IOWA CITY – We have had about four months off from the annoying phone calls, harassing neighborhood canvases and repetitious commercials of political campaigns. But that is likely to start up again as we move toward the start of the general election. It all depends on how big a role Iowa plays as a swing state.

Remember last winter as a dozen or so presidential wannabe's stood on every Iowa corner hawking their talents like the latest diet craze? Get ready for round two. Political Science Professor David Redlawsk says Iowa could play a big role in determining the next president of the United States. He said, "Campaigns are usually basing their strategies on what happened last time around."

The 2004 general election in Iowa was extremely close. About 10,000 votes separated the winner, George Bush, and loser, John Kerry. Politicians and pundits consider Iowa a swing state. So expect candidates and their campaigns to come back. Redlawsk said, “Voters will get inundated. There are intense campaigns going on."

Groups for and against John McCain have already bought air time on KCRG-TV9. But what people remember the most from the winter, and are bracing for in the summer and fall, is the constant ringing. We talked to several people who hate the phone calls. One woman said, "I can turn the commercials off, but the phone calls bother me."

Another woman said, "We didn't answer the phone. We screened. We just ignored it and checked messages. And they didn't leave messages."

As long as Iowa stays politically divided, those calls will keep coming. Professor Redlawsk says because President Bush won by a narrow margin in Iowa in 2004, our state could be one of the last to fall in 2008. That would mean the candidates visit more, and their campaigns work harder for every vote.

Email Steve Nicoles at Steve.Nicoles@kcrg.com