Fighting Over Second Place

John Edwards and Barack Obama are battling each other to become the second-choice candidate of as many Iowa caucus-goers as possible, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In ordinary elections, that strategy would sound ridiculous: what candidate would want to be only second choice? But the Iowa caucuses are no ordinary election. Because of the Democratic Party’s rules (which you can read, in all their arcanity, here), voters who support minor candidates who are unable to meet the “viability threshold” on caucus night can switch their support to any of the other viable candidates. Edwards and Obama are both hoping they can scoop up lots of caucus-goers from non-viable candidates.

The second-choice factor is less important for Hillary Clinton. Because she is so well known and is a polarizing figure among many voters, people are likely to either choose her as their first choice, or not choose her at all.