▁of ▁Iowa , ▁Chair man ▁Matthew ▁Stra wn ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁central ▁committee ▁declared ▁Senator ▁Rick ▁Sant orum ▁the ▁winner ." ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁obser vers , ▁the ▁" m ud d led ▁result ▁and ▁response " ▁threat ens ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁Iowa ▁c auc uses ' ▁first - in - the - n ation ▁status , ▁which ▁already ▁have ▁many ▁critics ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁attention ▁paid ▁to ▁the ▁c auc uses ▁and ▁its ▁un re present ative ▁dem ographic ▁characteristics . ▁The ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁Register ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁c au cus ▁errors ▁" opens ▁a ▁new ▁line ▁of ▁attack : ▁that ▁Iowa ’ s ▁process ▁is ▁amateur ish , ▁and ▁that ▁its ▁results ▁cannot ▁be ▁trust ed ." ▁ ▁Pol ling ▁ ▁En tr ance ▁poll ▁An ▁entrance ▁poll ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁Ed ison ▁Research ▁for ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁and ▁the ▁television ▁networks , ▁involving ▁inter views ▁with ▁ 1 , 7 8 7 ▁c au cus - go ers ▁at ▁ 4 0 ▁randomly ▁selected ▁c au cus ▁locations ▁throughout ▁Iowa , ▁with ▁a ▁+ /- ▁ 4 % ▁margin ▁of ▁error . ▁The ▁entrance ▁poll ▁found :" En tr ance ▁poll ▁offers ▁a ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁tra its ▁and ▁prefer ences ▁of ▁Iowa ▁c au cus - go ers " ▁( J anu ary ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 ). ▁Associ ated ▁Press . ▁ ▁Results ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁ 6 1 4 , 9 1 3 ▁registered ▁Republic