On Feb. 1, 2016, voters across Iowa will head to their polling places and cast their votes in the first primary election of this election cycle.
At the moment, Donald Trump is the frontrunner for the Republicans, while the Democrat frontrunner remains uncertain.
A Quinnipiac poll conducted Tuesday, Jan. 26, stated Trump edges out Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, by two points.
A Fox News poll conducted on Monday, Jan. 25, stated Hillary Clinton edges out Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., by six points.
But a poll conducted by the American Research Group on Jan. 25, stated Sanders led Clinton by three points.
I think this will make for a very exciting Monday.
For the Republicans, there is another debate Thursday evening, which could be vital for every candidate.
However, Trump, the Iowa and national front-runner, stated he will not take part in Thursday’s debate due to his repeated criticism of Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.
This creates a very interesting dynamic for the final week before the caucus.
Although Trump is the front-runner in the caucus, his lead looks to be slim.
It must be noted Cruz was the front runner in Iowa for weeks before Trump recently swooped in.
The Washington Post has attributed Trump’s absence from the debate as a response to the choice of Megyn Kelly as moderator.
He claims that she has “treated him unfairly” following the republican debate in August.
This childish approach to dealing with Megyn Kelly, could really hurt his polling numbers and allow other candidates to increase their numbers.
Meanwhile, the Democrats have had an equally interesting week leading up to the caucus.
Clinton, Sanders and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley all sat down for a town hall meeting, rather than a debate, to discuss ideas and issues.
Sanders attacked Clinton’s voting record, while Clinton claimed that she was a proven fighter.
With the results still up in the air, who knows how Monday’s vote will pan out.
Aside from being interesting, these results will shape the course of the election.
On the Republican side, the past two winners, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Mike Huckabee in 2008, both fell out of the race after winning the caucus.
On the Democrat side, Obama won the 2012 and 2008 editions.
This election cycle is far from normal. I believe that the 2016 edition of the Iowa Caucus will be more telling than the past two editions.
Due to the unusual nature of this cycle, who knows what effect the caucus will have?
All candidates will be vying for good numbers as they attempt to stay relevant.
As the elections heat up, I know I will be following the results of these primary elections like a hawk. One can only hope that their candidate receives the nod come July. I cannot be more excited to begin that journey next week.
staranyi@indiana.edu
