There's already been some derisive commentary (viz., from TAPPED's Kate Sheppard) about the final question in today's Des Moines Register Democratic debate, asking candidates to reflect on the joys of campaigning in Iowa.

When moderator Carolyn Washburn started into this question, I thought for a horrified moment she was going to pledge each and every one of the candidates to protect Iowa's primacy in the nominating process now and forever, world without end, particularly as president. It would have been a difficult pledge to avoid at this point, with all of them lusting after every single Caucus vote. But instead, she only asked for a generic pander to Iowans, and only Joe Biden went over the brink and said "Iowa deserves to be first."

Listening to the paens to Iowans' sturdy civic virtues and the glories of food-on-a-stick, I'm probably not the only one to wonder what would have happened if the candidates had been attached to lie detectors. And I actually like Iowa.