Looking at the bright side, Iowa version
Hillary Clinton did beat Bill Richardson
Maybe the prospect of the army of reporters having to spend 5 more days in another cold wintry state, New Hampshire, will finally bring a viable effort towards having some other state(s) lead off the primary season. Like say, Florida or California?
Romney looks forward to New Hampshire, certain that there are no Christians there.
There are some things money can't buy, a Romney/Clinton victory.
Negative ads, personal attacks don't always work, Romney/Clinton.
Clinton didn't run a negative campaign in Iowa. She(Bill) just had a bad campaign strategy. Look for heavy negative ads from Clinton in New Hampshire over the next five days.
I have been saying for the last year Clinton would not get the nomination. People are just tired of her(their) shtick!
Posted by: Ron | January 04, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Um, Ron, her campaign digging up an essay Obama supposedly wrote in kindergarten or some such, sly digs at his middle name?
Posted by: diane | January 04, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Maybe negative does work, Huckabee ended up running the negative ad he said he wouldn't, but showed to the media anyway. Then the ad ran on at least 3 stations in Iowa.
The only thing we get from Iowa, and then N.H., is fewer candidates down the road (Biden and Dodd so far). I don't think you can actually call Obama or Huckabee the favorites quite yet.
Posted by: Rand | January 04, 2008 at 09:55 AM
"This feels good. It's just like I imagined it when I was talking to my kindergarten teacher."
-- Sen. Barack Obama, quoted by the New York Observer, on his new status as Democratic frontrunner. Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign has claimed that Obama has been plotting a presidential run since he was in kindergarten.
Posted by: | January 04, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Rand, I agree with you about Huckabee and Obama, but Obama may have the better chance to keep a lead.
As to negative ads, Romney really went after Huckabee and not in a good way the past month. So we'll see what happens the next five days up in NH. McCain is the one who could surprise.
Posted by: diane | January 04, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Diane, one or two instances of negative pieces does not make a campaign overall negative. Romney ran a negative campaign with a constant barrage of negatvie ads over an extended time period.
Analysis has showed negative campaigns work when done correctly. It's why everybody says they won't run one, but end up doing it anyway.
Rand is correct about the Huckabee ad. Either they were brilliant or just plain lucky. Either way it worked.
Posted by: Ron | January 04, 2008 at 12:32 PM