Primary Colors (or the lack thereof?)

Has anyone else wondered why we should care about the presidential preferences of states like Iowa and New Hampshire, whose ethnic background is 91% and 97% white, respectively?

What sort of prognosticating power could such homogeneous lands have on a country that is much more of a melting pot in character?

This assignment of importance to those states that have caucuses or primaries earlier in the year reminds me of the ridiculous superstitiousness that pervades our society in other realms, such as Groundhog's day.

BLEH.