Here come the tribal leaders

DES MOINES - The term that describes the process that will take place this evening throughout this large and freezing state - Caucus - is thought to be of Algonquin Indian origin, meaning a gathering of the ruling tribal chiefs.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that that is exactly how its residents see themselves, at least on this particular day, when the eyes of the entire world are spotlighted on them, and they return the stare with smiles and teeth chattering with cold.

Almost 3,000 media representatives have gathered here in order to report to America and the rest of the world who has the advantage when the bell is sounded for the start of the race for the presidency of the United States. They can expect a great drama. This is the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end, of an intriguing and thrilling election campaign, perhaps more so than any that have preceded it.

"Iowa is not an attractive place to be in the wintertime," Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said in an interview that may hurt Hillary Clinton's race here. He is one of her supporters, and was here also to help her with her campaign. Afterward he went home, and in a thoughtless remark during an interview, vilified the system which is so holy to the residents of the place: The caucus in Iowa, he stated, "makes no sense."

That is usually the attitude of the losers in the race - but this time the criticism came before the result. Clinton hastened to dissociate herself from the remarks of the wayward governor, saying that she "absolutely supports" the present system. As if she had a choice.

All the same, it is not clear that Strickland was right. Iowa is a very attractive place, even in winter, for those who love politics. The real job of its voters is not necessarily to choose the winner. Many candidates have succeeded in winning the race even though they lost in Iowa - for example, Republican president Ronald Reagan, who lost there to Bush Senior in 1980. And many have not won, even though they won in Iowa - for example, Richard Gephardt in the Democratic race in 1988.

One of the claims attributed to Iowa is that its real importance to the race transpires usually after the fact. That is, it is impossible to say that the keys to the race are in its hands alone, something that would really have been right to complain about. It played a decisive role in Jimmy Carter's winning the candidacy in 1976; it also did so in 2004, when it buried what seemed to be the surefire candidacy of Howard Dean; and it anointed the two who would represent the Democratic party - John Kerry and John Edwards. But 1988, for example, was a less successful year: Iowa's candidates were the Democrat Gephardt, and Robert Dole for the Republicans. The parties' candidates were in fact those who finished third in Iowa - Bush for the Republicans and the Democrats' Michael Dukakis.