Forget cold and boring Iowa. California should be first for presidential primaries
Perhaps Iowa has held the nation’s first test of political viability because, on a map of the United States, it appears to be the middle of the country. From that observation, certain assumptions may have been drawn. But, the Iowa caucuses in no way reflect an image of modern America.
If fact, the very concept of the caucuses is anachronistic. These meetings in schools, churches, and other assembly places hearken back to the days when able-bodied people (particularly, and sometimes exclusively, men) would travel through forests, across swamps, and over snow-covered fields in order to indicate their preference for a candidate. And, in Iowa, not much has changed over the years except that able-bodied women now make the trek, as well.
However, the process is little more democratic and inclusive than it was during the Second Continental Congress. Elderly people may not be able to withstand the rigors of three or four hours of participation in the swap-meet that follows the initial count. Younger heads of households may not be able to leave their children for extended periods of time. Disabled people, as well as many able-bodied folks, may have trouble negotiating the subfreezing temperatures, snow, and strong winds.
Moreover, Iowa doesn’t “look” like the U.S. The population is overwhelmingly white, only 4% is African American, and about 6% is Hispanic. In California, slightly less than 37% of the population is white, about 6% is African American, and slightly more than 39% is Hispanic.
Iowa is a largely rural state in one of the most highly industrialized and urbanized countries in the world. Its largest city is Des Moines, with a little more than 217,000 people, roughly the size of Modesto (about 215,000), but Modesto is the 18th largest city in California. It ranks far behind Los Angeles (3.9 million), San Diego (1.4 million), and San Jose (1 million).
In total, Iowa has slightly more than 3 million people; California is approaching 40 million. Because U.S. population is now about 329 million, approximately one of every eight U.S. residents (12%) is a Californian — far more than any other state.
Although Iowa has a few metropolitan areas (as designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget), California has two megalopolises, one encompassing the Los Angeles basin and containing upward of 12 million people, and the other a continuous chain of cities from San Jose to San Francisco and then stretching across the bay to Oakland and other East Bay cities. In addition, California has many designated metropolitan statistical areas both within and outside the two gigantic urban areas.
Finally, California has long been noted as an innovator of new industry, Silicon Valley being just one example. Iowa boasts having Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, the largest cereal-producing company in the world.
Isn’t it time to tune out the old and tune in the new? Shouldn’t California’s primary election be the first test for the nation’s aspirants to the highest office in the land?
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.