Beyond Iowa

For the first time in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Campaign, the people have spoken.

But while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum sat atop the list of Iowa vote getters, the final tallies forecast what could be discouraging news for those hoping youth political engagement will increase this campaign cycle.

Nearly half of all GOP caucus goers threw their support behind Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a 76-year-old, three-time presidential candidate who pundits and the mainstream media have declared an impossible long shot for the Oval Office.

With a Paul candidacy highly unlikely, will the GOP base be able to mobilize young voters behind the other contenders? What could the middle of the pack candidates —like Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry — do to harness the excitement and manpower of the young electorate for their supporter base?

Those are the questions we'll ask here at Scoop2012, where we plan to tackle every second of the 2012 presidential campaign and specifically examine why this race is, and should be, important to voters 18-30-years-old.

The format will be simple.

We'll give you a rundown of the daily buzz about young voters, asking the unspoken questions and breaking down the jumble of political headlines each morning into an easy-to-read, conversational abstract that highlights the issues that matter most to American youth.

After dissecting each morning's headlines, I'll toss things over to my counterpart, Alexander Heffner, for his analysis of how exactly they relate to millennials.

So Alexander — At this point in the race, how would you gauge young people's excitement for the current GOP slate?