In case you were wondering about the history of the Iowa Caucuses

So I was wondering "how often does the winner of the Iowa caucuses go on to win the party nomination?"  If you wondered it too, here's your answer.  Short answer?  To me it looks like roughly half the time.

Past winners

Candidates in bold eventually won their party's nomination. Candidates also in italics subsequently won the general election.

Democrats

• January 3, 2012 - Barack Obama (98%), "Uncommitted" (2%)^[17]
• January 3, 2008 – Barack Obama (38%), John Edwards (30%), Hillary Clinton (29%), Bill Richardson (2%), Joe Biden (1%)^[18]
• January 19, 2004 – John Kerry (38%), John Edwards (32%), Howard Dean (18%), Dick Gephardt (11%), and Dennis Kucinich (1%)
• January 24, 2000 – Al Gore (63%) and Bill Bradley (37%)
• February 12, 1996 – Bill Clinton (98%), "Uncommitted" (1%), Ralph Nader (1%)
• February 10, 1992 – Tom Harkin (76%), "Uncommitted" (12%), Paul Tsongas (4%), Bill Clinton (3%), Bob Kerrey (2%), and Jerry Brown (2%)
• February 8, 1988 – Dick Gephardt (31%), Paul Simon (27%), Michael Dukakis (22%), and Bruce Babbitt (6%)
• February 20, 1984 – Walter Mondale (49%), Gary Hart (17%), George McGovern (10%), Alan Cranston (7%), John Glenn (4%), Reubin Askew (3%), and Jesse Jackson (2%)
• January 21, 1980 – Jimmy Carter (59%) and Ted Kennedy (31%)
• January 19, 1976 – "Uncommitted" (37%), Jimmy Carter (28%) Birch Bayh (13%), Fred R. Harris (10%), Morris Udall (6%), Sargent Shriver (3%), and Henry M. Jackson (1%)
• January 24, 1972 – "Uncommitted" (36%), Edmund Muskie (36%), George McGovern (23%), Hubert Humphrey (2%), Eugene McCarthy (1%), Shirley Chisholm (1%), and Henry M. Jackson (1%)^[19]

Republicans

• 2012 - Mitt Romney (25%), Rick Santorum (25%), Ron Paul (21%), Newt Gingrich (13%), Rick Perry (10%), Michele Bachmann (5%), and Jon Huntsman (0.6%)^[20]
• 2008 – Mike Huckabee (34%), Mitt Romney (25%), Fred Thompson (13%), John McCain (13%), Ron Paul (10%), Rudy Giuliani (4%), and Duncan Hunter (1%)
• 2004 – George W. Bush (unopposed)
• 2000 – George W. Bush (41%), Steve Forbes (31%), Alan Keyes (14%), Gary Bauer (9%), John McCain (5%), and Orrin Hatch (1%)
• 1996 – Bob Dole (26%), Pat Buchanan (23%), Lamar Alexander (18%), Steve Forbes (10%), Phil Gramm (9%), Alan Keyes (7%), Richard Lugar (4%), and Morry Taylor (1%)
• 1992 – George H. W. Bush (unopposed)
• 1988 – Bob Dole (37%), Pat Robertson (25%), George H. W. Bush (19%), Jack Kemp (11%), and Pete DuPont (7%)
• 1984 – Ronald Reagan (unopposed)
• 1980 – George H. W. Bush (32%), Ronald Reagan (30%), Howard Baker (15%), John Connally (9%), Phil Crane (7%), John B. Anderson (4%), and Bob Dole (2%)
• 1976 – Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan

Info from Wikipedia:

So it looks like our chances of getting Romney are about 50-50 ... about what I've expected all along.  And even though I don't like Romney very much, it's occurred to me recently that I don't like ANY of them all that much. 

I have about the same feeling I did last time with McCain and Huckabee and so forth.  I was soooo dejected until McCain picked Sarah Palin.  I guess at this point I'm going to root for Newt (rhymes) and prepare for the eventual kick in the balls.