Obama Triumphs in Iowa Contest as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Rolls

Mike Huckabee in Des Moines Thursday after winning the Republican Iowa caucuses.


DES MOINES — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a one-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation’s first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night, lifted by what appeared to be a record turnout of voters who rejected the criticism that he did not have enough experience.

Mr. Obama’s victory amounted to a significant setback for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who just months ago appeared to be the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, but has watched her position erode over the past several months. The result also left uncertain the prospects for John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, who had staked his second bid for the White House on winning this state.

Speaking to supporters after declaring victory, Mr. Obama said: “They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned, to come together over a common purpose.”

He continued: “You have done what the cynics said you couldn’t do. You have done what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what america can do in this new year, 2008. We are one nation, we are one people, and the time for change has come.”

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who was barely a blip on the national scene just two months ago, defeated Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, delivering a serious setback to Mr. Romney’s high-spending campaign and putting pressure on Mr. Romney to win in New Hampshire next Tuesday.

With nearly 80 percent of Republican precincts reporting, Mr. Huckabee won with 34 percent of the vote to 25 percent for Mr. Romney and 13 percent each for Mr. Thompson and Mr. McCain.

On the Democratic side, with 97 percent of votes tallied, Mr. Obama had 37.5 percent, Mr. Edwards 29.9 percent and Mrs. Clinton 29.4 percent. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico was a distant fourth, with 2.1 percent of the vote.

Most of the other Democratic efforts were rolled off the map, unable in many districts to gain the 15 percent needed to become viable, including those of Senators Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Mr. Richardson. Both Mr. Biden and Mr. Dodd later dropped out of the race, The Associated Press reported.

Competitive campaigns and compelling candidates in both parties sparked record turnouts, exceeding every previous Iowa caucus and everyone’s expectations.

An estimated 220,000 Democrats showed up at caucus sites, compared to 124,000 in 2004. About 114,000 Republicans turned out. The last contested Republican caucuses in 2000 drew about 88,000. George W. Bush, then the governor of Texas, won.

Among Democrats that produced scenes of overcrowded firehouses and schools and long lines of people waiting to sign in. Mr. Obama’s victory in this overwhelmingly white state stood as a powerful answer to the question of whether America was prepared to vote for a black person for president. At the same time, the apparent surge of independent voters to his side, as suggested by polls of voters entering the caucuses, suggested his potential appeal in a general election.

The result sent waves of apprehension across Mrs. Clinton’s camp, and she turned her attention to New Hampshire. Aides said that former President Bill Clinton would go there immediately and spend the next five days campaigning in a state where he has always been strong.

Senator Clinton, flanked by her husband and Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, congratulated Senator Obama and Mr. Edwards. She said the message of the Iowa electorate was clear: “We are going to have change, and that change is going to be a Democratic president in the White House in 2009.”

She said she was undaunted by her third-place showing in Iowa. She said she had always intended to run a national campaign and she would go forward, beginning in New Hampshire on Friday. “I am so ready for the rest of the campaign and I am so ready to lead.”

Mr. Edwards declared, “The one thing that’s clear with the results in Iowa tonight is the status quo lost and change won.”

On the Republican side, Mr. Romney had blanketed the state with television advertisements and, with a nod to the way campaigns are normally won here, built an extensive get-out-the-vote operation that carted Mr. Romney’s supporters to the polls all day. As polls showed Mr. Huckabee rising, Mr. Romney responded with a month-long barrage of ads attacking him on immigration and taxes.

“Congratulations on the first round to Mike,” Mr. Romney said on FOX News.

Mr. Huckabee’s populist appeal — powered by support from evangelicals — out-muscled a political operation that Mr. Romney spent more than a year building. Polls of Republicans entering the caucus sites found that nearly 60 percent described themselves as evangelical Christians, and by overwhelming numbers they said they intended to vote for Mr. Huckabee.

A survey of Democrats entering the caucus sites found that more than half said they were attending their first caucus — and they divided, with about 40 percent for Mr. Obama and about 30 percent for Mrs. Clinton.

There was also a sharp generational break in support of the two candidates. Mr. Obama was backed by 60 percent of voters under 25 while Mrs. Clinton was supported by about 45 percent of voters over 65.

Among Democrats, nearly half of respondents said that their top factor in choosing a candidate was someone who could bring about change; Mr. Obama won the support of about half that group. Just 20 percent said the right experience, Mrs. Clinton’s key argument, was the main factor; among that group, nearly half chose Mrs. Clinton.

For all the talk about electability, barely one in 10 respondents said it was the main factor in their decision. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Edwards had an edge over Mr. Obama in this area.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/politics/03cnd-campaign.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

“Caucus” de Iowa: Huckabee y Obama ganan; Fuerte derrota de Hillary

El ex gobernador de Arkansas Mike Huckabee se impone claramente en los “caucus” de Iowa por lo que se refiere a los republicanos, según la proyección actual de CNN. Por el lado demócrata hay una gran igualdad completa pero la proyección de CNN indica una victoria de Obama (35%), 2º Edwards (31%) y 3ª Hillary Clinton (30%), que de terminar así sería la gran derrotada.

http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/?p=10804