Miscellaneous thoughts on the Iowa caucus:
1) Huckabee, the Chuck Norris thing was cool at first. Now it's just getting weird.
2) Does anyone else think John Edwards talks like Joel Osteen?
3) People better take Obama seriously. He's a rock star, and he may just run away with this thing.
4) I love the way the media talks about "the evangelicals" as though we're some kind of alien life form.
5) All this talk of socialized healthcare is downright frightening.
6) Wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on Hillary's wall last night?
7) Romney, if you want to stick around long, you'd better nix the negativity.
8) 8 out of 10 Iowans said ear size was an important factor in their vote.
My Prediction for the Presidency
(Not what I necessarily want to happen, but what I think will happen.)
Obama, with the momentum from Iowa and Oprah by his side, runs away from the field, easily getting the Democratic nomination. The media hails him as the second coming of JFK. He makes a very safe VP selection. A moderate with a lot of experience, probably from the south.
Huckabee proves to be a flash in the pan. His general quirkiness wears thin over time, and he also proves to have a nastly little temper. Gulianni overestimates his appeal, and discovers it was a mistake to wait until Florida to campaign. It becomes a two horse race betwen Romney and McCain. Romney will lead initially, but as it becomes clear that Huckabee cannot win, the evangelical vote will reluctantly shift to McCain. Proving the old saying true, "Slow and steady wins the race," McCain pulls out an uninspired primary victory. There is a growing sense that whoever the Republicans offer will be a sacrificial lamb to Obama, and there is a general feeling across the country that McCain has earned a shot at the presidency. (Think Bob Dole in 1996.) Rumors abound of a McCain-Huckabee ticket, and even a McCain-Lieberman ticket, but he settles on a relatively obscure, socially conservative, Washington outsider as his VP.
The general election pits McCain's experience and common sense against Obama's youthfulness and charisma. The contrast could not be greater. McCain's straight talk and heroic service in the armed forces make most Americans rather fond of him. Obama's lack of experience is exposed, as he makes incredibly naive statements regarding national security and diplomatic relations, which McCain seizes on. A significant portion of the public views him with suspicion because of his Islamic roots, and he receives low marks in the war on terror. Nevertheless, the drumbeat for change is loud, and Obama is a fresh face. His rock star persona is too much for McCain to overcome. 20 somethings vote in record numbers and sweep Obama to a convincing victory, 51%-43%.