What Happened to the Vaunted Iowa Campaign?

Local Operatives Say Lack of Traditional Organization Means Unpredictable Caucuses

By Shira Toeplitz
Roll Call Staff
Dec. 5, 2011

If a presidential campaign organizes an Iowa operation, and no one hears about it, does it make a sound the night of the caucuses?

Some White House contenders are betting the answer is yes as they casually — or in many cases haphazardly — cobble together campaigns this month in the Hawkeye State.

For the past few decades, presidential hopefuls made a show of their Iowa campaigns, boasting local endorsements and flashing extensive lists of chairmen from the state’s 99 counties, backers who will be ready to turn out supporters for that candidate at the caucuses.

But this cycle, campaigns aren’t playing the traditional ground game.

Presidential candidates have minimally organized their Iowa campaigns — if they’re organizing at all. One month before the Jan. 3 caucuses, Iowa veterans expect one of the most unpredictable, nontraditional caucuses in recent history.

“To be sitting here on Dec. 1 with no campaign announcing a 99-county chair organization is mind-boggling,â€