OBAMA, HUCKABEE CELEBRATE VICTORY IN IOWA
The 2008 Presidential nominating season has begun as Iowa Caucus voters turned out in record numbers tonight to officially kickoff the process for choosing the next President of the United States. The highest voter turnout in Caucus history propelled Illinois Senator, Barack Obama, to a decisive win in the Democratic Caucus.
With a clear message of change and overwhelming support from Independents and young voters, particularly new Caucus goers ages 18-30, Obama defeated runner-up John Edwards and one time front runner, Hillary Clinton, who finished third in the Democratic race. The exit polling revealed that Obama bested Clinton with Iowa's women constituency, the core voting base of the Clinton campaign. In 2008, Democratic turnout in Iowa rose by close to 90 percent.
On the Republican side, the big MO rests with runaway Caucus victor, former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee. Huckabee won the G-O-P Caucus race by 9 percentage points over former Governor Mitt Romney, of Massachusetts. Huckabee surged to the front of the polls in Iowa, just a few weeks prior to tonight's caucus. A high number of Republican Caucus goers were religious conservatives who overwhelmingly backed the Arkansas Governor. With the Huckabee victory, no Republican candidate has the front runner label attached to his name as the race heads to other states.
In the ensuing weeks and months ahead, there will be a blitz of primaries starting with New Hampshire, the first in the nation primary slated for next Tuesday, January 8th. The polls coming out of the Granite State will fluctuate in the coming days as the results from Iowa will no doubt help paint New Hampshire's Primary picture.
The Democratic polls out of New Hampshire show Senator Obama and Senator Clinton neck and neck.
Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain of Arizona are the leading G-O-Pcontenders. McCain won the New Hampshire Primary in 2000. Currently, almost 45 percent of the New Hampshire electorate are registered Independents. These voters will have an enormous impact on which candidate wins the opening primary of this campaign season.
Other January primary and caucus dates include:
Nevada Caucuses - January 14
Michigan Primary - January 15
South Carolina Primary - January 26
Florida Primary - January 29
"Tsunami Tuesday" in which 22 states, including Arizona, will hold their Primary election, is scheduled for February 5th.
Stay with The Blaze for continuing coverage on Decision 2008.
last updated on 08.01.03 at 9:26 PM