Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas raised eyebrows this weekend when they separately announced they will not campaign in Iowa, placing their hopes on winning the nomination with a later surge in the primary race.

Although the announcement does not come as a complete surprise — Lieberman has lagged behind others in campaigning and Clark only recently joined the field — it casts a shadow of doubt on the future of their campaigns.

Both candidates have said they preferred to focus their time and money on other states with early primaries. Lieberman will, however, keep one campaign office open in Iowa.

Their departure is understandable. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt are wrangling at the top of the Iowa polls, with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry not far behind.

Although Lieberman and Clark are by no means at the top of the political ladder in Iowa, they should think twice before skipping over the state.

No candidate who has snubbed the Iowa caucuses in the past has gone on to become president.

This is why few presidential hopefuls have bypassed the state since the caucuses came to prominence in 1976, when Jimmy Carter used Iowa as a launching pad to the White House.

In 1987, former Sen. Al Gore opened his campaign in Iowa, but withdrew sheepishly, saying the Iowa caucuses were dominated by extreme liberals. He focused his efforts in the South, and his campaign failed miserably.

Arizona Sen. John McCain skipped Iowa during the 2000 election, instead winning states such as New Hampshire and Michigan. His campaign also sunk, and he eventually lost the Republican nomination to President Bush.

The only other bypass (and another unsuccessful one) came in 1992, when Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin ran for the nomination and other front runners, including eventual nominee Bill Clinton, decided not to challenge him on his home turf.

The candidates’ departure also takes some of their unique views and ideas away from the political battlefield of Iowa.

Lieberman, who is more moderate than the other Democratic candidates, supported the war against Iraq and preaches moral values. He’s taking these stances to more conservative western and southern states, doubting they would play out well among the liberal caucus-goers in Iowa.

Despite their apparent handicaps in the state, Lieberman and Clark should take a good look at history and reconsider their decisions not to campaign in Iowa, if they want any shot at the presidency in 2004.