Many of you who are reading the news will think that Hillary Clinton came in 3rd in the Iowa state caucuses. After all, that’s what everyone is saying, right? So will you be surprised to know that Hillary actually came in second? Well, it’s true.
What doesn’t get reported in the news media is that the election results from Iowa are as follows:
- Obama – 16 delegates
- Clinton – 15 delegates
- Edwards – 14 delegates
Delegates are the votes that count. Think of them as electoral votes. If the popular vote mattered Al Gore would be president. The news media has it wrong. Clinton came in second, Edwards third. And for the most part Iowa was for all practical purposes a 3 way tie. Then there are the Super Delegates which will make Hillary the winner of Iowa.
In the Republican side the real score was:
- Huckabee – 30 delegates
- Romney – 7 delegates
All the other candidates got zero delegates. Here’s some more interesting numbers.
Total Voter Turnout (approximate) 356,000
Percentage of total vote
24.5% Obama
20.5% Edwards
19.8% Clinton
11.4% Huckabee (R)
Huckabee has a huge win among Republicans.But far more people voted in the Democratic caucuses which allowed Independents and Republicans to vote.
So now the flip-flop begins.
First the dems want the popular vote to count for president, but now you want the delegate vote to count.
Pick one or the other and stick to it. Popular or delegate?
#6 – Anyway, I think the big news, that’s being ignored, is that Ron Paul got more votes than Ghouliani and is just behind McCain.
Why is that big news? It just means that Ron Paul is not as big a nutbag as Rudy Giuliani. Ron Paul is just a right wing Ralph Nader and I surely hope that when he loses, he runs in the Primary as an independent. That way he can peel 5 to 10% of the Republicans and we’ll finally escape the Right’s stranglehold on policy.
#19 – Who cares? John Edwards is the only candidate that can carry the general election. The Dems are shooting themselves in the foot.
I can’t fathom why you think that is true. What is the indication you see that he can and no one else can.
The scariest thing about Hillary is that she absolutely can carry the general election. Obama just proved he can mobilize first time voters and now he’ll gain more steam.
Sadly, Richardson, Dodd and Biden, the three guys who might actually be qualified out of every candidate on both sides, are toast.
Of course Clinton or Obama can carry the general because America chooses Presidents like it chooses American Idol winners.
#20 – I’m beginning to detect a patten.
Me too. It’s the troll pattern.
#21 – Without inequalities, there can be no freedom. Those who work harder/better deserve the fruits of their labors.
True… So I should make more than my boss.
#22 – I’ve often noticed that when liberals are called on or can’t justify their position they immediately begin name-calling.
Of course you’ve noticed that… It benefits your conservative viewpoint to notice that. It isn’t true, but you’ll be predisposed to notice it anyway.
#28 – Hillary will win in the end. Just hearing Rush Limbaugh gloat will get the Dems voting for her. Then there is also the robofeminism vote.
I hope you are wrong. The very second Hillary wins, the right will flip the switch that activates their secret army of lawyers, pundits, letter writers, lobbyists, prosecutors, and about 5000 guys with motorcycles whose only job is to deliver subpoenas. It will be wall to wall hearings and investigations over old dead issues and whatever fake new issues they can dream up.
What the hell was wrong with you people! You had Biden and Richardson. Qualified smart guys! Experience! Proven leadership!
The big story here is that we have moved beyond race and gender. And this from a reformed republican. Not that I have changed, the party has changed and not for the better.
I think the best message we could send to the world would be to elect Obama. Just a start in un-doing the huge damage Bush and Cheney have done.
#38
If you want to send a message to the rest of the world, send a postcard. You don’t do it my electing an unknown with unknown policies into the most powerful position in the world.
Our public school system has a lot to answer for.
#36 – Yes, I agree you should make more than your boss.
#38 – what damage might that be?
Taxes are way too high, is Obama going to fix that?
There’s a trend toward smaller cars, is Obama going to fix that?
Mass transit is getting funding over roads and bridges, is Obama going to fix that?
There’s far too much money going into public education, is Obama going to fix that?
There’s a push toward socialized medicine, is Obama going to fix that?
There are people who want to give illegal aliens amnesty, is Obama going to fix that?
The only thing Obama has going for him is he’s not Hillary. Better to see all of us killed horribly than her in office.
What’s this “unknown policies” crap I keep hearing from right-wing people?
It’s FUD! Have you ever listened to the man speak? He’s EXTREMELY specific. Example: Troops out of Iraq within 16 months of him taking office. Why that long? Because to do so faster would be both irresponsible and dangerous.
He said both those things, at the same time, in just a few moments of his speech a few months ago in San Francisco.
Also – who gives a flying fuck if he’s an unknown? What does that even mean? We’ve known about him for at least 4 years, where he took the DNC by storm. That’s pretty well known really.
Seriously, are these your only points against Obama PJ? because if so you seem woefully uninformed about him, his policies, or in fact the political state of the USA.
I mean I’m not even allowed to vote this time around (I’m an immigrant from the UK), but even I know what your saying is flawed, or just wrong…
#42 – He took the DNC by storm because he’s the best public speaker in a long time. He gives an excellent speech. As to the content….
@iGlobalWarmer – Well the quality of content is up to your own opinion. There’s no need to talk about it here right now, as its not relevant to the point I was making.
The point is that the world stage has known about him for a while now. So the “unknown” tag is pure FUD. That’s my point.
I’d never say someone has to agree with him, or support him, but to write blatantly false statements like that is just bad form.
#42
The only positions Obama has mentioned is the one you quoted and the need for change. “Change” is a vague concept at best and one that requires a little more information. The fact he is unwilling to be more specific should raise the suspicions of everyone.
#43 – By being your boss he’s automatically smarter than you
In this case, he is the beneficiary of nepotism… Not unlike many people with power.
#48 – But I say you should still make more than him.
#25 – 22 replies and no one got it right.
According to the guy who is always wrong…
#49 – Maybe I should work for you then 🙂
WOw, neet…
Democrats and republicans vote and the OTHER 2/3’s didnt get any.
1. HOW many voted?
2. How many LIVe in that state.
3. how many are LEGAL residents, and NOT from some OTHER state with ONLY rental property IN THAT state(which gives you the right to vote)
So you are saying that Obama did not study at a madrassa, and that he does place his hand over his heart for the pledge?
#25 – I’m a republican (duh), and agree with James Hill… Obama/Huckabee I’d vote for Obama.
#35 – OhForTheLoveOf, agree with everything you’ve said there.
I’d like Edwards, Huckabee, and Romney to leave the race. I can live with the remaining runners.
Biden could have given the Democratic Party the respectability it so badly needs.
Oh, and the Iowa Delegate vote doesn’t mean anything yet.
Once the Democratic Convention comes, votes from candidates that have dropped out will be redistributed to remaining runners via some politicking (such as if Edwards drops out).
I really hope Hukabee does not become the president. I can’t think of a worse move for the USA.
“The only positions Obama has mentioned is the one you quoted and the need for change.”
Wrong again. He’s been very specific about the changes he wants to see in Washington, and to the political process. Specificly he’s said things about lobyists, stupid tacked on bills to bills (I forget the term for it), and many many other items that I frankly can’t be arsed to list here. Hell, the speech I saw him give in SF contained a lot of specific points and promises – it’s what impressed me about him. Again, listening to him will help you here.
“The fact he is unwilling to be more specific should raise the suspicions of everyone.”
Except he is willing, so… what’s your point?
moving on to Lee…
“So you are saying that Obama did not study at a madrassa”
He didn’t. it’s a false claim that even Fox News said they shouldn’t have reported because it was wrong. CNN crowed about it for DAYS, how did you miss that?
“and that he does place his hand over his heart for the pledge?”
Well he didn’t for one photo, but there are photos of that event with Clinton failing to do it too, and the same can be said of Rudy. Also – there are many photos of him where he DOES have his hand over his heart.
So again.. FUD. Jesus people, pay attention and at least argue with facts! I don’t mind discussion and differences of opinion, but stupidity or credulity is just sad…
@iGlobalWarmer – I just have to ask you about some of your points earlier:
“There’s a trend toward smaller cars, is Obama going to fix that?”
What about that needs fixing? Unless by smaller you mean “less people” smaller cars tend to be more fuel efficient, and less of a material drain on the planet. Sounds pretty good all round really.
“There’s far too much money going into public education, is Obama going to fix that?”
US education is.. well… crap. Also it’s generally under-funded, so.. what the hell?? Do you want the US to just be full of people that don’t know basic algebra?
“There’s a push toward socialized medicine, is Obama going to fix that?”
Yes, he supports it. It’s not a bad thing. I come from the “universal health care” of the craptastic NHS… and now that I live in the US I see firsthand the pros and cons of it. The cons far outway the pro’s of the US’s current system.
Mostly you seem to be coming from the whole “this is my money, I earned it, I should keep it” position. It sort of makes sense, and I understand the reasons for it. However it’s a two way street – as long as you never use roads, public transport, or anything that has government subsidy (so.. you’d be eating rice and beans basically, and your house would be powered by wind or something), call on any of the emergency services, or ever use anything that was produced in the US or is a byproduct of the oil industry… then that position makes perfect sense.
Otherwise… there is a balance to be made between the benefits government can bring to your life, and the lives of others, and your own personal wealth.
#57 – It does not matter if iGW never uses the services that taxes pay for.
If you participate in the US economy, you benefit from the taxes that paid for the build up the physical, legal, educational, and economical infrastructure.
I think that Warren Buffet has said he doesn’t mind paying taxes because his money was earned because of the tax-build environment of the US.
Now Buffet only paid 17.7% tax on his $46 million of taxable income in 2006, much less than I paid as a percentage of income. But that’s the system we had then.
If Huckabee were in power in 2007, and had implemented his tax plans in 2007, I would have paid only 10% of the federal taxes that I paid in 2007. Huckabee is a disaster in the making.
Strange discussion about race with missing the most obvious thing about race in this country. The color of America is changing. A viable African American candidate will mobilize minorities like nothing else and quite frankly very few people who would not vote for him because he is black probably would vote Republican any way. If you don’t think he can win look at this.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html
Obama ’08 all the way!!
@Dorksters – that was my point, the entire penultimate paragraph actually.
It’s almost impossible to avoid using services that the government has contributed to. Down to the very food people eat!
You could do it with VERY careful shopping (though getting to the shops would provide a problem), but you’d have to live like a survival nut, and barely step foot off your property.
#56
Yes, you claim Obama was very specific about his positions but fail to remember what they were. How convenient and definitely someone “you” should vote for since you were so impressed by his… whatever.
Have you wondered how many voters were republicans voting in the democratic caucus for the most unelectable candidate.
#62 exactly! Republicans want to run against an inexperienced black guy. And Obama winning in Iowa doesn’t mean that middle America is ready for a black candidate. I means that Iowa liberal democrats are ready for a black candidate. People who go to caucuses are political activists, not normal voters.
#62 and #63 the polls show Obama doing better in head to head elections with all of the Republic Candidates than Hillary!
Take in information about something before you comment on it.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html
Obama ’08 change, a person, and a plan we can believe in!!!
Huckabee is the fanatical rightwing protestant christian jesus death cult favorite. Guliani and Romney didn’t pan out, and Ron Paul’s antiwar stance doesn’t sit well with the Modern Christian Crusader who want to ‘get their war on’.
Amazing, since Huckabee has been flat broke during his entire campaign run so far. Apparently they will vote for him, but don’t want to give him any cash.