Signals of Iowa

The United States began to choose their future president with the Iowa caucus – during which the citizens voted by raising their arms in residents meetings – a process that will finish in November. Just under 200,000 people voted, sending the first real signal from citizens who believe – about 50 percent of the population – that the United States has left behind its best days.

This feeling of frustration is fuel for characters – such as millionaire Donald Trump – that hijack the Republican Party with populist speeches of simple solutions for complex questions. Both he and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whose support is based on an aberrant fundamentalism, are more so the consequence than the cause of the Republican’s attempt to get the elites against the ropes. For years, Republicans have been denying everything accomplished by Obama, provoking polarization, blocking Congress and fueling public fear about an uncertain future; but he who sows wind shall reap a storm.

Iowa popped Trump’s bubble; he finished in a humiliating second place behind Cruz, who advocates bombing the Islamic State group. In third place, unexpectedly, was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who could finally be the Republican nominee – hardline, but moderate if compared to Trump or Cruz – capable of facing Clinton.

Hillary Clinton, in principle the inevitable Democratic candidate, didn’t start well. She came almost even with the insurgent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But she will recover when the southern states start to vote, and the states with a high number of Hispanics. She is persecuted because of her reckless use of a private server for her emails when she was secretary of state, and she has problems with youngsters and some women who don’t forgive her attitude toward Bill Clinton’s sexual adventures. On Tuesday, in New Hampshire, is round two.