UPDATED
With 100% of Democratic precincts reporting, Edwards just ahead of Clinton
Chicago Tribune Jan 4, 08 3:00 AM CST
(Newser)
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Riding a record turnout of young, independent and new voters, Barack Obama decisively won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa last night, with John Edwards narrowly edging out Hillary Clinton for second. With all Democratic precincts reporting, Obama, aiming to be the first black president of the United States, prevailed with a commanding 38%; Edwards took 30% and Clinton 29%, CNN reports.
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UPDATED
Strong support from evangelicals
gives him a quick victory
New York Times Jan 4, 08 2:50 AM CST
(Newser)
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Mike Huckabee won yesterday's Iowa caucuses thanks to a surge of support from evangelical voters. The former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher defeated second-place finisher Mitt Romney with relative ease, despite being outspent 4 to 1, the New York Times notes. Fred Thompson held a slim lead over John McCain for the third spot, with Ron Paul not far behind. Rudy Giuliani, who didn't campaign in Iowa, trailed the pack at sixth.
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OPINION
Why wait until tonight? Get the spin for each and every result here
MSNBC Jan 3, 08 4:13 PM CST
(Newser)
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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."
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Candidates embrace inner gurus in visits to stereotype-bending Fairfield
Wall Street Journal Jan 3, 08 1:56 PM CST
(Newser)
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To win over likely caucus-goers in Fairfield, Iowa, candidates need to tap their spiritual sides, the Wall Street Journal reports. Roughly a third of the little farm town practices transcendental meditation, and citizens have elected a meditation devotee mayor. The candidates are pandering accordingly—Barack Obama, for instance, pointed his podium east (the direction gurus say energy flows), and won over said mayor.
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OPINION
Washington Post's Dan Balz runs down the possibilities
Washington Post Jan 3, 08 11:54 AM CST
(Newser)
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How might the presidential race turn on tonight’s Iowa caucuses? What answers await after the election’s first vote? The Washington Post ’s Dan Balz runs down some possibilities: Will either race end immediately? Probably only if Hillary Clinton sweeps How big a bounce can the victors expect? The shortened time between races will help carry winning momentum to New Hampshire Which hopefuls will draw out the most first-time voters? Should be Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee
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24/7 campaigns have made for a raft of fatigue-induced gaffes
New York Times Jan 3, 08 11:15 AM CST
(Newser)
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Fatigue has officially taken hold in Iowa, and not just for voters. “I won’t remember Iowans,” a sleep-deprived Mitt Romney said recently (he meant “I’ll never forget”), while Mike Huckabee offered “apologies” over Benazir Bhutto’s death (he’s not a suspect), and Hillary Clinton trumpeted supporters "literally freezing to death" (no fatalities reported). “When a person is fatigued, they will make a mistake,” reasons John McCain.
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Will anti-business rhetoric work for Huckabee, Edwards?
Wall Street Journal Jan 3, 08 9:37 AM CST
(Newser)
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Tonight's Iowa caucuses are the first test for the aggressively populist message of Mike Huckabee and John Edwards; even if the candidates falter, writes the Wall Street Journal , their stridently anti-business message—"corporate greed is squeezing the middle class," Edwards declared yesterday—has played well in Iowa, and might continue to influence the campaign.
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Obama leads Edwards by 4% hours before Iowa caucus
Reuters Jan 3, 08 6:59 AM CST
(Newser)
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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.
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Expected to drop out without a strong showing in Iowa
Politico Jan 3, 08 3:21 AM CST
(Newser)
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Insiders say GOP presidential hopeful Fred Thompson will probably drop out of the race if he doesn't do well in Iowa, Politico reports. The former senator and "Law & Order" actor's candidacy generated a lot of excitement in its early days but never gained much traction nationwide.
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Candidates make last-minute appeals to voters
Los Angeles Times Jan 2, 08 9:30 PM CST
(Newser)
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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.
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As memo predicted in May, the state has been an uphill battle
Politico Jan 2, 08 2:05 PM CST
(Newser)
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The Hillary Clinton camp was convinced that the road to the nomination must go through Iowa, but right about now they may be wishing they'd taken the advice of an aide who urged her to bypass the first caucus state completely. Politico revisits the aide's May memo for keys to her disappointing standing with one day left: For starters, the Hawkeye State has never elected a woman—not as governor, senator, or congresswoman.
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Giuliani's support off 13 points since September
MSNBC Jan 2, 08 1:15 PM CST
(Newser)
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A new poll shows John McCain ahead nationally among Republicans for the first time in a year, and a sliding Rudy Giuliani at his lowest mark in months. McCain is favored by 22% of GOP voters, with Giuliani at 20%, Mike Huckabee at 17%, and Mitt Romney at 12%. Giuliani has fallen 13 points in Pew’s poll since September, MSNBC reports.
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