What Could We Learn Tonight?

McCain, buoyed by Iowa, leads Romney among GOP pack

(NEWSER) - Buoyed by the Iowa caucuses, Barack Obama picked up three points to claim a third of Democratic support in New Hampshire, and move into a tie with Hillary Clinton at 33%. John Edwards also benefited from Iowa in the latest CNN poll, moving up three points to 20%, while Bill Richardson follows with 4%. John McCain heads a more spread-out Republican field. More»

Why wait until tonight? Get the spin for each and every result here

(NEWSER) - No matter what result the Iowa caucuses bring tonight, the campaigns will have plenty of spin up their sleeves. NBC’s Chuck Todd previews the politico talk:

• John Edwards: No one needs this one more. A victory will be a vindication of populism and domestic issues. A loss may well be un-spinnable.
• Hillary Clinton: If she wins, even barely, we’re back to the inevitability storyline. A three-way tie could be OK, if managed perfectly. Third would be a “near-disaster."

Obama leads Edwards by 4% hours before Iowa caucus

(NEWSER) - A new poll conducted hours before the Iowa caucus gives a surging Barack Obama a 4-point lead over John Edwards, with Hillary Clinton slipping to third place. The Reuters/Zogby poll puts Obama at 31% support among likely Democratic caucus-goers, with Edwards polling 27% and Clinton 24%. Among Republicans, Mike Huckabee held a six-point lead over nearest rival Mitt Romney. More»

Candidates make last-minute appeals to voters

(NEWSER) - The candidates continued an all-out blitz to the finish line before tomorrow's Iowa caucuses as polls continued to show tight races, the AP reports. All three leading Democrats took out dinner-hour ads on TV. "After all the town meetings, the pie and coffee, it all comes down to this: Who is ready to be president and ready to start solving the big challenges we face on Day 1?" asked Clinton. More»

Clinton clings to slim lead, but poll finds 'lots of potential for change'

(NEWSER) - With just four days left before Iowans gather to caucus, a Reuters/C-Span/Zogby poll released today found Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama 31% to 27%, while GOP heavyweights Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are in a dead heat. Third-place Democratic contender John Edwards was running a strong 24%. Republican John McCain, who is focusing on New Hampshire, was the only other candidate in double digits with 11%. More»