…or only for President?
If so, do they do those things tonight? Or some other night (for the elections that are happening this November)?
If not, WTF, Iowans? What’s wrong with you?
They hold primaries in June for most (if not all) other stuff.
The caucuses are, at heart, party business. While all the rest of America sees is the candidate selection part of it, caucus goers also select delegates to move on to county conventions, and propose and debate planks for the party platform, which also move on to the county conventions for more debate and discussion.
At least that’s how it generally works on the Democratic side. I’m not sure how much similar party work happens with the Republicans.
The majority of Iowans who go to the caucuses submit their Presidential choice (or stand up for him/her, depending on your party), and then go home once the delegates are apportioned. Hardcore party members stay for the rest of the evening hammering together platform planks and such.
So while it seems strange to the rest of the country, it’s really party minutiae writ large. We could still do all this other stuff with party meetings and just do a primary for our Presidential choice, but where’s the fun in that?
I celebrate progressive Iowa in their continued support of the State Assy program, and the program’s celebrated supporter, Hugh Jass.