An Iowa caucus campaign for the ages ends at last

Farewell, American political media industrial complex. Iowans have, at long last, caucused.

You're free to pull up your tents and move on. The snowstorm is a hint.

Take it. Godspeed.

Don't get us wrong. It's been a great ride. Thanks for, once again, helping us make our curious caucuses, the homey hot dish of American politics, into a 12-course banquet of international spectacle and intrigue. You've shined bright spotlights on our first-in-the-nation ritual, and more than a few of our barns. Tossed in some rustic hay bales. Nice touch. Never gets old.

Some of you maligned our caucuses. We're used to it. We can take it. And with missing Democratic precincts and tales of coin tosses deciding precincts, our caucuses may tale some deserved dents. We'll see how the fallout unfolds.

But many of you learned to love our quirks, curiosities and subtle charms, even as our endless campaign held you captive. Could be a case of Stockholm syndrome, but we'll take it.

It was a fascinating field of candidates who made the show. The braggart. The insult-thrower. The tomato-dodger. And the Republican candidates not named Donald Trump. But Trump hit a bump. Ted Cruz steered hard right and won the gold. Surging Marco Rubio won the all-important expectations game. Democratic caucuses yielded a cliffhanger between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with Clinton claiming the closest win in history.

We kicked their tires, looked them in the eye, tested their mettle, answered their robocalls at dinner. Iowans showed up in very large numbers, punched tickets and winnowed fields. It's what we do.

A campaign for the ages. Pundit-confounding. Rule-breaking. But, at long last, we may have had enough.

It's been a campaign defined by anger. Perpetual outrage can be mentally draining, no matter how justified. Now that you're leaving, we can take a break from our seething.

We've been told repeatedly that America is standing on a cliff's edge, destined for destruction, no longer great, in crisis. It's worn on some of us. We could use a weekend pass from the trenches. We'll eat a pile of hot wings and watch the Super Bowl, with no commercials warning us of who really isn't a conservative.

We've got some stuff to think over. Iowa needs a little me time.

We'll consider what's become of our caucuses. Are Iowans still shaping the presidential race or have we become a backdrop for a national campaign, shaped by outside forces beyond our Pizza Ranches?

Has our strong, traditional preference for candidates who work the state, hit the back roads and pull a 'full Grassley” been Trumped? The results suggest small-ball remains important.

We also need a break to keep up our strength. The general election campaign is going to be an endurance test.

Maybe you noticed Republicans and Democrats campaigning here seemed to be running for president in two different countries. One is menaced by terrorists, illegal immigrants, welfare sponges and the government itself. The other is threatened by Wall Street barons sucking the economy dry, climate havoc, a lacking social safety net and too little government intervention.

So the anger will be back. The doom will be gloomy. The divisions will be deep. Enjoy the respite Iowa, you've earned it.

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