Two UW political science buffs and I are in Des Moines, Iowa, observing the media circus surrounding tonight's Iowa caucuses. Come 7 p.m., we plan to see firsthand what is truly a unique American political tradition — the Democratic caucus. While the Republican caucus is basically a straw poll version of the standard state primary, with attendees demonstrating support for a candidate with a vote by hand or ballot, the Democratic caucus is a more complicated event. Caucus-goers stand in corners of some sort of hall, trying to meet the threshold needed to win delegates for their candidate by persuading others to switch sides.

Since we arrived on Tuesday, we've seen Joe Biden, Bill Clinton (stumping for Hillary Clinton), Christopher Dodd, Ron Paul, John McCain and Barack Obama speak, and we hope to see John Edwards, Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton today. Biden and Dodd proved themselves policy wonks through and through, giving nuanced speeches focused on their experience and understanding of politics. McCain married humor and detailed campaign promises and Paul enunciated a solidly libertarian platform, while Obama stayed away from specifics and roused the boisterous crowd with rhetoric and chanting.