During one of the Des Moines Register Debates between Presidential candidates a number of years ago, a question was posed to one of the participants.
Why should people caucus for you, he was asked. You are trailing badly and you are underfunded.
He said in essence, you know it doesn’t matter whether I am ahead in the polls or behind. It doesn’t even matter whether you think I can win or not, if you feel that I am the most qualified, then you have an obligation to vote for me. You should vote your conscience.
That really as Iowans is our responsibility on January 3rd. If your candidate is ahead, has money and looks like they could win a general election then that alone is not sufficient reason to caucus for him or her. There is an additional condition and the most important requirement. If in your judgment, the White House contender would make a good or even great President, then they should be supported.
But the converse is also true. In watching this process through this cycle, I sometimes have had the feeling that the media; by their coverage, by their handicapping, predictions and their polling data that eliminates some candidates by exclusion, have almost been telling us who we should support.
This is Iowa. We are supposed to stand back from who the pundits of Washington want us to consider and look at our guests with a different evaluation: who would make the best Commander in Chief.
In 1774, Edmund Burke confronted his constituents, the electors of Bristol. He defined the obligation of a representative. Owing not you his industry only, but his judgment, he said, and if he fails to give both to you, he violates his oath.
We speak not only for Iowa, but also for the nation. Our decision will pass some on for further consideration by other states in their time. But we will also dismiss from future ballots some individuals. Our decision will be watched by the world.
We should use our judgment. We should vote our conscience.
Oh, by the way, the speaker who set this standard was George McGovern in the 1988 cycle. Ultimately, he wasn’t nominated, but his continued presence in the process contributed greatly to the national debate and decision ultimately made by his party.
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