Q: How many of the winners of the Iowa Caucus, both Democrats and Republicans, have gone on to become president?
—Jerry Schwartz, Alpharetta
A: George W. Bush (Republican in 2000) and Barack Obama (Democrat in 2008) won their parties' Iowa Caucus and were elected president in the same year.
George H.W. Bush won the caucus with 32 percent in 1980, but Ronald Reagan, who finished second with 30 percent, won the election that year.
George H.W. Bush was third behind Bob Dole and Pat Robertson in Iowa in 1988, the year he was elected.
Jimmy Carter was the top Democrat in the 1976 caucus with 28 percent, but uncommitted voters accounted for 37 percent of the vote.
Incumbents Ronald Reagan (1984), George H.W. Bush (1992), Bill Clinton (1996), George W. Bush (2004) and Obama (2012) were unopposed in re-election years, the Des Moines Register reported.
The Iowa Caucus has been first on the electoral calendar since 1972.
Q: Saudi Arabia recently executed 47 terrorists, including a Shiite cleric. What was the method of execution?
—William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and al-Qaida leader Faris al-Zahrani were among the 47 people who were executed in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 2.
Firing squads and beheadings were the method of execution for the group, a Saudi interior ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera.
One Egyptian, one Chadian and 45 Saudis were executed in 12 locations throughout the country, the BBC reported.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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