There were four top candidates going into the Iowa caucuses on Monday evening, and they finished in the top four there. Despite the confusion and delay in getting results, the media found its narratives quickly.
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg either won the state delegate equivalents or came remarkably close for a guy whose previous wins had not exceeded 11,000 votes. Sen. Bernie Sanders either won the state delegate equivalents or came remarkably close, and did win the popular vote. And former Vice President Joe Biden underperformed expectations, giving hints of vulnerability even as his strongest states are yet to come. So that’s three of the candidates. Hmmm. Who’s missing?
Oh, right. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The media narrative about her—if that’s even the word—is that, despite a third-place finish that put her well ahead of Biden in Iowa, she’s not worth talking about much or should be lumped in with Biden. There are some problems with this approach.