I disagree with every word of Charlie Szold’s delightfully written apology for the Iowa caucuses, including the headline’s insistence that politics is “fun.” But he makes as good a case as I have seen for the current clown show, and it is an amusing read.

Here’s an idea: Why not organize the primaries and caucuses by state population from least to most? That would be 50-odd contests over the five or so months from kickoff to convention, starting with relatively low-stakes races in Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, etc., building up to the monster contests in New York, Florida, Texas, and California. That would provide a good geographic and political mix for both parties, and give the candidates a more meaningful trial run before the primary race is effectively over.


Alternatively, we could stage a pig-wrestling contest, and it still wouldn’t be as much of an embarrassing mess as Iowa.