Do the Iowa caucuses officially not matter now?

Well, Mike Huckabee took the Iowa caucus in 2008, McCain came in third. If you get really crushed, you give up on your campaign, this is just the jump off of the election season, it's a way to test the waters.

So sure, it has value, but it's not the be-all-end-all of nominating a candidate.

Iowa doesn't determine winners but it weeds out the rest of the field. Iowa and NH should be looked at as a joint thing. A candidate who can compete in both states is a viable candidate. If a candidate like Bachmann can't win Iowa, she sure as hell can't win NH and should drop out.

it doesn't truly. previous Presidents did not win the Iowa caucus and went on to win the Presidency. And Iowa because they make it a level to carry a caucus previously the different state. . .

The Hawkeye Caucci have always been more about who is dropping out than about who is the rising star. Last time, it was Huckabee and Hillary who won it.

Bachmann should have dropped out BEFORE it. then Santorem would have been the clear winner. NOBODY who voted Bachmann would have gone Romney or Paul.

What does that say about Ron Paul that he could not defeat 2 joke candidates. Ron Paul could not even beat Rick Santorum, so what makes you think he could beat Barack Obama.

I vote Kansas to replace Iowa. Nobody likes Kansas, but they don't HATE it like they do Iowa.

I don't think anyone will drop out.

I think they are all just scratching their heads, wondering who's votes Santorum got.

I care. It shows all of Ron Paul's Votes went to Ricky Frothy Santorum and that Santorum will be the new Fair Haired boy. You watch.

Thank-you for your in-depth political analysis.

who cares