Post-mortem for Iowa Straw Poll

OK, so what was that all about?

Rachel Maddow -- right, as usual; and cogent, as usual -- calls it a media-hyped racket. The Straw Poll originated as a fund raiser for the Iowa Republican Party. If it tests anything, it's the ability to get Iowa citizens to go to the event and vote for you. So a good local organization helps, but mostly it's who will spend the most money to provide free tickets, buses to bring people in from all over the state, lots of free food and, more and more, the best entertainment in the closest-in tent location (the more you pay, the better the location). That was part of T-Paw's problem -- his tent was way on the other side from the rest; people had to walk too far to find it, and they didn't. Of course, if they had been excited about him, they would have.

In addition, on the same day, they can attend the Iowa State Fair, look at the prize pigs, ride the ferris wheel, and all that. It's a great summer outing. But the caucuses -- that really count -- happen in the dead of the frigid Iowa winters.

Rachel castigates the MSM for hyping it and trying to make it mean something, but it doesn't. And, she says, Tim Pawlenty shouldn't have dropped out. There is very little predictive value in who wins the polls -- even as to who carries Iowa in the January nominating caucuses.

Rick Perry got 718 write-in votes, even though he had only announced the day before and was not on the ballot. Since then, he's been all over the news, selling his "Texas Miracle" and trying to dispense with Bachmann so he and Romney can reduce it to the virtual two-man race it will become. He certainly is going after Bachmann's Tea Party crowd, not the independents. His latest idea: patrol the US-Mexican border with drone planes. And, what? Shoot illegal immigrants? That's going to endear him to the Hispanic vote, for sure. What do we think of when you say "drones?" One thing: tracking down and killing Al Qaeda terrorists.

Newt is trying desperately to paper over his dismal 8th place showing (385 votes) by a suddenly arranged speech at the Heritage Foundation to . . . what? Denounce the "Washington Elite" at a Washington elite think tank. It really strains credulity (but Newt does that every day before breakfast) to portray himself as a Washington outsider. True, he quit Congress some 15 or so years ago, after screwing up and losing out to Clinton's calling his bluff. But he has lived off the fat of the political land in the D.C. area ever since. Makes his millions selling books and CDs with his snake oil ideas.

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart is going after the MSM for ignoring Ron Paul. After all, he came in second. But, as we all know, Paul's support is very loyal but also very limited. There's not much way he can expand his base beyond what he already has. That's why.

Well, at least it's over. The field lost one (T-Paw) and gained one (The Texan). Which means the whole ship tilts a little more to the right. May it continue until it sinks.

Ralph