The new year is three days old. The election is 11 months away.

But all eyes today focus on Iowa, which holds the kickoff to the presidential sweepstakes tonight with its caucuses.

I have just two questions:
How many of us, standing in front of a map of the United States, could correctly point out Iowa?

And is this any way to elect our president?

Please no I hold no grudge against Iowa, or its revered tradition of the presidential caucus.

But does it strike anyone else as just a tad odd that this small midwestern state holds such sway in a matter of such import?

I guess first there is the matter of the timing. The ball has barely dropped in Times Square and we’re already caucusing. The candidates have been scouring Iowa and New Hampshire, which holds the nation’s first primary on Tuesday, seemingly since Thanksgiving. Wonder how Iowans liked having politics trample on their holiday season?

Iowa and New Hampshire. Not exactly big players on the national scene. Not exactly, for that matter, Pennsylvania.

But they will hold sway in presidential politics. We will not.

The commonly held belief is that those candidates who do not finish in the top three in either Iowa or New Hampshire may in fact be finished altogether.

That could mean the campaigns of people like Delaware Democrat Joe Biden could be over before they get started.

So tonight at about 7:30 our time, folks will start gathering in Iowa, a state of about 3 million people.

The last time they threw this shindig, 124,000 Democrats and 90,000 Republicans took part.

This isn’t a primary. The action is done in public. Sides are basically chosen up and factions backing a candidate stand in a corner of the many meeting rooms scattered across the state. They can last a couple of hours.

The caucuses will be followed by a huge traffic jam at the airport as candidates, their entourages and the media horde all look to put Iowa in their rear-view mirror and descend on New Hampshire for the weekend.

After that the biggie will be Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, when more then 20 states will hold their primaries and caucuses.

And what about Pennsylvania, you ask? When will the Keystone State get a chance to chime in? Don’t hold your breath. Our primary does not arrive until April 22.
You might be better off writing a letter to the editor. At least that opinion might still count.