Answers: Iowa’s influence

Presidential hopefuls are crisscrossing the state for the 2016 presidential race. Does our state have too much influence over the presidential process?

FROM OUR INBOX

Our state doesn't influence the presidential process. It's the Council on Foreign Relations and its affiliates that dominate and control the RNC and the DNC. They promote, through the controlled news media, and bankroll the candidates they want running against each in the general election in order to continue their socialist/internationalist agenda. In other words, they always win as the voters are left with no choice!

Lan N.

Cedar Rapids

It's not that Iowa holds too much influence, it's that vocal minority that have too much influence over the GOP/TP and by inference over the GOP/TP presidential process. Iowa is more than this minority.

Dave A.

Ossian

Iowa does not exert too much influence. In actuality Iowans' influence would dwindle to naught if we do not continue to hold first in the nation caucuses. To both coasts, Iowa is 'flyover country”, mostly unworthy of consideration.

Iowa needs to exert more influence than it does. Iowa's 'common sense” is so rare in our government, it's almost like a Marvel Comics superhero's superpower.

Michael J.

Cedar Rapids

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FROM FACEBOOK

' John D.: No. Well-funded, corporate 'connected PACs” wield most of the influence. These PACs ruin TV with non-stop negative ads and bombard us with unwanted phone calls for months leading up to both the caucuses and general elections.

' Cravin M.: Question should be 'Do the Koch Bros., Grover Norquist, and dark money (thank you Supreme Court for that Citizen's United decision that says corporations are people and money is free speech) have too much influence on elections? China could easily be donating to the SuperPacs, but we'd never know because disclosure of the sources isn't required.

' Ben S.: Too much emphasis is placed on Iowa during the presidential election process. The caucuses are irrelevant because most citizens that attend (or are able to attend) are older and white which is not representative of the electorate as a whole. The Iowa caucuses create the buzz for some candidates to move them into the national spotlight.

' LeRoy B.: Nope, they are selected not elected.

' Steve H.: Most Iowans are uninformed and rely on the mainstream media for information. There is nothing special about Iowans.

' Danielle P.: No, no we don't. You know who does? Billionaires! They have to much influence.

' Dillon M.: About as much power as I do.

' Matthew B.: Iowa doesn't have enough influence over our own process.

' KayCee S.: The truth is, none of us actually hold power over the elections.

' Bonnie L.: No, the Nightly World News Media has more influence!

' James W.: I say screw up their whole system and vote Libertarian.

' Allen L.: The caucuses are so stacked that the individual vote doesn't matter.

' Chandra J.: No, the Koch brothers do though.

' Greg H.: No!