Iowa is home to many things, most of which are not looked at with much excitement by those who live outside of state. But every 4 years people look to Iowa for more than just the best sweet corn or pork chops money can buy. Citizens across the nation will wait for the results of the first voting in the 2016 presidential election cycle.
The upcoming caucus is drawing out passion and excitement on the University of Iowa campus, where students are ready for their voices to be heard on a large scale.
Recommended Stories
“It is so important for all Iowa citizens to participate,” explained Amanda Harwood, a senior at the University of Iowa, regarding the caucus that is to take place Monday night. “I think one thing a lot of people don’t realize is, that it is set up to be a conversation, so that you know what the nominated candidate stands for.”
Some professors (aware of the impact Iowa students could have on Monday night) have canceled night classes to allow students to attend the caucuses. Some scheduled events, however, are continuing as planned.
Alisha Lemon, a student in the University of Iowa’s Theatre Department, struggled as she debated whether to attend the caucuses or the rehearsal to which she has already committed.
“Looking forward, do I want to tell my kids that I participated in the Iowa caucus for the great man who ended up leading our country, or do I want to tell my kids that I was at a rehearsal that night?” she asked.
Lemon said she sees this upcoming caucus and election as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “People here are so opinionated and let their voices be heard,” she said of the Iowa City atmosphere, compared to her small hometown.
Both Harwood and Lemon said they would be supporting Bernie Sanders during Monday evening’s historical caucus.
The Iowa Youth Straw Poll conducted on Jan. 26, reported that young voters prefer Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination by a large majority, (53 percent support him), with Hillary Clinton following behind at 30 percent, and Martin O’Malley at 10 percent. For the Republican nomination, Donald Trump took the lead with 25 percent, followed by Marco Rubio at 18.4 percent, Ben Carson at 18 percent, Ted Cruz at 15 percent, Jeb Bush at 3.4 percent, Rand Paul at 3.3 percent, Chris Christie at 1.7 percent, and Mike Huckabee at 1.6 percent.
“I don’t think Trump is a viable candidate for the presidency,” Harwood said. “I don’t think the majority will vote for him. So if Trump were to be the Republican nominee, Republicans might not vote.”
Though Trump is in the lead, he holds only 25 percent of the Republican vote at this time. Part of the reason Trump is in the lead with such a low percentile, (when compared to Sanders’ 53 percent), is due to the large number of Republican candidates at this time.
“Hopefully Trump won’t get the nomination,” said another University of Iowa student, “But if it comes to that, I don’t think he’ll win.” The student went on to explain his belief that the Electoral College would not allow Trump to take the presidency, even if he were to win the popular vote.
Some of his theory stems from how Trump is viewed by those on an international level. In December, there was a petition to ban Trump from entering the UK after they accused him of hate speech in regards to his plan to ban the entry of Muslims to the United States. The petition accumulated so many signatures that Parliament was required to consider the petition.
While some may feel discouraged to attend a caucus if their favorite candidate is not at the top of the polls, it is important to remember that every voice matters (especially in one of the key swing states such as Iowa and New Hampshire). Furthermore, the election is not until November, and as we all know many things can happen in the span of nine months.
