Maybe it was the apocalyptically cold weather, with wind chills reaching minus 43 Fahrenheit. Or the winnowed field of candidates and an anxiety-addled electorate that is dreading the prospect of the first rerun election since the Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson rematch of 1956. For whatever reason, the usual media circus that accompanies the Iowa caucuses has felt smaller this year, literally and spiritually. The number of credentialed journalists fell to 1,200, from 2,600 four years ago. The attenuated vibe was best summed up by a T-shirt on sale in the hotel gift shop:“Election 2024: Welp, I Guess We’re Doing This Again.”

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Persons: Dwight Eisenhower, Adlai Stevenson, ” Organizations: Des, Des Moines Marriott Downtown Locations: Iowa, Des Moines, Washington, Manhattan