Caucus night flavor lingers on

A bitter caucus aftertaste lingers for Iowa Democrats.

Hillary Clinton backers watched their once invincible candidate blow an enormous polling advantage and finally declare 'victory” in the closest caucus contest in history, by a wafer-thin slice of delegate equivalents. Their front-runner remains a good bet, though considerably dented.

Bernie Sanders' surge was remarkable, but still left his supporters wondering if he really missed it by that much or whether the fix was in, courtesy of pro-Hillary party leaders. Returns went missing for hours. A few precinct captains failed to report. Tales of confusion and disorganization saturated social media, along with stories of the now infamous 'coin flips.”

Coin flips were used to break ties in a handful of precincts to allocate county-level delegates. They had no real effect on the big picture outcome, despite its closeness, but the flips were swiftly seized by caucus detractors itching for a hapless-hicks-in-the-sticks narrative.

'The Democrats picked the winner last night the same way roommates decide who has to drive to Taco Bell,” Steven Colbert joked Tuesday night. Funny line, you gotta admit.

Yuks aside, the party has to fix this stuff. If competent precinct chairs are its last line of defense against an embarrassing national fiasco, officials had better take steps to make sure that message is delivered to every precinct. Like the Republicans in 2012, Iowa Democrats now must re-evaluate everything or risk losing the franchise. Sanders has declined to challenge the results, which is a smart call.

Still, it's worth noting the national media seems to want mass-produced, predictable Budweiser out of a caucus process that's more akin to handmade home-brew. Sure, there may be some surprises, sour notes and off flavors, but that's the nature of the ale, folks. And nobody ever said they had to drink it.

Speaking of reasons Democrats might want to drink, the Republican caucuses appear to have raised the stock of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the general election rival Dems seem to fear most. Democratic lawmakers I spoke with in December looked forward to the prospect of potentially retaking the Iowa House if Republicans poisoned their brand by nominating Donald Trump. Trump's Iowa loss dimmed his prospects.

Democrats also must bridge stark divisions exposed by the close contest. According to entrance polls, younger, lower-income caucusgoers looking for a presdient who care about people like them flocked to Sanders, while older, more affluent voters stuck with Clinton. Among those who were seeking an honest and trustworthy candidate, Sanders beat Clinton 83-10. A serious problem that won't go away.

But some Iowa Republicans also had a long Monday night. The Branstadian wing of the GOP took it on the chin, with Sen. Ted Cruz winning despite Gov. Terry Branstad's sharp criticism of the Texan's stand against ethanol mandates. Branstad's close allies, including Regent Bruce Rastetter, backed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who cruised to 10th place in a 12-horse race.

Meanwhile, the righteous Vander Plaatsian wing had a swell night propelling Cruz to victory. Not great news for Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds as she prepares to rev up the Branstad machine for a gubernatorial run, likely with one or more challengers from the religious right.

All that leaves one last question. Who drives to Taco Bell?

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com