Iowa: Place your bets; Update: Caucus kick-off; Early results coming in: Huck up, Dem three-way tie; 8:56pm Eastern - Fox calls it for Huckabee; 9:29pm Eastern Fox, NBC call it for Obama; 10:29pm Eastern Hillary: “This is a great night for Democrats.”; 10:40pm Eastern: Huck: “I love Iowa a whole lot.”; 11:08pm Eastern Obamamania!
Update 1:02am Eastern. I’m giving the last word to Paul Mirengoff at Power Line, who sums up tonight’s results with the perfect blend of pith and sarcasm:
“Iowa has given its seal of approval to (1) a one-term Senator who stands for “hope” and “change” and (2) a tacky, big spending governor who doesn’t know much about foreign policy but did stay at a Holiday Inn Express. The common demoninator here, other than a patent lack of qualifications for the presidency, is likeability. Well done, (small fraction of) Iowa.”
Update 12:26am Eastern. Shepherd Smith asks, in light of Ron Paul’s 10 percent showing, whether Fox should reconsider its exclusion of Paul from the NH debate next week. Greta says yes. “Why not pull up another chair?” Smith appears to agree.
Update 11:55pm Eastern. Hah.
Update 11:06pm Eastern. Obamamania! “They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high…but on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do…Our time for change has come!”
ChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChange! Invokes Selma, the American Dream. An inspired speech.
I’ll say this: Obama gave the peppiest speech of the night–and his supporters registered the loudest on the applause-o-meter.
Hillary must be feeling a mighty chill wind.
Update 10:40pm Eastern. Huck takes the stage. Chuck Norris right behind him. “I love Iowa a whole lot!…It’s a new day in American politics…People are really more important than the purse.”
Update 10:27pm Eastern. Hillary takes the stage. I see Madeline Albright behind her. “This is a great night for Democrats.”
Just not for you, hon.
It’s all about “change.” ChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChangeChange. HRC: “I am so ready to lead!”
Update 10:15pm Eastern. Silky takes the stage to claim second place victory. “The status quo lost and change won.” Ugh. He’s talking about having a spine. I can’t watch anymore.
Update 10:02pm Eastern. Hill turned upside-down…For all her gender card-playing, it was Obama who won the women’s vote in Iowa…
Update 9:56pm Eastern. A Johnston, Iowa reader e-mails, “I just got home from my precinct’s caucus…here are the results:”
Johnston Iowa - Precinct 2
*Huckabee - 83 votes
*Romney - 64 votes
*Thompson - 35 votes
*McCain - 25 votes
*Ron Paul - 13 votes
*Keyes & Rudy - 6 votes
*Hunter - 1 vote
Update 9:29pm Eastern. 76 percent of Dem precincts reporting…Obama declared winner by FNC…and NBC…
Update 9:11pm Eastern. On the Dem side…
Senator Barack Obama : 33.88%
Senator John Edwards : 31.84%
Senator Hillary Clinton : 31.60%
What’s the deal with the deal rumors? Lefty blog Iowa Independent reports:
It seems that the under-the-radar caucus night dealmaking first reported by Iowa Independent last night may be even more complicated than once thought, according to additional reports from sources on the ground across the state.
Two well-placed sources told Iowa Independent last night that Gov. Bill Richardson’s campaign plans to direct their supporters to Sen. Barack Obama in precincts where their candidate does not reach the 15% threshold for viability.
Today, more sources have come forward to tell Iowa Independent that some supporters of Sen. Barack Obama have been directed to swing delegates to Gov. Bill Richardson in certain counties and precincts. Sources confirm that in at least three counties, Obama campaign field organizers have told their supporters to drive support to Richardson. The three confirmed counties are all likely Obama strongholds, and each county will assign a relatively high number of delegates tonight. We have decided not to list the counties by name to protect sources’ anonymity.
Obama activists in certain other counties denied receiving instructions for Richardson-Obama vote-swapping. We have heard similar rumors about precinct-specific deals between Obama and Sen. Joe Biden, although we have been unable to confirm them.
Here are the denials.
Update 9:03pm Eastern. McCain and Ron Paul neck and neck at 12 and 11 percent respectively.
Update 8:56pm Eastern. With 15 percent of precincts reporting, Fox projects win for Huckabee.
Romney with Chris Wallace for reax. “This is a 50-inning ball game. Congrats to Mike and we’ll go on to New Hampshire.”
Update 8:51pm Eastern. McCain is on Fox praising Huckabee; attributes Huck’s success to his debate performances.
Early results coming in…Huck is up; Dems are neck and neck and neck.
Update 8:27pm Eastern. A Democrat caucusgoer yells “Troops out of Iraq now!” Another caucusgoer says Hillary’s running in third place at Precinct 53.
Update 8:04pm Eastern. C-SPAN is showing the opening statement of Jim Sutton, Democrat Precinct 53 Caucus temporary chairman. He’s filibustering for the camera. A caucusgoer jibes: “Jim, move it along!”
“Are you ready to cha-cha?” Nominations being taken for permanent caucus chair.
Update:
Live results will be here for the Dems and here for the Repubs.
***
I’m not a gambling woman, but if you want to weigh in with your predictions, feel free.
Scott Elliott at Election Projection shares his:
Mike Huckabee - 30%
Mitt Romney - 19%
Fred Thompson - 18%
Barack Obama - 38%
John Edwards - 29%
Hillary Clinton - 25%
Who’ll still be around next week? Allah peers into his crystal ball.
Rich Lowry lays out various optimal scenarios.
And via Intrade (hat tip - FR)…
More:
Richelieu at the Weekly Standard gives it to Obama by a lot and Huckabee by a sliver.
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- The Dan Lee Report » Blog Archive » The Huckabubble is about to burst in Iowa..
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This Chuck Norris thing has to stop. It’s creepy.
Hill had Madeline behind her, Huck has Chuck. I think we should just let the two of them fight it out and have done with this whole election thing.
Ummm, Madam Hostess…
the news is breaking faster here than on on Drudge.
jus sayin
Hooray! Back up to #3!
*phew*
Edwards in Pictures.
http://deathby1000papercuts.blogspot.com/2008/01/john-edwards-man-who-would-be-parodied.html#links
Victor… Chuck can break stuff with his hands. Madeline can turn people into newts… better to have the vote.
so long, Hunter!
I just passed by the Las Vegas Hillary HQ on my way home. They looked as if they needed a hug.
My kitchen is still for Tancredo.
Obama simultaneously talks about people being able to able to do “extrordinary things” if they work hard enough and then gives bigger government as the answer to all of people’s problems. He talks simutaneously about uniting America and then tears up on Republican policies and implies that Bush is dishonest and is using 9/11 to create fear in America and manipulate us. How does he intend to “unite” us? By making us all agree with his socialist policies?
And the crowd eats it up. This guy’s good.
Wow…
For the Dems:
#1 Empty Suit
#2 Lawsuit
#3 Pant Suit
How fitting.
Wow. Huckabee. You’ve got to be huckin’ kidding me.
Hey Iowa GOP, why didn’t you just go hang with the Dems? Same difference. Oh wait, it’s cuz he’s a Christian right? Because, of course, NONE of the others are, aren’t they? And whoever displays their Christianity the most is OBVIOUSLY the best choice. Certainly don’t want to bother with looking at issues or past performance.
Thanks for nothing, evangelical nitwits. HUCK YOU!
Wow matty. Sore looser much?
Let Huckelberry Hound and Obamarama have their 15 minutes of fame.
Oh wait, it’s 12:15am already. Done.
They are now officially Trivial Pursuit questions. Perhaps they can join “Celebrity Apprentice” along with the other C-List celebs (Carol Alt exempted, she is A)
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
29Victor
I noticed that too. Went from encouaging entrepreneurial spirit to ‘we will take your money and give it to the middle class and the majority of Americans, who are impoverished’ in one breath. The man is a charlatan.
Anyone get the feeling old Chuck might be scheming on doing an Arnold eventually? He seems to making a big effort of getting his face out there in the political arena..
I would not want to be anywhere near Hill-Dawg tonight or the next few days for a million dollars. I can just imagine the wrath, the unmitigated anger that is spewing from every puttied up, Revlon caked in pore of her being after her failure tonight. Why, I believe i can hear her shrill voice over the raging storm that is coursing through the Norther California area now as she levies the blame for her loss and failure on every single person on her staff and failing to accept the responsibilty for it herself. Yes, I can, I can hear it all, and not once am I hearing her accept the fact that no one was buying into her lies and buying her fake accents, her pandering, her carpetbagging or any of her other ploys.
I was telling my wife and friends the last couple of days. I do believe that Hillary will end up being the Howard Dean of 2008. Sure, it was just the first one, but she does have all the makings of the next Howard Dean, doesn’t she?
My prayers are with her staff, and all the head wounds they must be suffering from any launched items flying through the air at thier eggs this evening.
Huckabee and Paul pulls 10%.
There must have been a huge rush on Kool-Aid in Iowa. The MSM must be orgasmic. The Dems look beatable and the Repubs want losers. Go figure.
To all the Iowans who changed affiliation purely to block Hillary: thank you.
Keep hearing that Wizard of Oz song.. “ding dong the witch is dead” ..ok bit harsh perhaps.
So, when is Hillary going to demand a recount, declaring the results as a “right wing conspiracy”? Well, at least the Iowa circus is over. Now, on to New Hampshire (bypassing Wyoming-no cameras) and another 3 ring circus…”me first, party second, country third”.
There is nothing that recommends Huckabee to be president. Nothing. I would have been fine with any other candidate winning. Huckabee is a boob.