Instead of the usual one result, the Democratic Party will report three sets of results: a projection of delegate totals (state delegate equivalents, often called S.D.E.s), the raw vote totals at the beginning of the caucuses (the first alignment), and the final totals after nonviable candidates, or those who did not receive 15 percent support at a precinct, have been eliminated and their supporters have chosen another candidate or decided to sit it out (the final alignment).
It's not exactly clear where the break down in reporting occurred tonight, but since it sounds like Joe Biden's campaign is the only one upset enough to write a letter (here) to the Democratic Party and demand to know how the votes were verified (according to NY Times Biden correspondent Thomas Kaplan) I assume he is not doing well. Also Kaplan has not provided an update from the Biden campaign in almost an hour, while the Pete and Sanders' correspondents are like energizer bunnies. (Hint: when Bernie says he "has a feeling" his numbers will be good, he's really saying he's seen the numbers and they are good -- just not verified.) Of course, it's getting late, maybe the Biden campaign just went to bed.
Biden did so poorly in Iowa in 2008 he dropped out the next day. I remember that at the caucus I went to, there was a sign with Biden's name on it but no people around it. (To be fair, I don't remember him campaigning there the last week).
Most of what I remember about being in Iowa for the 2008 caucuses was how frigid it was. The picture of the top of this post is one I took while driving from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids for a Hillary campaign event. It was ten degrees that morning.
In fact, the only positive memories I have of those Iowa caucuses are the John Mellencamp concert (for John Edwards); talking to Hillary's mother riding down the hotel elevator (she thought I was a commentator for MTV)and staying at the same hotel as Bill and Hillary and chatting with former Fox News anchor Shephard Smith at the hotel bar. I remember being so miserable from the constant packing up and schlepping of computer and camera cords and cables, lack of sufficient electrical outlets and the frigid temperatures that on the flight home I made myself a promise I would not get on another airplane for a year. It was a promise I kept. (Of course it was easy to do since the 2008 Democratic National Convention was in Denver in the summer and didn't require any airplane rides or hotel stays. That was a fun convention, as was Boston in 2004).
I suspect Bernie and Elizabeth and Pete will do the best in Iowa. And even though it should be obvious Iowans will not be deciding the Democratic nominee, just providing a bit of momentum, so long as they don't choose Biden, I'm down with whatever they decide.
