Iowans are not as young, diverse or urban as voters in the rest of the country. The Iowa caucuses are not traditional elections with polling places open throughout the day. Instead, citizens gather in precincts about 7 o'clock on the appointed night, and then separate into groups according to their presidential preferences. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, a Gore supporter, said the challenge from Bradley was responsible for forcing the vice president to shed the trappings of his office and campaign more aggressively. He's a better candidate and this is a better campaign than when it started.
Organization is key to winning in the Iowa caucuses.
And Gore's well-financed campaign enjoyed valuable assistance from organized labor, which ran the phone banks and supplied members to canvass voters door to door. The vice president also had strong support from Democratic party regulars and farmers, while Bradley's supporters seemed to be concentrated in the state's many colleges and universities. Bradley's campaign got a boost Sunday when the Des Moines Register endorsed him, along with Bush. The Register described Bradley as a man of integrity and vison. Bradley's independent-mindedness had wide appeal.