Final Thoughts On Iowa

by Stuart Shapiro

Time to briefly reflect on the Hawkeye State, the last time many of us will think about it until Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush start making appearances there in early 2015.

• Clearly I overestimated Ron Paul’s support.  The Iowa performance may be his upper bound as he was super organized in Iowa and he is likely to be stronger in caucus states than primary states.  The rest of the predictions were decent though.
• I have never seen a “concession” quite as angry as Newt Gingrich’s.  I can’t wait for Saturday night’s debate.  I am surprised that he spared Sen. Santorum his bile as his surest path to contention is stepping over Santorum and becoming the Romney alternative.I still maintain that it was a big victory for Governor Romney.  A three man race between him, Santorum, and Paul gets him the nomination by Super Tuesday.  If I were him, I would concentrate my efforts on blunting Gingrich’s attacks and punching back at him.
• Governor Perry, Rep. Bachmann: the tribe has spoken, it is time for you to go.
• Best line of the night: Andy Borowitz, “Mitt Romney is changing his first name to ‘Not'”

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.