Bernie Sanders, apparently not content with his tie with Hillary Clinton in Iowa, told reporters today that he’s not conceding the caucus results just quite yet.  Clinton admittedly does have a thin-enough margin to justify caution – .3%, although that’s not really the difference in votes* – but it’s still interesting that Sanders is balking now. Particularly since it was reported earlier to the AP that the Sanders campaign would not be contesting the results.

Is this sudden flip-flop by Bernie Sanders because of suspicions of fraud?  Your guess is as good as mine. Certainly the margin between the two candidates is narrow enough that you could maybe shift the vote totals in a few key precincts and get some delegates that way. I’ve long thought that where we should be looking into election fraud is in primary elections: that’s where the incumbents are often most at risk, the elections are low turnout, and nobody’s really watching those elections thoroughly. Something may have indeed happened in Iowa.

…Hey, I’ve got an answer!  Gov. Terry Branstad should totally order a special investigation of the Democratic Iowa caucus process.  In fact: Gov. Branstad should chair that special investigation.  If for no other reason than it should help keep him out of trouble, or at least out of our hair.

Moe Lane

*Classical reference.

**The delegate totals are calculated by caucus precinct, and Democrats typically do not provide a breakdown of the raw vote totals. The Sanders campaign has called for his party to do so, in this case; anybody think that the Democratic party will?  Anybody?