Coin tosses, record breaking, shocking results, and misleading polls — it was caucus night in Iowa. The amount of votes that the top three Republican candidates received was the highest it has ever been on Tuesday night. Ted Cruz was declared the winner for the Republicans, which contradicted the polls and placed Donald Trump in second. Marco Rubio placed a strong third, which shocked many. A coin toss is what allegedly determined the Democrat’s winner, who was Hillary Clinton.
“No one remembers who came in second,” Donald Trump quoted on Twitter on December 30. Trump, the self-proclaimed “winner,” changed his tone to humility after the loss. He said that he was “honored” to be in second and that he is very happy with the results. However, his Twitter began telling a different story when he accused Ted Cruz of committing fraud and Trump called for a new caucus. Trump said on Twitter after his second place finish, “During Prime Time of the Iowa Caucus, Cruz put out a release that Ben Carson was quitting the race, and to caucus (or vote) for Cruz.”
The Democratic side was too close to call for much of the night and both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders claimed victory. However, it was Clinton who scraped a win with two more delegates than Sanders, leaving Senator Sanders to admit defeat.
Despite the loss, this is actually a big win for Bernie, who was expected to perform poorly in the caucuses. He came within .3 percentage points of Hillary and proved that he is a real contender for the nomination. This was also a win for Clinton, who won a state that is tailored towards Bernie Sanders. Sanders performs best among white people and also in college towns, which Iowa has plenty of. Clinton proved that she can perform well in states that are not her strong suit.
Hillary Clinton was hoping to receive a resounding win in order to put off the memories of her loss to Barack Obama in 2008. Her small win is causing both supporters and critics to question whether she can actually receive the presidential nomination. Clinton’s near loss comes too close to the time when an unsuspecting candidate came from behind. Bernie Sanders is coming very close to her in this race and she will have to work even harder for the votes.
Clinton’s little victory is highly controversial because a coin toss determined her win. Iowa does break ties with a coin toss and many people are now demanding an inquiry into caucus voting methods. There is no official record of the coin tosses, so people are unclear how many each candidate won. However, the final delegate remaining was won to Hillary on heads. Hillary Clinton’s win could be forever tarnished by a simple flip of the coin.
This isn’t the only scandal that has tarnished Secretary Clinton’s campaign. She is still under investigation for sending classified emails over a private server while Secretary of State. She has also been accused of lying about Benghazi, the attack on the U.S consulate in 2012. The Clinton foundation was caught filing erroneous tax returns, which makes people nervous about Hillary Clinton’s disclosure rate.
The results from the Iowa Caucus have caused former governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Rand Paul, both Republicans, to suspend their presidential campaigns. Former Senator Rick Santorum dropped out of the presidential race as well. Former governor Martin O’ Malley, who didn’t even receive one percent of the vote on the Democratic side, also suspended his campaign.
Most of the candidates are now spending their time in New Hampshire hoping to woo the voters in the state. Some, such as Ted Cruz, are also focusing their attention in South Carolina as well.
Ohio Governor John Kasich is polling at 11.5 percent in New Hampshire and is expected to perform well in the state. This could be a big turning point for him in the campaign. Marco Rubio is continuing his upward climb by going on to New Hampshire, however he is facing criticism from Governor Christie, former Governor Bush, and Kasich for not spending more time in New Hampshire. For Jeb Bush, this is his chance to show that he is a good candidate, especially after his poor showing in Iowa.
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is leading Hillary Clinton by 23 points in New Hampshire and is likely to put in a good showing there. For Secretary Clinton, it is important for her to break apart from Sanders and take a strong lead.
The New Hampshire caucus tonight will be telling as to who is leading each party for the nomination. History shows that no Republican presidential nominee has ever won both Iowa and New Hampshire, so it is highly unlikely that the New Hampshire results will echo Iowa.
After New Hampshire, the South Carolina Caucus and the Nevada Caucus is next. Ohio’s primary will be held on March 15 and the deadline to register to vote is February 16. Candidates may not devote as much time to Ohio as they have in the past due to Governor Kasich’s strong presence in our state.
The candidates have a long road to the White House ahead of them and it is only just beginning.
Laina Yost
Intern