Iowa

A few thoughts on the thoughts of others concerning the goings-on in Iowa:

Dick Morris gets my vote for worst overstatement of the evening:

"Obama - by winning in a totally white state [actually 92%] - shows that racism is gone as a factor in American politics."

Peggy Noonan is somewhat accurate (but also mean):

"Hillary Clinton, the inevitable, the avatar of the machine, lost. It's huge. Even though people have been talking about this possibility for six weeks now, it's still huge. She had the money, she had the organization, the party's stars, she had Elvis behind her, and the Clinton name in a base that loved Bill. And she lost. There are always a lot of reasons for a loss, but the Ur reason in this case, the thing it all comes down to? There's something about her that makes you look, watch, think, look again, weigh and say: No. She started out way ahead, met everyone, and lost."

David Brooks perhaps comes closest to summing up my perspective:

"Obama's made Hillary Clinton, with her wonkish, pragmatic approach to politics, seem uninspired. He’s made John Edwards, with his angry cries that 'corporate greed is killing your children’s future,' seem old-fashioned. Edwards’s political career is probably over. Obama is changing the tone of American liberalism, and maybe American politics, too."

"The race will move on to New Hampshire. Mitt Romney is now grievously wounded. Romney represents what’s left of Republicanism 1.0. Huckabee and McCain represent half-formed iterations of Republicanism 2.0. My guess is Republicans will now swing behind McCain in order to stop Mike. Huckabee probably won’t be the nominee, but starting last night in Iowa, an evangelical began the Republican Reformation."

The biggest surprise of the night for me was Fred Thompson (he of the "Sure, I'll run" campaign) coming in third. Not sure where he nor Rudy Guiliani (who's hanging out in Florida) will end up in New Hampshire next week, but at least it will make for an interesting (if arbitrary) angle to follow.

I'm guessing this is the beginning of the end for Ron Paul. RP, we hardly knew ye.

I don't know if I fully grasp the Iowa caucus idea, but I think I like it, especially for the fact that it takes place in the Midwest. It's nice for the nation to forget the coasts every now and then, forcing politicians to grovel and squirm at having to sit down in a local diner to rub shoulders and talk with small town folk about real life rather than rhetoric.

Thoughts from your point of view on the political spectrum?