DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 40 years ago, a scheduling quirk vaulted Iowa to the front of the presidential nominating process, and ever since most White House hopefuls have devoted enormous time and money to a state that otherwise would get little attention.
Here's how the caucuses work and a little history about the event:
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — In Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses, longshot Democratic candidate Martin O'Malley could finally be a player.
That's probably not because of any hidden depths of support for the low-polling former Maryland governor. Rather, the quirks of the Iowa process mean that candidates must have a minimum level of support in each of the state's nearly 1,700 voting precincts. If O'Malley backers can't reach the threshold, they will have to select another candidate.
