Chronicle Editorial

Hitting the home stretch
Though months of advertisements, polls and phone calls have made this year’s presidential campaign feel like a decade-long marathon, Iowans can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. We’re less than a month away from the 2016 Iowa Caucus and Feb. 1 couldn’t come soon enough for many folks across the state.
     The race seems as wide open as ever. Frontrunners like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are heavily favored to win on the Republican side, but Iowans are notorious for picking the underdog. A darkhorse candidate could still see a surge in popularity as the caucus approaches. We saw it in 2008 with Mike Huckabee and again in 2012 with Rick Santorum. It’s extremely difficult to predict a winner when Republicans get together every four years, and 2016’s installment should prove no different.
     Hillary Clinton seems poised to take first place on the Democratic side, but it’s not a lock. Barack Obama pulled the upset in 2008 en route to his victory in the general election. Bernie Sanders could shake up the Democratic race quite dramatically if he’s able to shock Clinton in Iowa. However, it appears to be a long shot. Clinton held a nine-point lead over the Vermont senator in the latest Iowa Poll and her numbers have remained strong.
     While many folks may be ready to get this thing over with, it’s important to take advantage of our state’s first-in-the-nation status. Many candidates will be hitting the campaign trail hard over the next month with multiple town hall meetings and other events. This gives Iowans a chance to interact with the contenders and ask questions that matter to them most. Not many states are that fortunate, and Iowans should seize the opportunity to get involved in the political process.
     Though it may be exhausting at times, Iowa plays a vital role in selecting our nation’s next executive. Soon our phones will go silent, radio stations will be free of vicious ads and we’ll be able to watch TV again. However, it’s all part of living in this great state. We can gripe and groan about the commotion, but it’s pretty special to be so small and still play such an important part.
 
Rolling over at the Rose Bowl
     The previous evening’s festivities weren’t the only thing giving Iowans a headache on New Year’s Day. Stanford’s 45-16 drubbing of Iowa in the Rose Bowl ended the Hawkeyes’ historic 2015 season in rather brutal fashion. Nobody expected that type of performance from the Black and Gold, especially after this year’s 12-0 regular season.
     Despite the Rose Bowl dud, Hawkeye fans should still be proud of this year’s team. Such incredible seasons are rather rare in Iowa and it’s unlikely to happen again for quite some time. After all, Iowa’s last undefeated regular season occurred in 1922. Coach Kirk Ferentz’s turnaround this year helped shake the program from mediocrity and very likely saved his job. The longtime head coach had become a target of fans over the past three years, but nothing gets people on your good side like a 12-0 season.
     With the 2015 football season in the rearview mirror, it’s time to set our sights on basketball. Iowans have three very good teams to watch this winter. Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa all have promising outlooks heading into conference play. Both UNI and Iowa already knocked off the No. 1-ranked team this year, and Iowa State remains one of the nation’s top programs.
     Once again, there’s no shortage of good teams here in Iowa. That’s certainly a good problem to have and welcomed distraction following last Friday’s football game.