Much of America did NOT tune in to Fox's latest GOP presidential debate.
Front-runner Donald Trump refused to show - citing his distaste for Fox moderator Megyn Kelly, and early ratings show that about 12 million viewers tuned in.
That's about half the number who turned on their sets for the last debate Fox hosted in the summer.
Even though he wasn't there, some political wags declared Trump the winner, since most of the candidates turned their fire toward Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who's running neck and neck with Trump in Iowa polls.
But the actual poll in Iowa takes place on Monday, when citizens across the state gather in caucuses. It's a unique, maybe even arcane process that serves as the starting gun for the presidential race.
But how did Iowa's contest become such an important event?
Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University has looked into that question with his Atlantic article "How Jimmy Carter Revolutionized the Iowa Caucuses".
Zelizer says Iowa moved up its date for the Caucuses back in 1972 and that paved the way for a relative unknown politician to make a big run and put The Hawkeye State on the map.
Professor Zelizer spoke with A Martinez earlier, where he explained how and why Iowa ended up as the first contest in the presidential race.