Titi Nguyen/Staff Illustrator
The 2024 Iowa caucuses represented a race for second place. With the unsurprising results of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, nothing has defined the official start of the 2024 election season more than American preoccupation with Iowa’s runner-up contest, the New Hampshire-Biden write-in campaign and, of course, the evergreen stronghold of Trump Republicans. Whilst many critique the value of and vie for discontinuity of caucuses and primaries, now, more than ever, its symbolism and practical value are apparent.
Caucuses and primaries bring elections and politics up close and personal for individual voters — much closer than the national presidential race, which is ultimately dictated by the Electoral College. And yet, we dilute the importance of caucusing by focusing on political theatrics.
Political dramatics were commonplace these past few months, particularly in regards to electoral politics. After only 30 minutes of vote-tallying in frigid temperatures on Jan. 15, The Associated Press declared former President Donald Trump as the winner of the Iowa caucus. Only a week later, the Associated Press called the New Hampshire primary in favor of Trump for the Republican ballot, and President Joe Biden won his spot on the Democratic ballot. By a record-breaking margin, Trump is now two states closer to his second gig as Republican nominee for president. Biden, similarly, was able to win New Hampshire in a stunning write-in campaign led by proponents of the current president.
Following the results in Iowa, stunningly, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who finished far behind Trump in the caucuses, suspended his campaign for president. DeSantis’ choice to drop out of the race followed his supposedly big second-place win in Iowa.
The battle for second was between DeSantis and former Republican South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. Haley and DeSantis finished at 21.2% and 19.1%, respectively, each fighting for the coveted second place that offered the chance to continue their campaigns with donor and popular support. DeSantis’ choice to end his campaign was striking. Up until that Sunday, the Florida governor had spent hours visiting every Iowa county and millions in campaign funds. Media coverage leading up to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primarily focused on the intense deadlock between Haley and DeSantis, paying less attention to Trump, the expected winner. This is precisely the problem.
Many critique the caucuses, asserting that their importance is waning. However, the Iowa caucus is valuable to our democracy — it is representative of something that seems to be slipping out of our hands. Even while the caucus and primary system could use a much-needed revamp, we must maintain its symbolism. The Make America Great Again (MAGA) monolith is upon us: according to an NBC News poll, a disturbing 34% of Republican voters support Trump more than the Republican Party as a whole. These voters will never stray from Trump, even if his constitutional ability to be president is impacted, either by legal circumstances or due to the end of the maximum eight years he may serve as president.
We are letting ourselves be distracted from the growing tendency of voters to sway from democratic representation toward a dominating and authoritarian populist. Trump currently faces 91 felony counts in four criminal cases, which is more than any president or former president has ever faced — by a margin of 91. The race worth paying attention to is undoubtedly Trump’s lawyers’ race to courthouses across the nation, including in Fulton County.
Ultimately, the contest between Haley and DeSantis had little impact on the outcome of the Iowa caucuses and will likely not have a significant impact on the 2024 presidential election. Perhaps DeSantis saw this when he decided to drop out of the race. Instead, we should be paying attention to the prospect of having a felon-to-be on the ballot. One of the 91 felonies has to stick. And yet, Americans are playing nice with election politics and choosing to count the margin of votes between Haley and DeSantis. It is a welcome distraction from Trump’s perpetual presence in American politics because Trump is not alone in his disregard for democratic values. His followers have emphasized their love for Trump and his authoritarian tendencies in several ways since his 2020 presidential run.
To best combat the distractions associated with the revival of the MAGA cult and other frivolous political drama, we cannot let policy slip through our fingers. When voters show up in freezing temperatures to discuss candidates and when nominees visit every single inconsequential county in a state, that is when the true will of voters appears. However, this year’s Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primaries were flooded by MAGA voters who are hyper-focused on Trump’s charming craze.
The first step to preserving political awareness is seen in the Iowa caucus or New Hampshire primary. These political traditions should stay, as they remind us of the reasons we have historically shown up to discuss presidential nominees.
Pay attention to the people, issues and, most importantly, the consequences of the 2024 presidential election. Like it or not, Haley will not beat out Trump in the popular vote. Instead of distracting yourself with Haley’s campaigning in New Hampshire, pay attention to what truly matters: we might have a felon win a presidential election.
Biden’s win in New Hampshire is remarkable: it is by voters, for ourselves. In comparison to unilateral Trump supporters, residents of New Hampshire used the primary as a launching pad for open discussion of politics and grassroots support of a candidate, rather than a party, ideology or megalomaniac.
I do not hesitate to openly criticize Trump supporters. Many of them do not view democratic values as consequential to our society — at least, not as consequential as Trumpian doctrines. Peel your eyes away from the minute details. There is much more to be aware of this election season than only a laughable second-place race, the president’s son or squabbles in Congress.
Ellie Fivas (24Ox) is from Cleveland.
Ellie Fivas is from Cleveland, Tennessee, and is double-majoring in political science and English & Creative Writing. Outside of the Wheel, she serves on the Student Government Association, edits for the Oxford Phoenix literary magazine and writes for the Emory Political Review. In her free time, you can find her reading historical fiction, enjoying the outdoors or doing crossword puzzles.
