On this day four years ago Iowans unlocked history by paving the way for a tall lanky man of Luo ancestry to become president. No matter what anyone says about America's agricultural heartland or the "Bible belt" as some like to call it, the caucuses hold important lessons for serious democracies anywhere. At 7pm men and women, young and old, farmers and professors, black, white and brown will meet in churches, schools, libraries and homes to engage in political discourse and register their votes in the republican nominating cycle. The concept is novel as much for its process and as its substance. Procedurally it is the last standing attempt at Athenian politics in any developed democracy. But the biggest lesson lies in the substance. Over the years Iowans have defied the odds and despite the ubiquity of horse race coverage inoculated themselves from the daily circus of guessing who is up and who's down by protecting and effectively utilizing the one thing no one can take from them: their voice. In Iowa you will be vetted, you will be tested and you will be tried. No matter what the political cognoscenti said, no matter what the pundits said, over the years Iowans have used their caucuses to send a message and contribute in significant ways in shaping policy and making history even if their candidate never won the generals. That's what democracy is about. All of us can learn something from this. Whether you're interested in politics or not, polices that are made by rulers affected the ruled. The worst we can do is to be apathetic when we really shouldn't. Change doesn't have to always come through protests. Iowa revolutionized American politics quietly but fundamentally by appropriating the power of their voice. And we can all do the same.
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