...or is it just Vilsack? When I was out in Iowa knocking on doors, I got the feeling these people just wanted to be left alone.
The majority of them either weren't going to the caucus, or didn't even know what it was. There's really not much you can say when a little old lady smiles at you and says "I'm not going to the caucus, dear, but I'm going to vote for him!" You can explain to her that she has to go to the caucus in order to "vote" for a candidate, but somewhere in the middle of the explanation, her eyes glaze over and you can tell she wants to go back inside and watch television instead of talking to the cold out-of-stater (in the orange hat?) standing on her doorstep.
As far as I could tell, the residents of Iowa wanted anything BUT the national spotlight and the concentration of bright-eyed volunteers descending on their little state to try and talk them into supporting their candidates.
They expressed disgust at the political ads (cough clubforgrowth couth) and annoyance when we knocked on their doors. If I had to guess, I'd guess that Iowans would be happier if someone else got the first shot anyway.
I bet nobody knocked on Vilsack's door or robo-called his cell phone.