What's an Ames?

A blank, slack-jawed look is all you'll get from most Americans if asked about today's Ames Straw Poll. For the blissfully unaware (a cognitive state I envy), Ames is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans in Ames, Iowa (population 58,965). The term "straw poll" was coined by 17th-century writer John Selden who said: "Take a straw and throw it up into the air—you may see by that which way the wind is." What ― too much information? Sorry. Anyway, it was amusing to read Steve Benen this morning. He desperately tried to find a rationale for why Ames (a notoriously unreliable poll of white conservatives in Iowa) matters. But even he conceded that it "is a pointless publicity stunt, made important by bored reporters. We're talking about an event that's little more than a fundraiser ... The media seems eager to give today's gathering and results significance just for the sake of doing so, sort of like giving attention to a celebrity who's famous for being famous." If you don't believe him, just turn on any cable news show today. You'd think it was Second Coming. And consider this self-conscious TPM effort to have it both ways: "RESULTS SOON! The much-hyped, over-covered, largely meaningless, and poorly predictive Ames straw poll results should be coming in around 6 p.m. ET. We'll have 'em for you, along with a pinch of salt." Right. (By the way, today's unsurprising Ames winner was Michele Bachmann, an Iowa native.) Okay, class, you may now let this vital info drift out of your other ear. Thanks for listening.