"There is, after all, no accidental reason for a politician to be in Iowa -- ever," wrote ABC News' Abby D. Phillip, referring to a trip that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) took to Iowa in August 2013. The implication being: Amy Klobuchar is a 2016 presidential candidate, definitely maybe or maybe definitely.
This is the very real power of the early primary states -- a power that persists despite constant skepticism about whether it's actually a great idea to allow these five states to dictate how the primary race unfolds. There are a significant number of primary-having states that don't get to send voters to the polls until long after the primary is over, and every year, some ambitious state tries to crash the early-contest party, which inevitably leads to threats of a calendar war to push the first primaries and caucuses into the Christmas season.
These five states have essentially become, on a quadrennial basis, the most pandered-to populations in America. And that was never more apparent than this week, when Republican consultant Liz Mair -- whom Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) had hired to do communications work for his PAC -- was put to the blade for the sin of criticizing the Iowa GOP on Twitter. Hawkeye State kingmakers, having dipped their umbrage in the deep-fried butter for which the state is known, bayed for Walker to fire Mair -- somehow turning Mair, an avowed fan of Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, into this cycle's Bruce Braley.
It was a hard lesson to learn, and a dumb way to learn it, but like it or not, these states are still tops. But which early primary state has won the most affection from candidates? This week, we break it down for you.
Candidate photos: Getty, Associated Press.