Something weird happened on the way to New Hampshire. Supposed front-runner Hillary Clinton came in third, behind Barack Obama and John Edwards. Admittedly, the votes received by Clinton and Edwards were very close to identical, but Obama clearly won. It would appear that many Democrats hold the same "electability-of-Hillary" questions that have been expressed in this column. If she loses in New Hampshire her future in supra-Senatorial politics will be in serious question.
On the Republican side Huckabee won, beating Mitt Romney handily. Sure, it was evangelicals who put him over the top and there aren´t many of them in NH but.... I listened to Huckabee´s victory speech to his supporters in Iowa and it was the first time I´d paid him any attention. He is a good speaker, he does "genuine" very well indeed. Thompson and McCain essentially tied for third, and will both soldier on for awhile.
Check out Peggy Noonan´s take on the Iowa happenings. As usual, she is very perceptive on matters political.
