Dr. Ivan Eland, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at the Independent Institute on Why Do Iowans Like to Caucus But Iraqis Don't?
Iowans seem pretty happy with their quadrennial caucuses. The results are now in and the 2004 presidential election season has been kicked off. Half a world away, however, Iraqi Shiites have launched massive demonstrations against the Bush administration’s plan for caucuses to elect an interim national assembly. Why do Iowans love what Iraqi Shiites hate?
It’s simple: Iowa’s version of caucuses is true grassroots democracy in action, whereas the U.S. occupation authority’s version in Iraq is a sham. Having spent my formative years in Iowa and attended the neighborhood political meetings, I know that any Iowa voter can participate in debating and choosing among the candidates. For example, if my parents, who still live in Iowa, were Republicans or independents and wanted to take part in the Democratic caucuses — because that’s where the action was in 2004 — they could change their party affiliation and caucus to their heart’s delight.
You can read the rest of Dr. Eland's commentary here.