Interesting Out of Iowa -- Dems
Well, this was absolutely the worst result for Clinton -- a third place showing with Obama winning by a significant lead. The one crumb of comfort for Clinton is that Edwards will stay in the race, drawing off progressives who might otherwise vote for Obama.
Despite growing sympathy for a populist message, Edwards appeared unable to break out of the same core group of supporters that he has carried since 2004 (i.e., people like me). This does not bode well for his future campaign. Part of his problem, of course, is his struggle for exposure. Even with the massive infusion of money in the final days by SEIU, and some media attention around a last minute surge, the media focus has consistently been Clinton v. Obama.
For Obama, it's good news on every level. He has emerged as the inspirer and the uniter. Exit polls report him capturing a whopping 57% of the under 30 voters, who showed up in droves to vote for him. He also did better than Clinton with women, and better with independents than Clinto or Edwards. His message appears to be: I can give change without the confrontational edge that Edwards offers.
Of course, the race is far from over. My feeling is as follows (below cut):
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Despite growing sympathy for a populist message, Edwards appeared unable to break out of the same core group of supporters that he has carried since 2004 (i.e., people like me). This does not bode well for his future campaign. Part of his problem, of course, is his struggle for exposure. Even with the massive infusion of money in the final days by SEIU, and some media attention around a last minute surge, the media focus has consistently been Clinton v. Obama.
For Obama, it's good news on every level. He has emerged as the inspirer and the uniter. Exit polls report him capturing a whopping 57% of the under 30 voters, who showed up in droves to vote for him. He also did better than Clinton with women, and better with independents than Clinto or Edwards. His message appears to be: I can give change without the confrontational edge that Edwards offers.
Of course, the race is far from over. My feeling is as follows (below cut):
( Collapse )