day

if not way before, you must be absolutely fed-up with all the politics, ads, phone calls, etc. :crazy:

[Debi]

4. There is no such thing!

It comes with the privilege. I try to be polite to all the callers and ask them where they are from and how they got involved in the process for their candidate.

[mr_hat]

6. Likewise. My wife stumps for Edwards, I stump >

for Obama.

We'll each vote for whomever is the nominee. With pride, without prejudice.

[SharonAnn]

3. I grew up in Waterloo, IA. There is a large African American population there.

In several areas of IA it is true that there are large minority populations, mainly in the cities (which are the population centers).

Many areas, especially low wage jobs like meat-packing, have large Hispanic populations.

Just sayin'.

[Debi]

5. Hi SharonAnn!

Add Hispanic and Bosnian to the Waterloo population.

Our office is in the Black's building right downtown, where the diversity is quite obvious. :hi:

[laylah]

7. From my experience in Iowa

as I relocated from Colorado, then worked in a residential facility for at-risk kids, I must say, my answer to the question would be NOT A CHANCE in HELL. I was amazed at the Rush/"DR" Laura/O'Lielly listeners. Most of whom I met followed the *dumbass Doctrine and President Clinton was/IS still to blame for everything. Just MY "up close and personal" opinion.