Iowa's outsized political influence hurts health in the South

[AshG]

As Iowa's caucus is set to be the first major test of candidates in an election cycle, the state has flexed its muscle making sure corn is in as many products as possible. Fructose, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar; whatever name it appears as, it is in many of the food products we buy. And as it's cheaper than pure cane sugar, it is especially prevalent in processed foods bought and sold in poorer regions.

The problem with fructose is it is really bad for human metabolism and can lead to metabolic syndrome. And nowhere is this more prevalent than in the southeastern US.

 

[AshG]

Rotating primaries / caucuses and deemphasizing Iowa as a bellweather state could help decrease the outsized influence of corn and end the lock ethanol and fructose have on fuel and food market.

 

[Vol8188]

Ron Paul won the Iowa caucus. I don’t remember Paul ever being president.

Subsidies (including those on corn) do not trace back to primary elections but rather to the misguided new deal.

 

[Vol8188]

Also odd that you highlight the blackest states in the union and then proclaim them to be the “laziest”

 

[05_never_again]

Ron Paul won the Iowa caucus. I don’t remember Paul ever being president.

Subsidies (including those on corn) do not trace back to primary elections but rather to the misguided new deal.

He didn't win - the highest he finished was 3rd in 2012. I think you might be getting it mixed up with the Iowa Straw Poll.

It seems to have better predictive power on the Democratic side than Republican. The Dem nominee won the Iowa Caucus in 2016, 2008, 2004, and 2000 (not counting 2012 or 1996 when incumbents ran unopposed). The last Republican winners have been Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and George W. Bush (twice, once unopposed and once in 2000).

 

[Vol8188]

He didn't win - the highest he finished was 3rd in 2012. I think you might be getting it mixed up with the Iowa Straw Poll.

It seems to have better predictive power on the Democratic side than Republican. The Dem nominee won the Iowa Caucus in 2016, 2008, 2004, and 2000 (not counting 2012 or 1996 when incumbents ran unopposed). The last Republican winners have been Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and George W. Bush (twice, once unopposed and once in 2000).

Thanks, I was going off memory and thought Paul won. Apparently he got over 20% in 2012 but still finished 3rd by a few %

 

[05_never_again]

Thanks, I was going off memory and thought Paul won. Apparently he got over 20% in 2012 but still finished 3rd by a few %

I thought maybe you were getting it confused with the Iowa Straw Poll, which I thought he did win, but turns out he never won that either.

It was just a Republican thing, but that straw poll didn't even do all that great a job of predicting the Iowa Caucus winner, much less the eventual nominee or President:

 

[OrangeTsar]

What if we convince Iowa to follow us Southerners and that we all „drink our corn from a jar“?
Problem solved

 

[AshG]

What if we convince Iowa to follow us Southerners and that we all „drink our corn from a jar“?
Problem solved

You're on to something. The fermentation process converts glucose and fructose into more easily digestible forms. The only alcohol that contains FODMAPs is rum.

 

[OrangeTsar]

You're on to something. The fermentation process converts glucose and fructose into more easily digestible forms. The only alcohol that contains FODMAPs is rum.

See, political compromise can be easy and rewarding

 

[VOLS INC.]

Also odd that you highlight the blackest states in the union and then proclaim them to be the “laziest”

Shocked this post hasn’t gotten more attention