Iowa's Homecoming Queen

Any reading of the "Entrance Polls" (**see below for definition) for the Iowa GOP Caucuses uncovers a glaring, blaring, disturbingly adolescent quality to the vote reminiscent of the vote for High School Homecoming Queen. No matter what you may think of Mike Huckabee, the insights these poll numbers provide into the GOP electorate of Iowa are down right frightening in an age of terror, balance of power on the Supreme Court and a teetering economy.

As can be seen from the chart above, courtesy of CNN, Huckabee was ushered into his commanding victory by folks who thought he spoke honestly and thinks like they do. In other words, they voted for the guy they like. Unfortunately, the numbers in the left-hand column demonstrate that 78% of the Iowa GOP caucus goers felt that liking the candidate was the most important qualification for being President.

Excuse me, but WHAT?!?!?!

This isn't a vote for Miss Congeniality. This is the vote for the individual with the qualities necessary to protect the American populace, build coalitions of international allies, maintain vigorous economic growth, shrink government spending, move tough legislation through a hostile and gridlocked Congress and select Judges who will shape culture for the next 40 years - especially through an aging Supreme Court.

I'm not so Pollyannaish as to believe that likability isn't an important factor in a presidential race. It absolutely is. We have to live with the face and droning speeches in our living rooms, from whomever is elected, for the next 4 - 8 years. But, here's what I find interesting in the poll numbers:

1. GOP Caucus goers didn't think that Romney, McCain, Thompson or Giuliani were unlikeable to the point of not being electable. In fact, these Caucus goers all found these candidates to be more electable than Huckabee - so it is not a matter of these candidates having high likability negatives (like Hillary). It is simply that they found Mike Huckabee to be the coolest guy at the party.

2. Disturbingly, 78% of the Iowa GOP voters stated that being cool was the "TOP QUALITY", in other words the most important quality, in selecting a candidate for the Office of President of the United States. This is a fine quality in voting for Homecoming Queen, but the simplicity of "coolness" has always bothered me even in votes as unimportant as "Student Body President" (which I won, so don't read into this).
   

3. What is perhaps more shocking is that Huckabee outperforms the other candidates in the two likability categories, but he doesn't run away with either of these categories. On the other hand, Romney and McCain are 25% points ahead of ALL other candidates in terms of Experience. Romney alone is 35% points ahead of ALL other candidates in terms of Electability.

Translation: Huck doesn't stand a chance of winning an election against Obama or Clinton, but he's a little bit cooler than everyone else.

Answer: Fine. Let's elect him as Homecoming Queen, but not as our nominee for President of the United States, Commander in Chief and Leader of a Super Power in an age of global, violent Jihad.

On Principle, Who knows, maybe Mike looks good in a dress - we've all seen how Rudy sports one!

CBass

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Special Notes

Entrance polls are a survey of selected voters taken soon before they enter their voting place. Pollsters use this sample information, collected from a small percentage of voters, to track and project how all voters or a specific segments of the voters sided on a particular race or ballot measure. Because of the nature of the Iowa caucuses, these polls are conducted as voters enter a caucus venue and are known as entrance polls. For more on how to read entrance or exit polls, click here