If you’re a politically-savvy Democratic voter, you very well may feel like you’re sinking ever deeper into the grit and grip of unending quicksand this week.
First, you’re about to see Donald Trump acquitted in his impeachment trial, after your elected representatives spent months convincing each other that the President was a criminal. This is time that very well could have been spent on subjects such as healthcare and immigration, but instead were squandered on partisan nonsense.
Then, as if that weren’t enough, the Iowa caucuses were a wholly unmitigated disaster, and now, 24 hours after we were supposed to view the results, the Democratic Party has only been able to unveil a little more than half of the information.
The head of the Iowa Democratic Party apologized somberly Tuesday for botching the highly anticipated release of the party’s caucus results, calling the delay unacceptable.
“I apologize deeply for this,” said party chair Troy Price, shortly before releasing the first batch of precinct results.
Campaigns, party volunteers and regular Iowans expressed confusion and frustration at the lack of clarity on what is often one of the most closely-watched nights in American presidential politics.
The results, once released, reflected 62% of Iowa’s precincts from all 99 counties. It showed former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg leading the field, with 26.9% of state delegate equivalents. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont followed, with 25.1%. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was in third, at 18.3%. At 15.6%, former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (12.6%) rounded out the top five.
The liberal voter base was holding out hope that these first votes in Iowa would provide them with some direction for the remainder of the primary election, given just how tumultuous the process has been thus far.
