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Candidates tend to make a big deal about the amount of money raised during their campaign. It helps them take their campaign where they want it to go and helps them get media attention. It shows that they have enough traction to gain donor support and makes themselves known to their voters. It can make […]

“Let me start off by making you very nervous.” This is how Senator Bernie Sanders began his first of three campus stops of his “Tailgate Tour.” At the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames, IA, the home of Iowa State University, Sanders quickly focused his attention to the students in the facility, warning that […]

DES MOINES, Iowa — As Democrats across Iowa and the country prepare for the upcoming Iowa precinct caucuses in February, little attention has been paid to the state of Iowa Republicans by national media. But the Trump Victory Iowa team is trying to make its presence known early. Drake University College Republicans hosted one of […]

Iowa has had its ups and downs when it comes to caucuses since its statehood in 1846, but in 1972 it set itself apart as a defining location for American politics. Following a rocky election year in 1968, the National Democratic Party sought to revamp their strategies to appeal to minorities, women, and the younger […]

In 2005, only 5% of Americans said they used social media. Now, seven out of every ten Americans are active on Facebook. Roughly half of those between 18 and 24 years use Twitter. As social media platforms draw in large numbers of potential voters, presidential campaigns must quickly adopt and adapt to new social media […]

State Representative Jennifer Konfrst, Democrat of Windsor Heights, was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in November 2018 from the 43rd House District of Iowa. But before she even claimed victory in her state legislative race, Konfrst found herself receiving calls and messages from major national members of her party, all of whom were […]

A candidate can only be in one place at a time. While some candidates like Joe Sestak seem to figure out how to get around that issue, other candidates with high polling data like Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg need extra support to get exposure in early states like Iowa. But are family members brought […]

One thing that can completely change the public opinion of a politician is trending posts and memes on social media. Politicians have always been made a joke in the media, but being created into a meme could cause the voters to take them much less seriously. It could make them more or less likable and […]

In a state where campaign organization often predicts the success of the candidate, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign for president in Iowa seems to be missing a key part—paid staff focused on the influential state. With zero paid campaign staff in the state, Gabbard demonstrates that either Iowa is not key to her long-term strategy, or […]

The election of our current president, Donald Trump, really got people around the country talking for a multitude of reasons, but something that they could not stop talking about was his lack of governmental experience. Unlike President Trump, the majority of former presidents in the history of the United States became president after spending some […]