Hey r/politics! We’re Post reporters Sabrina Rodriguez and Colby Itkowitz. We’re in Iowa and New Hampshire respectively to cover the caucuses and the primary the following week.
Monday’s caucuses across Iowa serve as the start of the Republican nominating process, as voters will finally weigh in after months of campaigning. New Hampshire is the second state on the Republican electoral calendar, with a primary on Jan. 23.
From Sabrina: Hi, hi! I’m Sabrina Rodriguez, a national political reporter at the Washington Post focused on voters. Yes, voters! Not a small task, but it means I’m currently on the road in the early primary (and caucus, can’t forget Iowa!) states getting a sense of how people are feeling ahead of the GOP presidential nomination and 2024 general election.
From Colby: Hi! I’m Colby Itkowitz, a national political reporter at the Washington Post. I’ve been covering politics and policy in DC for 15 years and will focus largely this year on the future of the Democratic Party. But right now, I’m in New Hampshire helping to cover the lead up to the Republican primary here, talking to voters and attending candidates’ events as they make their final pitches ahead of next week’s election.
Ask us anything!
PROOF:
by washingtonpost
24 comments
Do you have any realistic hope for the future?
Isn’t this a pointless task? Trump is going to be the nominee. News media should be focusing on how horrible he would be and educating people about the 2025 project.
I’d like to know why the press can’t ask the hard hitting questions and insist on the “both sides” angle. One guy isn’t popular because his policies don’t please everyone universally. And the other guy has 91 criminal indictments and strong cases for each.
You can and should operate within the confines of fact and throw opinions out the window. We want the news, not an alternative reality.
A recent poll showed most iowa voters agreed with trump comments on immigrants poisoning the blood of the country. Giving iowa is no where near the border and doesn’t have any migrant crisis issues. What possible reason based on your reporting would allow that idea to be so popular?
Do you get the feeling that people actually *want* Trump to be the candidate?
Do you ask a voter there about Trumps alleged crimes? The adultery and allegations of sexual assault/rape? What responses do you get?
How much of the Iowa caucuses low turnout out was weather v. poor candidate quality?
From what you have gathered on the ground in each state, are there at least a slice of voters who are not voting Trump in the primary that will also not vote for him in the general, if he’s the nominee? Or, from what you guys are seeing, will those voting against Trump in the primary still come out and vote for him in the general? This likely applies more to Iowa than New Hampshire, as New Hampshire has an open primary.
There have been a number of pieces in the progressive press asserting that the mainstream press–including the WaPo–have failed in reporting on Trump by ~~cow-towing~~ kowtowing [thanks, SpellingJerk!] to two-side-ism and letting themselves be led. In a recent example, I saw a piece earlier today on Talking Points Memo (IIRC, perhaps the Bulwark or somewhere similar, I was doom-scrolling) arguing that the mainstream press’s current focus on Trump’s courtroom shenanigans caters to his demands for attention, now that no one cares about what he says in rallies or on social media–he’s manipulating the mainstream press’s attention to give him more coverage. What are your thoughts?
How are Republican voters reacting to either of you on the Republican primary trail? Curious since WaPo(along with numerous others) is considered “fake news” and attacking the free press is now a cornerstone of the Republican party and seemingly their voters.
If Trump lost in New Hampshire, how crazy do you think he would react, and how would that reaction affect the race moving forward?
What differences are you noticing in New Hampshire from Iowa? The polling indicates a very different result but are noticing any changes in what the voters or campaigns are doing?
Would most trump supporters people attending/voting in the primary and joining rallies still vote for him in general if convicted.
New Hampshire had a large influx of newcomers during the pandemic, particularly from Massachusetts and New York. Do you find they are having a strong influence on the Republican vote in the state, especially outside of the south east part of the state?
(second question – which state has the better diner food.)
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Have you ever seen a election that people are less engaged with in your careers as political journalists? It just feels like literally nobody is excited for this election. There seems to be no driving policy narratives like there were in 2020, 2016, 2012, or 2008 since I’ve been following politics.
Do Trump voters have any connection to reality?
Mark Felt is dead, who gets to be Deep Throat this time around if Trump cheats his way into office?
You’re going to get a lot of questions about fairness in the media, and mine is no different. I know the press tries to be impartial, but there’s a difference between impartiality and flat out ignoring the troubling signs of fascism from not just Trump, but the MAGA wing of the party (which is growing every day). Has the Washington Post committed itself to reporting on this troubling development as bluntly as possible?
Yeah sure, when will the press stop playing softball with orange Hitler?
All I really want to know is what it would take Trump supporters in that state to walk away from him and support another candidate.
Though it’s been seen less in recent months, the “lying media” callout is still getting repeated by a ton of Trump voters, and has led to reporters in serious danger in the past. Are you concerned for your personal safety in the current situation?
How many voters in the younger demographic, under 35 years of age, are truly showing support for Trump?
What has been the consensus on why Biden is not going a good job… factually or talking point wise from voters?
Is there some reason Haley and Desantis are afraid to say they are running in case Trump legally can’t continue to run for President?
Was the Republican primary caucus in Ohio more than 99% white?
Are there considerations being made to examine the strength of the party, and how it compares to other election cycles? It seems as though there is absolutely no discussion of “lanes within the party” that accompanies primaries past. While it is clearly obvious that Trump dominates the Republican party and its base, part of that may be out of weakness, and a definite lack of legit competition or up-and-comer Republican politicians on the national stage.