On Politics: Still Talking About Iowa

Results trickled in, and the candidates recalibrated. This is your morning tip sheet. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P4QqAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj91cmk9bnl0Oi8vbmV3c2xldHRlci8yZDEyNTZmOC1jODE4LTRlYjctYmZmNi03ZDJkMWI2YmViMTUmdGU9MSZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcyB3aXRoIGxpc2EgbGVyZXImZW1jPWVkaXRfY25fMjAyMDAyMDUmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTU3NTAmc2VnbWVudF9pZD0yMDk5MiZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTJfY25fMjAyMDAyMDVXA255dEIKACH4rjpeb5tN1lIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0TFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP3RlPTEmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mgd2l0aCBsaXNhIGxlcmVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwMjA1JmNhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTE1NzUwJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MjA5OTImdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyMjAyMDAyMDVXA255dEIKACH4rjpeb5tN1lIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjExJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [On Politics](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0TVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VjdGlvbi9wb2xpdGljcz90ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MjIwMjAwMjA1VwNueXRCCgAh-K46Xm-bTdZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) February 5, 2020 [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvZ2lvdmFubmktcnVzc29uZWxsbz90ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MjIwMjAwMjA1VwNueXRCCgAh-K46Xm-bTdZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) By [Giovanni Russonello](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvZ2lvdmFubmktcnVzc29uZWxsbz90ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MjIwMjAwMjA1VwNueXRCCgAh-K46Xm-bTdZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Good morning and welcome to On Politics, a daily political analysis of the 2020 elections based on reporting by New York Times journalists. Where things stand in the race - A day and a half later, we’re still waiting (!) for final [results from the Iowa caucuses](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P4RQAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjAvMDIvMDQvdXMvZWxlY3Rpb25zL3Jlc3VsdHMtaW93YS1jYXVjdXMuaHRtbD9yZWdpb249UmFjZVRpdGxlJmFjdGlvbj1jbGljayZtb2R1bGU9U3BvdGxpZ2h0JnBndHlwZT1Ib21lcGFnZSZ0ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MmFtcDtlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). But with 71 percent of precincts reporting as of late Tuesday night, Pete Buttigieg held a narrow lead — having earned the most “state delegate equivalents.” - By that count he is edging out Bernie Sanders, who has the lead among so-called first and final alignments — a closer measure of the popular vote. (If you hadn’t heard, the way the Iowa caucuses work is [pretty complex](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P4QAAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLzIwMjAvMDEvMzEvdXMvcG9saXRpY3Mvd2hhdC1pcy1pb3dhLWNhdWN1cy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mgd2l0aCBsaXNhIGxlcmVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwMjA1JmNhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTE1NzUwJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MjA5OTImdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyMjAyMDAyMDVXA255dEIKACH4rjpeb5tN1lIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA).) - Buttigieg had staked his campaign on a big result in Iowa — and he may have done better than almost anyone expected. He sounded appreciative and fired-up on Tuesday, [speaking in Laconia, N.H.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0TcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1mYXlaaXlNa3RFYyZ0ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1Ml9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~): “A campaign that started a year ago with four staff members, no name-recognition, no money, just a big idea — a campaign that some said should have no business even making this attempt — has taken its place at the front of this race,” he told supporters. - Whether he finishes first or second, Buttigieg will take solid momentum with him into the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. Like Iowa, the Granite State has relatively few nonwhite voters, and its primary is open to Republicans and independents as well as Democrats. That means there’s the potential for more moderate voters to participate who are distressed by President Trump but uninterested in liberal proposals. Still, Sanders has held a decisive lead in most New Hampshire polls over the past few weeks. - The partial caucus results have Elizabeth Warren in third, seemingly enough to earn her a few delegates at the convention. Joe Biden appears on track for a distant fourth-place finish — between Warren and Amy Klobuchar, who ranked fifth in the early delegate-equivalent count. That would be a disappointment for him, setting up an urgent need for a strong finish in New Hampshire or Nevada. - So who won the battle for the most news coverage on the night of the Iowa caucuses? It wasn’t Buttigieg, Sanders or anyone else — it was [the caucus system itself](~/AAAAAQA~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). About 100 percent of that coverage was negative. That’s because a largely untested smartphone app designed for the caucuses malfunctioned, leading to long waits when officials tried to phone in caucus results. Quarrels broke out between campaigns and party officials. It’s still not clear when we’ll have final results. - The entire debacle is leading to all sorts of questions about the necessity of Iowa’s labyrinthine caucus process — which was already an easy thing to complain about. Many say that the state is too overwhelmingly white to vote first; that the complex caucus process is relatively unrepresentative; and that it makes voting harder for non-English speakers, low-income people who work long hours and [those with disabilities](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0T7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wMS8yNi91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9pb3dhLWNhdWN1c2VzLWRpc2FiaWxpdGllcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mgd2l0aCBsaXNhIGxlcmVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwMjA1JmNhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTE1NzUwJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MjA5OTImdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyMjAyMDAyMDVXA255dEIKACH4rjpeb5tN1lIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). If it were up to most Democrats, [a recent poll suggested](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0T3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW9ubW91dGguZWR1L3BvbGxpbmctaW5zdGl0dXRlL3JlcG9ydHMvbW9ubW91dGhwb2xsX3VzXzAxMjIyMC8_dGU9MSZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcyB3aXRoIGxpc2EgbGVyZXImZW1jPWVkaXRfY25fMjAyMDAyMDUmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTU3NTAmc2VnbWVudF9pZD0yMDk5MiZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTIyMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), the entire country would just cast its votes in the primary on a single day. Photo of the day Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Pat Provencher waited for a Pete Buttigieg campaign event to begin at Laconia Middle School in New Hampshire on Tuesday. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RsaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MzMzNTEmbGk9Q04mbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOXzIwMjAwMjA1VwNueXRCCgAh-K46Xm-bTdZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NDUyODUwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NTgzOTIwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Trump boasts, and Pelosi responds A speech that began over raucous chants of “four more years” ended with an opponent tearing up her copy of the remarks. Officially, it was the State of the Union address, but it sometimes felt more like a political battle royale. Trump’s third State of the Union address was his most combative — and also his most triumphant-seeming. Expecting acquittal on Wednesday in his impeachment trial, speaking on the day that his [Gallup approval rating](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0T2aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdhbGx1cC5jb20vcG9sbC8yODQxNTYvdHJ1bXAtam9iLWFwcHJvdmFsLXBlcnNvbmFsLWJlc3QuYXNweD90ZT0xJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzIHdpdGggbGlzYSBsZXJlciZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDIwNSZjYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNTc1MCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIwOTkyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MjIwMjAwMjA1VwNueXRCCgAh-K46Xm-bTdZSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) hit the highest number of his presidency (49 percent), Trump spent much of the speech boasting about the thriving economy he said he had fostered. He devoted an entire section of the speech to ticking off the various demographics currently enjoying historically low unemployment rates. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjA4JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjA5JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NTY0NzIzJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ In what seemed like a preview of his general-election talking points, Trump highlighted his trade policies, tax cuts and deregulation — while taking pains to depict Democratic politicians as out-and-out “socialists.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked on in disgust throughout, hardly ever rising to applaud, and as the speech ended, she made a point of tearing up the papers she had been reading in front of the cameras. In a first, Trump staged two made-for-TV moments during the speech. He announced from the podium that Rush Limbaugh, the conservative commentator who recently announced he had Stage 4 lung cancer, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as some Democrats groaned. Melania Trump presented him with the medal. Impeachment trial will come to a vote on Wednesday The president’s impeachment trial is still technically underway — but the result appears to be basically guaranteed. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMjk3JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMjk4JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMzAwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Republican senators are [expected to easily vote to acquit](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P4QIAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMjAvMDIvMDMvdXMvcG9saXRpY3MvdHJ1bXAtaW1wZWFjaG1lbnQtdHJpYWwtZmluYWwtYXJndW1lbnRzLmh0bWw_dGU9MSZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcyB3aXRoIGxpc2EgbGVyZXImZW1jPWVkaXRfY25fMjAyMDAyMDUmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTU3NTAmc2VnbWVudF9pZD0yMDk5MiZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTIyMDIwMDIwNVcDbnl0QgoAIfiuOl5vm03WUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Trump on Wednesday, delivering a finishing blow to Democrats’ efforts to remove him from office. Democrats worried when they opened the impeachment trial that failing to bring about a conviction would leave Trump unshackled and invigorated going into the 2020 campaign. It’s too early to know whether that will turn out to be the case — but he was certainly acting that way at the State of the Union. And the upswing in his approval rating during the trial will probably leave some Democrats unsettled. Fifty-two percent of Americans in the Gallup poll said they thought Trump should be acquitted, versus 46 percent who wanted him convicted and removed from office. RECOMMENDED READING ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgHTP4P0T4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wMi8wNC91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9wb2xpdGljYWwtc3lzdGVtLWJyb2tlbi5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mgd2l0aCBsaXNhIGxlcmVyJmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwMjA1JmNhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTE1NzUwJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MjA5OTImdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyMjAyMDAyMDVXA255dEIKACH4rjpeb5tN1lIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA [Article Image] Pete Marovich for The New York Times   [Political Memo Everyone Kept Saying Politics Was Broken. 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