Ron DeSantis Wins The Steak Knives In Iowa Caucuses

Who came in second in Iowa, and does it matter? Nope. You will hear TV bobbleheads talk about Trump dominating the Republican party (and it's true!) but the general election winner will be the one who wins independents and swing-state Republicans. Via the Associated Press:

The key for DeSantis earning a second-place finish was conservatives, who favored him over Haley even though they liked Trump most of all. About 7 in 10 Iowans who caucused define themselves as conservatives. A majority of caucusgoers favor a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, and DeSantis performed slightly better than Haley among that group.

Haley finished narrowly behind DeSantis. She was the top candidate of the most anti-Trump Republicans in the state, including those who believe the former president did something illegal in one of the pending criminal cases against him. She was also the top choice for those Republican caucusgoers who voted for Biden in the 2020 election. But she faced headwinds in a state that largely saw itself as loyal to Trump and his agenda.

DeSantis performs best among the caucusgoers dissatisfied with Trump but who said they would ultimately vote for him in the general election.

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