It's All About Hillary

Iowa is weird.

I mean no disrespect to the fine citizens of Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Sioux City and all the places in between, even if you do have to take two planes from D.C. to get there.

But their political system is strange. First you have this summer's straw poll, which the media imbue with great significance, even though candidates can bus in their supporters from out of state, ply them with free barbecue and otherwise try to buy the contest.

Then you have the famous caucuses, at which voters have to drive in winter weather to meeting places where they spend two or three hours talking about the race before they cast their ballot in front of everyone else.

It's a tremendous organizational challenge, which is why the underfunded John McCain skipped it in 2000, which looked like a brilliant move after he whupped George Bush in New Hampshire, only to get tripped up in South Carolina.

The subject arises because a Hillary staffer wrote a memo saying perhaps the campaign should skip Iowa, where the former first lady has slipped to third in some polls. That is not going to happen, the senator says, but it's been like catnip for political reporters to write frontrunner-in-trouble stories.

I'm not saying it's not news. I'm just saying it's small news. But it says something about Iowa's exalted electoral status that this has set off a round of analysis, speculation and general media blather. And Iowans bristle at any suggestion that they don't have a God-given right to all but pick the nominees.

Here's the gist of the memo, from deputy campaign manager Mike Henry:

"Thirteen of the last 14 major-party nominees have won Iowa, New Hampshire, or both, but I think this old system is about to collapse, and it will happen this year because of the impact of primary elections that are being held on February 5th."

Politico's Mike Allen sees Lasting Impact:

"The campaign says the idea was never seriously discussed. But it will be like gum on the senator's shoe -- tough to shake despite the reality, as she is forced to spend more time than ever in Iowa proving that it is essential to her strategy. The senator's aides have always told themselves and others intellectually that this will not be easy, and this episode is another reminder that they were right.

"If you're a celebrity in trouble, you go to Oprah. If you're a presidential candidate in trouble, you speed-dial to David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register, who wrote on his blog: 'Senator Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she is 'unequivocally committed to competing in Iowa' despite a top aide's memo suggesting she bypass the state's caucuses in favor of campaigning in other key states."