We must protect our first-in-nation status

By Sioux City Journal

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The recent enthusiasm on display in Waterloo was undeniable. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann threw her hat into the 2012 Republican presidential nomination fight with great gusto. The passion and fervor of her supporters was a sight to see.

But is there reason for Iowa GOP officials to be wary of the energetic and exciting Bachmann and other candidates with such meteoric potential? After all, it was only 2008 when former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's star burned bright in the Hawkeye State before quickly flaming out in places like New Hampshire, Michigan and Florida.

Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn, in a recent visit with the Journal editorial board, doesn't appear concerned about the rise of candidates like Bachmann or Herman Cain, who scored a surprising 10 percent in the recent Iowa Poll conducted on behalf of The Des Moines Register. Then again, Strawn is careful not to pick sides.

“The path to the White House starts in the Iowa Caucus,” Strawn told the Journal. “We're still eight months away. We'll see how the campaigns develop over time.”

He also wasn't shaken by the fact that frontrunner Mitt Romney is running a campaign that largely ignores Iowa or that 2012 candidate Jon Huntsman has said he will skip the state altogether. In fact, Strawn said those decisions could come back to haunt the two men from Utah.

“The wisdom of those decisions will be judged by the voters,” Strawn said.

Other GOP power brokers, however, aren't so confident.

Former Iowa gubernatorial candidate and Republican activist Doug Gross told the New York Times earlier this year that he fears too many candidates may align themselves with special interests, like the evangelical wing of the party, and focus too narrowly on one or two hot-button issues. That, Gross argues, could have a negative impact on Iowa's first-in-the-nation status.

“We look like Camp Christian out here,” Gross said. “If Iowa becomes some extraneous right-wing outpost, you have to question whether it is going to be a good place to vet your presidential candidates.”

Bachmann, a close ally of Fifth District Congressman Steve King, has been known as a conservative firebrand in the past. But after a recent Iowa Poll, she is quickly becoming the candidate to beat in the caucus. We don't know yet whether Bachmann will prove to be a more substantial candidate, and we don't yet have a dog in that fight.

But we do share Gross' concerns about the relevancy of our state in the presidential selection process. Gross may be sounding the alarm too soon, but Strawn may also be too quick to side step what could become a serious problem.

We've long lauded our fellow Iowans for the care and consideration they take in selecting whom to support in our great caucus system. We encourage that same, deliberate approach to the 2012 GOP caucus.

We're all excited by the energy and passion new candidates like Bachmann or Cain bring to the race. Their voices are valuable, and they may prove their mettle as presidential timber in the next eight months. But Iowans must be diligent. If we nominate another Mike Huckabee, those who have long wanted to strip us of our status will be handed another round of much-needed ammunition.

Strawn, in a subtle way, may have unwittingly acknowledged that latent fear in addressing the important role caucus goers have in this process.

“There's isn't any daylight between Iowa and New Hampshire when it comes to keeping our first-in-the-nation status,” Strawn told the editorial board. “But we need to continue to take our role seriously. It serves us well as a state.”

We agree, and we hope Iowans keep that in mind in early 2012.

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