One of the “strange” (to a casual observer, at least) elements of the Iowa Democratic caucuses is the viability rule. Essentially at any caucus location, if any particular candidate fails to achieve 15% support, that candidate’s supporters are asked to support a more viable candidate (or leave).
Given the large number of candidates seeking Iowans’ support, there is some expectation that deal-making may play a role in the outcome of the Dems’ caucus. David Yepsen with the Des Moines Register writes:
At most caucuses, frontrunners Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards will have 15 percent. The others may not. The question then is, what do the Richardson, Biden and Dodd people do? Most will make up their own mind. It’s why the second choice preferences of their supporters are so important.
But some of these folks might like a little guidance from their standard bearer. It’s why the actions of the single digit candidates are still important in the closing days of the campaign.
Four years ago, on caucus day the Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards people cut a deal: In those precincts where one of them wasn’t viable, his people were encouraged to go with the one that was. In those precincts where neither were viable, people were encouraged to form a viable group around the one with the most votes. It proved an important factor in Edwards good showing.
While Kucinich didn’t have much support, his people did give Edwards a few extra percentage points that helped push him into second place.
If you’ve been living in a cave, the Iowa Caucuses are the evening of Thursday, 3 January (and Friday will probably be full of armchair punditry online and in the mainstream media….)