Their View: Winners reflect idea campaign funds may not matter -

Well, it shows while money may be important in politics, it is far from everything. Mitt Romney outspent Mike Huckabee by about 20-1 in Iowa, but lost by nine percentage points. If politics and policy really were determined by how much money is spent to promote a candidate or issue, as those who want the government to regulate political spending contend, Mike Huckabee would be figuring out a graceful way to drop out.

The money difference wasn't as dramatic on the Democratic side, but there again, Iowa caucus-goers spurned the candidate who seemed more powerful - so organized and disciplined and expert as to seem inevitable, until actual voters pushed the pundits and experts aside for a few hours and made their own decisions.

To be sure, the Iowa caucuses are an odd hybrid involving a small percentage of eligible voters and excluding those who work at night or can't get a baby-sitter.

Taking all that into consideration, however, the Iowa caucuses seemed to demonstrate a desire for a somewhat different kind of politician than what either party has been offering lately, even if they're not completely sure of what they're getting.

- The Lima News