Will Hillary Clinton Ignore the Iowa Caucus?

Clinton is currently scheduled to travel to Iowa at least 3 times in the nest 2 months. The Clinton campaign currently has ten offices in the state and the staff is rapidly expanding.

The rumor that the Iowa caucus would be avoided was apparently the musings of one lone staffer.

According to Wolfson, the memo was written by one staffer and only represents the thinking of one staff member.

The thoughts of this staff member are apparently not shared with the candidate or much of the campaign committee.

The memo has, of course, prompted comments from other campaigns and candidates who will undoubtedly use this slip to their own advantage. Claims that Clinton is not committed to Iowa and that she chooses not to campaign fully in Iowa are drifting throughout the media headlines.

The overall suggestion made by the staff member was for Clinton to avoid the Iowa contest and focus more on campaigning in states where the nomination is held later in 2008. The memo also implied that Clinton would be better off overall if more time was devoted to New Hampshire and other states who hold later primaries.

Former President Bill Clinton also used a similar strategy in the 1992 campaign. Hillary Clinton, however, has appeared to be in full support of Iowa and has seemed to embrace the state thus far in her campaign. In fact, Iowa was her first campaign stop after announcing her presidential campaign.

Hillary Clinton also brought on former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack for support in her campaign and efforts throughout the Hawkeye state.

Vilsack dropped out of the presidential campaign early in 2007. The reason was mainly financial. Vilsack was unable to raise adequate funding to continue in the campaign. Vilsack and his wife Christie then endorsed Senator Clinton's bid for the White House. Vilsack is campaigning for Clinton in New Hampshire.

The staff member who leaked the memo about Clinton's possible avoidance of the Iowa caucus is still currently employed by the Clinton campaign. However, many are discouraged by the leak of the memo. Damage control is currently taking place.

Whether or not the leak of this memo will make a large difference in Clinton's campaign is left to be decided. It will be up to Hillary and her campaign to decide how much of an effort to make in regards to winning the loyalty and affection of Iowa citizens.

Hillary's best rival, Barack Obama, has already gained a lot of political edge in the Hawkeye state and is currently a favorite. Iowa is also a largely democratic state, however, with conservative roots. Iowa and New Hampshire are both political pivots for presidential hopefuls and the results of the primaries typically directly correlate with the democratic election and announcement of the presidential hopeful.

So just how important is it for presidential candidates to participate in the Iowa caucus?

The Iowa Caucus has served as an early indication for which presidential candidate will win the nomination of its party since 1972.

The caucus is typically the first step for Presidential hopefuls. New Hampshire is typically the second. Both primaries hold a great deal of importance historically and currently for presidential candidates. In order to win the nomination, it is vital for candidates to do well in the caucuses.

The political value of campaigning in the Iowa caucuses has fluctuated over the past several years. The winner of the Iowa caucus has only gone on to win the nomination 33% of the time.

The caucuses are important for determining who will remain in the race and who will inevitably drop out.

The caucus of Iowa is generally described as a "gathering of neighbors". Iowans gather at a set location in each of Iowa's approximately 1800 precincts. The meetings typically occur in schools, churches, or libraries.

Caucuses are held every two years, however, the ones that receive national attention are held every four years. Caucus attendees also propose planks for their political party's reform. They also serve the purpose of selecting members for county committees and discussing issues that are pertinent to their local organizations.

The Iowa caucus does not directly result in national delegates for each candidate like the New Hampshire primary. Participants in the caucus may change their registration at the location. Also, 17-year-olds can participate, as long as they will be 18 years of age by the election. Observers are also allowed to attend, as long as they do not become actively involved in the debate.