Go Iowa!

The Huffington Post refers to a Google Maps illustration of Iowa Caucus results beginning at 6:00 PM PST here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/03/map-of-realtime-iowa-cau_n_79646.html

But who cares? It's a couple hundred thousand - at most. The Iowa caucus thing is irrelevant, except to media types who keep hyping it like it's some big deal. There was this guy who ran for President a few years back, and he completely ignored the Iowa thing. Sat it out, never paid a visit.

He won two terms as President.

The Iowa caucus thing is irrelevant, except to media types who keep hyping it like it's some big deal.

i recommend you read up on why caucuses are held. hint: the most important reason is not the candidate voting results.

Forget the countdown. They're out there counting up.

Hucka-WHO? He can't win the primary in most of the big delegate states (with the possible exception of Florida).

Huckabee will be lucky to get a footnote in the history books, and I will be shocked if he's still competitive on SuperTuesday.

My prediction: Obama vs. Romney in the general election. Obama wins with 300 plus electoral votes. No post election legal battles, because Romney has too much class for that.

This is one of the rare moments in time where I am in complete agreement with Mister Tee.

Edwards is not to be counted out just yet.

Absolutely nothing's been decided.

Try not to forget how Dean was an unstoppable force after the first month of primaries last time.

Try not to forget how Dean was an unstoppable force after the first month of primaries last time.

What are you talking about? Dean's campaign was dead the night of Iowa. Remember "the scream"? Try to keep your history straight.

RIGHT ON!!! I still have my Kerry sign in my front yard and it will stay there until Bush is out of office.

There was this guy who ran for President a few years back, and he completely ignored the Iowa thing. Sat it out, never paid a visit.

If you're talking about Bill Clinton, that's factually incorrect -- he spoke at the 1991 Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner.

More importantly, basing your assessment of the importance of Iowa on what happened in 1992 ignores the particular circumstances in place that year. Iowa senator Tom Harkin was in the race, so NOBODY competed in the Iowa caucus. The event was ignored by the politicians AND media. (And, of course, in 1996 Clinton ran unopposed.)

This year was a bit different.

All the leading Democratic candidates decided to compete in Iowa. They wouldn't have spent nearly $30 million on television advertising alone if they didn't think it was important.

Was Iowa decisive? Of course not. Only a complete idiot would say so. But clearly what happened last night has shifted the terrain. Perhaps not dramatically, but significantly. Obama now has a shot. I wouldn't quite call him the favorite -- he'll need to win in New Hampshire to assume that role. But Hillary could have ended things last night with a big win. She didn't.

Iowa mattered, whether it makes sense or not.

The primaries are becoming a joke. The new "tightened" schedule, excluding the primaries that are "too early" and that fact that the "later" primaries are all irrelevant mean that this is now a just a quick-paced media side show. Super Tuesday is mostly irrelevant: if you haven't shined in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina, you're done ... Super Tuesday can't save you.

We just had Iowa, to be followed quickly by New Hampshire ... where the candidates have 4 days to adjust (i.e. its pretty much an Iowa-message repeat). They get two weeks before Nevada (which no one cares about, apparently), and then South Carolina (where I am now/few folks care about). Having been in South Carolina (to visit the parents) for the last week, I've been surprised by the lack of primary eventing. Haven't seen many placards on lawns (there were more in Portland when I left than there are now in Columbia).

How are the primaries supposed to create a meaningful dialog between the candidates that let us differentiate them when they've got a month to handle four "counting" primaries (not counting Michigan). That's barely enough time to visit the state as a tourist, let alone articulate a meaningful vision.

The primaries are becoming a joke.

I think your right. And honestly, I think it really doesnt matter what happens in the primaries. The jokers running the two parties are going to pick who they want to run, no matter who "wins" in the primaries. Hillary is already locked in for the DNC. Always was.

How are the primaries supposed to create a meaningful dialog between the candidates that let us differentiate them when they've got a month to handle four "counting" primaries (not counting Michigan).

Not counting, of course, the last year of non-stop campaigning and debates. I suppose if you haven't had access to a TV or the Internet for the last year, you could make that argument.

... that let us differentiate them ... articulate a meaningful vision....

I agree the system is ridiculous, but do we really not know enough to differentiate these people? That they've not had the opportunity to "articulate a meaningful vision"? They've been campaigning for a year! What is it about Hillary Clinton you need to know? Or Obama or Edwards? I've heard each of their stump speeches several times. There are websites galore that detail their voting records, their achievements, their flips, their flops, you name it.

Clinton is going to be a moderate president who won't take any chances and will probably disappoint Democrats more often than she will please them. Very little of substance will be achieved. Corporate needs will be met. Small and uncontroversial progressive initiatives will be sold as real change. Yawn. Obama is going to take more chances, and will piss off Democrats by not playing the usual political games, but because of his ability to connect to the people might actually break through on a few issues. Might. Edwards has bought completely into the populist card (a complete remaking from the guy who first ran for the Senate only 10 years ago) and he will go with that, and if it would work that would be a great thing, but unfortunately he'll be savaged and undercut by the media and will run aground. Pretty it won't be.

I mean, really, you need to hear more from these people?