Exit polls in Iowa seem to support that, showing Rubio scoring highest among GOP voters who listed ability to win in the general election as the factor they most wanted in a candidate. Donald Trump is not the frontrunner anymore, guys. It is no exaggeration to say that Clinton may have won the Iowa caucus on pure luck alone – that is, if she ends up winning.
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Iowa’s Democratic Party said in a statement early Tuesday that it had awarded Clinton 699.57 state delegate equivalents and Bernie Sanders 695.57.
With 100% of Iowa precincts formally accounted for Tuesday afternoon, Clinton garnered 49.9% support, compared to 49.6% for Sanders. Like it or not, if Republican powers that be are suitably terrified of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, they have to unite behind a single candidate and fast.
Two White House hopefuls, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who had trouble gaining any traction in the Democratic race, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, suspended their campaigns after doing badly in Iowa.
The Iowa caucus-goers had to choose between Mrs Clinton’s pledge to use her wealth of experience in government to bring about steady progress on party ideals and Mr Sanders’s call for radical change in a system rigged against ordinary Americans.
“I didn’t have a lot of voters mention that to me, but I certainly think that could have been a factor”, he said on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends”. This is unlikely to help him in liberal-leaning New Hampshire, where Messrs Trump and Rubio are now the favourites. New Hampshire – that other demographically unrepresentative small state given an outsize role in presidential contests – holds its primary next Tuesday. “Sanders can overcome Secretary Clinton’s advantage”.
“Last night in Iowa we took on the most powerful political organization in the country”, Sanders said.
Democratic turnout was down sharply but Republicans set a record in Iowa’s caucuses Monday, according to the figures released by both parties, suggesting the enthusiasm this year is mostly on the Republican side.
“Nine months ago we came to this handsome state”.
“Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation”, Cruz said in Iowa.
Mrs Clinton’s victory means she will collect 23 delegates and Mr Sanders will win 21.
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“Together we’ll create an economy that works for working families and not just the one percent”, he said.
