Political Parties

nytimes.com
December 31, 2011
A. G. Sulzberger and Michael Barbaro
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/us/politics/republicans-wage-hidden-ground-war-in-iowa.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Summary-
    The preparation of the candidates' campaign teams for the Iowa caucus is in full swing. Frenzied attempts to gain support include personal calls from candidates' children, appeals to donors, and rapid analyses of polls. The Newt Gingrich team is filled with chaos, Michele Bachmann's team is losing hope, and Rick Perry flaunts his money, as every advantage is pushed in order to get closer to winning the caucus.

Connection-
    The struggle to win the Iowa caucus is an important start to the path of winning the presidential election, and the party as an organization is aware of this, and tries to get their candidate as good a start as possible. The fact that winning caucuses and primaries is an important goal to the party as an organization has been covered in class through multiple worksheets.

Personal Reaction-
    For those who want a victory for a minor candidate such as Ron Paul, the idea of his winning the Iowa caucus is appealing. A win in this area would mark a significant victory, since it would prove to voters that Ron Paul is capable of winning something, and would make people less likely to think of a vote for him as being wasted.