The primaries for presidential candidates, amid the severe winter in Iowa

2024-01-14 18:42:58, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iowa Democrats will vote by mail to choose their preferred candidate, but President Joe Biden appears to be the likely winner, as is often the case when a president seeks a second term. As Voice of America correspondent Kane Farabaugh reports, Republicans will gather in person in Iowa to choose their candidate.

After the snowfall, low temperatures are also affecting party campaigns in the state of Iowa, the weekend before the Jan. 15 primary.

Former President Donald Trump canceled most meetings with constituents. Republican candidate Nikki Haley will use virtual meetings to talk to voters.

"The less enthusiastic voters will stay home and the more enthusiastic will attend meetings," said Carson Odle, a Republican voter.

Bad weather didn't stop some voters from attending the rally hosted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Voter Cheryl Weisheit braved the cold to listen closely to the Republican candidate.

"At first it wasn't so bad. ... but we are used to this weather".

She runs a local Republican group, and says attending the meeting in person was important to her because she still hasn't decided who to support.

"Maybe I won't know until the night of the vote."

These are among the heaviest snowfalls and coldest temperatures in Iowa to occur in the primary voting period for a presidential candidate, and the impact on voter turnout is being questioned.

"The unknown lies in the participation of the voters and who they will support. Will Trump's supporters be as loyal to him as expected," says professor Tim Hagle for the Voice of America.

University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle says if the polls translate into turnout, it shows the difficulty other Republican contenders are having to build momentum in their campaigns against Mr. Trump.

"If Trump continues to lead by 30 points or more, it seems highly unlikely that DeSantis or Haley will be able to beat him or even come close, because to some extent they are splitting the vote against Trump."

Professor Hagle adds that polls also show that Trump's legal troubles have not diminished support for him.

"Given the lawsuits and the civil trial in New York, the defamation trial, the states that are trying to get him off the ballot, to his supporters that means he's being politically persecuted and that has its effects."

But there are signs of fatigue among voters in Iowa. Retired John Frank, a former police officer, has endorsed Trump before but not this year.

"He's getting old, just like Joe Biden, and we have to take that into account. He has never learned during his life, especially in political life, to keep his mouth shut."

Frank says he supports Mr. DeSantis. Cheryl Weisheit says she will choose between Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley.

"If Trump is elected, don't count me out. But he is still not the final candidate".

"Until the vote is cast, there is a change in attitudes," says Professor Hagle.

That's why he says turnout is key when Iowa Republican voters gather in person to vote for their favorite candidate./ VOA