The Iowa Straw Poll, once regarded as one of the highlights along the Republican presidential primary campaign trail, may take a diminished role this campaign. Many of the presidential candidates leading in the polls are opting not to participate. The Washington Post reports, “This August’s straw poll in Boone, in fact, may be the least consequential in decades. Some Republican hopefuls expect to participate only halfheartedly, while others — including former governors Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Mike Huckabee (Ark.) — are opting out altogether. And almost no one outside the fringes of the race believes a summertime victory would provide a meaningful jolt.” There are some Iowa Republicans that are diminishing the importance of the poll, hoping to distance it from their cherished Iowa caucus, an event that makes an otherwise flyover state valuable for presidential candidates. More…