Do Iowa & NH primaries mirror America accurately?

By Rev. Norman Franklin Herald Contributor The presidential primaries are off to their usual start. The Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primaries, the first in the nation to cast their votes, purport to put their stamp of approval on the candidates. The rest of the nation takes note of the overrated results. But neither are bellwethers of the political flavor of America. The demographics show that neither reflects the diversity that is authentic America. Iowa is 87.9% White. The remaining 12% is divvied up between Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Only 32% of the 3.2 million state population hold college degrees or have completed some college courses. New Hampshire is also one of the least diverse states in terms of race. Eighty-nine percent of the state’s population is White, 10.4% Black and indigenous persons of color. The demographics of these two early primary states make for safe campaigning. Candidates can parrot the mindset of the voters on the issues and avoid polarizing issues of race altogether. To be the first in the nation to hold primaries means little if the demographics are not a diverse representation of the nation. The 14 states casting ballots on Super...