I'm An Iowan --- And It's Time for Indecision '11

Ultra-quickie drive-by posting because I've got to get back to work. (I've got three weeks before my deadline to finish the manuscript of my new book.)

It's caucus time here in Iowa (What? You didn't know that?) and I'm faced with the weirdest set of options since I first caucused back in 1972. I can:

1. Stay home.

2. Go to the democratic caucus and stand for President Obama. You know, to affirm my support and all. (That kind of thing is important.)

3. Change my party affiliation and go to the Republican caucus and stand for Mitt Romney, on grounds that if President Obama loses the election, Romney is the only tolerable alternative.

4. Change my affliliation, go to the Republican caucus, and stand for Newt Gingrich, on grounds that if he gets the nomination, he'll lose and Obama will win.

Seriously --- I can't decide what to to. Option three is the least attractive: I'm not wild about the idea of going to a caucus to support a candidate. I don't mind going as a way of helping a loser win, if you know what I mean. But supporting Romney because of he might win... I don't know.

On the other hand, in Iowa's last gubenatorial race, I did do just that in our state primary. The incumbent, Democrat John Culver, was going to lose. I could have run and beat him. So we were going to end up with a Republican governor. Republican nutcase Vanderplaats stood a solid chance of getting the nomination, which scared the crap out of me.

So I changed my party affiliation (in Iowa, independents can't vote in primaries) and voted for Terry Branstad in the primary, reasoning that I'd never forgive myself if Whackadoodle Vanderplaats won.

So --- this is sort of the same thing. But not quite. And I have the feeling that, as in '08, I won't figure out what to do until the last minute. And it'll be emotional and I'll get all weepy again. Etc. 

Such is the state of politics here in Iowa, land of skuzzy towns and methheads. 

And yes, I'm really and truly and definitely almost finished with the manuscript. I think I'll make the January 15 deadline. See you then!