win for Massachusetts

[00:04.90]Senator John Kerry in the race for the Democratic party presidential nomination.

[00:09.40]Many analysts, however, say the real tests lie ahead in upcoming state primaries.

[00:15.41]Some even deride the caucuses as an anachronism

[00:18.90]that counts for little in the electoral process.

[00:21.60]The caucus system would not work well in a large state and,

[00:25.70]some would argue that it would not work well anywhere but Iowa.

[00:29.12]Critics say it is not representative of most voters because

[00:32.90]only a small fraction of them take part in the process.

[00:36.11]But those who do, experience something very close to

[00:39.42]the kind of democracy that the ancient Greeks experienced

[00:42.73]when they first came up with the idea.

[00:44.82]At the school in West Des Moines where I went to witness the caucus process,

[00:49.54]there was a record turnout for the 115th precinct event.

[00:53.53]In fact, statewide the turnout was about double what it was four years ago.

[00:58.14]Neighbors and friends gathered together all over the state

[01:01.34]to discuss the issues and make their candidate preferences known.

[01:04.84]said Des Moines resident Doug Haneyhas been involved

[01:08.26]in the caucus process in Iowa for 20 years.

[01:11.10]"To me, democracy has always been neighbors and fellow

[01:15.89]citizens getting together face-to-face to talk about it,"

[01:19.31]"In a sense, the actual amount of commitment you have to have to come out here

[01:26.29]makes you think about it and makes you value it more."

[01:28.78]Just before the caucus began I had a chance to speak with Iowa's Lieutenant Governor,

[01:33.89]Sally Pederson, who also hailed the participatory nature of the caucus.

[01:38.89]"The process is not one in which you just come in and then leave,

[01:43.72]you have to be committed enough to give your evening to it.

[01:46.88]So, these are truly the real party activists," she said.

[01:52.90]Ms. Pederson says people who attend caucuses are also driven

[01:56.68]by real concerns about the nation and the issues confronting it.

[02:00.17]As for Iowa not being very representative of the nation as a whole,

[02:04.34]she begs to differ.

[02:05.75]She told me that Iowa reflects the national

[02:08.66]political demographic in one important way,

[02:11.18]its government is seldom dominated by one party,

[02:14.68]making bipartisanship a necessity.

[02:17.38]"In Iowa, about a third of the population are registered Democrats,

[02:21.88]about a third are registered Republicans

[02:23.39]and about a third are independents," she said.

[02:25.08]"So whomever is elected,

[02:28.57]they ultimately are serving and representing more than

[02:34.58]the third of the people who are in their party,

[02:38.98]because it takes more than just your own party to elect you.

[02:42.79]We work in a bipartisan way in this state and I think that makes it successful

[02:52.04]and that is why many of the decisions are made are in the middle.

[02:57.52]People have to move to the middle to attract that independent vote."

[03:02.23]Iowa has also been criticized by some national

[03:05.44]pundits as atypical because its population is mostly white,

[03:09.94]European descendants. But that is changing.

[03:12.85]Hispanics and Asians are increasing in numbers

[03:15.66]and the state's reputation for being a civil,

[03:18.29]quiet and peaceful place is drawing many more.

[03:21.49]At the caucus I met a man from Iran who has lived here

[03:25.67]several years and is now a U.S. citizen.

[03:28.40]He came to the caucus mainly to learn about the process.

[03:31.82]"It is my first try. It is my first time. Before I do anything,

[03:39.31]I wanted to see how the process goes and then decide which one," he said.

[03:44.71]At the caucus I attended,

[03:45.83]I saw all the bargaining and negotiations these events are famous for.

[03:50.44]Supporters of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean,

[03:53.24]for example, came just short of the number needed to be viable.

[03:56.66]They, along with the uncommitted,

[03:58.75]then bargained with the larger groups supporting Senators

[04:01.85]Kerry and Edwards and most ended up joining one of those groups.

[04:06.06]In the end, Senator Edwards won five of the delegates

[04:09.08]from the 115th precinct and Senator Kerry won four.

[04:12.68]These results went into the final state count.

[04:15.78]Eventually, this will lead to a statewide selection of delegates

[04:19.81]to go to the Democratic convention in Boston in July.

[04:22.91]By then, the cold winter night of caucusing in Iowa will be but a distant memory,

[04:28.92]but Iowans will remain proud that it all started here.