Paul Scott comment: Getting to listen to a presidential candidate for one hour in person is much better than watching them on television

--by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott

Last summer I attended a wedding in Huntington, Indiana. The town is famous for being the place where Dan Quayle practiced law before he entered politics and eventually became vice president.

You're probably saying the exact same thing that we said when we arrived in Huntington and saw a sign for the Dan Quayle Museum--"What?  The guy who couldn't spell 'potato' correctly?"

It struck me then how political reputations can be based on the strangest of little incidents.  Just ask Texas Governor Rick Perry about that.  His political reputation changed in an instant when he told a debate audience he wanted to eliminate three federal agencies--but then could only remember two of them.

I have to confess that it was that Rick Perry who I expected to hear when I attended his speech in Decorah on Sunday.  Instead I found a politician who seemed very sincere and well-spoken.  That doesn't mean I necessarily agree with his political views.  What is does mean is that even when it comes to picking a President, we often base our decisions on the most trivial of matters.

This is also why I think the Iowa Caucuses should continue to have an important role in selecting U.S. Presidents.  Sure, there are problems with the caucuses. But their basic strength remains the same--they're the one place where voters can listen to candidates personally, instead of in a 30 second television commercial.

Rick Perry can tell you all about how 30 seconds of television time can have a great influence on your political fortunes.  But on Sunday night, he got a chance to explain his views face-to-face to 150 Decorah area residents.  Whether all of those residents agreed with him is not the point--what is is that the Iowa caucuses remain one of the few places where such democratic practices occur.