Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Primary School

In a matter of days, voters will finally get a say in the 2008 Presidential election, and I can't wait. I have never been so proud to be a Democrat in a year in which we have no fewer that half a dozen candidates who would be excellent presidents (and another who isn't running in Gore), while the Republican Party couldn't have run a more motley crew.

The one thing I've learned since I've started watching such things as a 13 year-old in early 1984 is that you really can't predict (not even the media) how the caucuses will turn out: remember the 1988 Republican contest that finished Dole, Robertson, Bush (which must have been surprising for the then-Vice-President considering that in 1980 he beat Reagan there)? Or how about 2004 for the Dems? Dean and Gephardt, fighting it out for the win, finished 3, 4, leaving the eventual ticket of Kerry/Edwards to finish first and second.

All this leads me to believe that we really have no idea what will happen in Iowa, and not a good idea about New Hampshire either, since an unexpectedly strong showing in the caucuses can lead to unstoppable momentum 5 days later in the Granite State.

That said, it will not surprise me to see the Republican caucuses go Huckabee, Paul. Harder to predict on the Democratic side since the top three seem bunched together, but I do not expect Hillary to finish first.

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