Matching 50 Game of Thrones characters with each of the 50 states

Iowa: Renly Baratheon

These days, it seems like Americans are more tuned into politics than ever. Saturday Night Live is having a field day with political sketches, everyone seems to have an opinion on CNN vs. Fox News, and it’s almost impossible to scroll through Facebook without seeing someone getting into a fight over their party status.

Iowa is at the heart of American politics. Although it’s far from the most populous state in the country, it’s incredibly influential in deciding who becomes president. It’s home to the first caucus of the season, so many candidates are forced to speak there if they want to be an early frontrunner. A big strawpoll held there pretty much determines who will be the competitive players in any given presidential race.

Obviously, Game of Thrones features a ton of politics. The War of the Five Kings dominates much of the series, and one of the earliest contenders for the crown is Renly Baratheon, brother to King Robert.

You could say that early events in the series weeded Renly out of the race for the Iron Throne, just like a bad performance at the Iowa Caucus can weed someone out of the race for president. Renly tried his darndest to get the crown, entering into a loveless marriage with a key ally and rallying armies to his cause. He’d be just the kind of vulture politician who hangs around Iowa, trying desperately to curry favor before the caucus. And not unlike many of them, there were things in Renly’s life he wasn’t eager to make public. He had the hallmarks of a modern American politician, even if he didn’t live long enough to show what he could really do.