海角大神

Lest anyone forget, the Republicans aren鈥檛 the only ones caucusing in Iowa on Tuesday. The Democrats will also gather in schools and function halls around the state to go through the exercise of choosing President Obama for his party鈥檚 nomination, despite the lack of serious opposition.

The Democratic caucuses are more than just a pro forma event. They also matter for the selection of convention delegates and as a tool for party-building by attracting potential volunteers for what is expected to be a close general election. Iowa is one of about a dozen battleground states.

If it鈥檚 motivated partisans who show up for a Republican caucus on a cold January night, then the Democrats who go to their competition-free caucuses are the ultimate loyalists.

Kay Hoffman of Waterloo, Iowa, happily puts herself in that camp.

鈥淚鈥檓 a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat,鈥� says Ms. Hoffman, attending an event for GOP candidate Newt Gingrich in Waterloo Sunday night, because it鈥檚 taking place at her daughter鈥檚 restaurant, LJ鈥檚 Neighborhood Bar and Grill. 鈥淥bama鈥檚 gotten a bad rap. He鈥檚 been treated worse than any president ever.鈥�

Hoffman, a retired medical transcriptionist, is looking forward to attending her local Democratic caucus Tuesday night, and will volunteer for Obama if asked. She says she knows a lot of widows like her who are for Obama and worried a Republican president will 鈥渕ess with鈥� Social Security and Medicare.聽聽

鈥淲e worked hard for those benefits, and so did our husbands,鈥� she says.

National and Iowa Democrats are also engaging in a bit of counter-programming, just to make sure the news coverage isn鈥檛 all Republicans all the time. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has set up a 鈥渨ar room鈥� in a downtown Des Moines hotel, with a promise of daily press conferences.

On Monday, Iowa鈥檚 Democratic treasurer, Michael Fitzgerald, and Brad Woodhouse, DNC communications director, were to 鈥減review the caucuses鈥� 鈥� that is, to pour cold water over聽聽the GOP candidates and their respective records.

Iowa isn鈥檛 the only venue for Iowa caucus 鈥減reviews.鈥� DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz also offered herself up to the press Monday at an availability at a bagel shop in Weston, Fla. The press release promised not only discussion of the caucuses, but also 鈥淢itt Romney鈥檚 attempts to rewrite history, distract voters from his out-of-touch positions and support for failed policies that won鈥檛 help the middle class.鈥澛�

It鈥檚 been clear for weeks that the Democrats expect Mr. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, to win the Republican nomination. They鈥檝e set up the website WhichMitt.com, which highlights Romney鈥檚 flip-flops.

They鈥檝e posted videos that go after Romney鈥檚 unwillingness to release his tax returns and moments of Romney pique during debates and at campaign events (called 鈥淢itt Fits鈥�). And they鈥檝e bracketed Romney appearances around the state with media availabilities by local Democrats, who heap scorn on Romney鈥檚 record and policy proposals.

Romney, for his part, is also behaving as if he鈥檒l be the GOP nominee, training his sites on Obama rather than his fellow Republicans.

"President Obama and his liberal cronies know that if they have to face Mitt Romney in the general election, they are going to lose," says Ryan Williams, Romney campaign spokesman, in an e-mail. President Obama is the greatest job-killing president in modern history and he is desperate to distract from his abysmal economic record with dishonest, negative attacks."