The scene is a composite of dozens of war movies, one of those celluloid images that have become part of the collective mythology. In the foxhole, the baby-faced private is writing a last letter home; the hillbilly soldier is whistling a ballad; the taciturn corporal is just staring wide-eyed into the darkness. Finally, the battle-hardened sergeant speaks, as he lights his last Lucky. "The waiting," he says. "The damn waiting. That's what kills you."
Des Moines, this week, is a city of anxiety-filled foxholes. For the eleven campaigns in both parties actively contesting next Monday's Iowa caucuses, the emotions shift with...
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