Letters to the Editor
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Campaign smart, not hard.
The Iowa and New Hampshire Republican primaries are a test of the political organizations of the Republican candidates rather than of the candidates themselves. Media reports have not caught up with the fact that these small states no longer have much sway in the primary process. A candidate can no longer win much in these primaries, but a candidate can certainly lose much. It doesn’t matter so much how well you do, but how far from expectations you fall.
I am betting on the political organizations that are bypassing these primaries. The strategy should be to pay lip service to these states, don’t deal with anything controversial, while aiming for the large state and multi-state primaries. Candidates campaigning hard in Iowa and New Hampshire are displaying a sense of desperation. The desperation may lead to a short term success but such displays eventually enter into the consciousness of the public where it evolves into a negative reaction.