Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thepeel]

[Rteacher]

The article goes on to explain that Iowa Democrats want change, and - after a lot of campaigning by the leading candidates - they perceive Obama as clearly representing meaningful change. They also consider him (and Edwards) to be more straightforward than Clinton...

Iowa Democrats are tilting toward change, and Obama appears to be benefiting from it.

Fifty-five percent of those surveyed reported that a "new direction and new ideas" are their top priority, compared with 33 percent who favored "strength and experience." That is a shift from July, when 49 percent sought change and 39 percent experience.

Nationally, Clinton is viewed as a candidate of change, with support from 41 percent of Democrats seeking a new direction in a recent Post-ABC poll. But in Iowa, Obama dominates the "change" vote, winning 43 percent of that group, compared with 25 percent for Edwards and 17 percent for Clinton.

Still, Clinton retains a comfortable lead among Iowa voters who consider strength and experience more important. She is supported by 38 percent of Democrats, compared with 19 percent for Edwards, 18 percent for Richardson and 12 percent for Obama, according to the new survey.

She appears more vulnerable on questions of character. Thirty-one percent found Obama to be the most honest and trustworthy, about double the percentage who said the same of Clinton. While about three-quarters credited both Obama and Edwards with speaking their mind on issues, only 50 percent said Clinton is willing enough to say what she really thinks. Forty-five percent said she is not sufficiently candid.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111900940_pf.html

An ABC news analyst noted that at crunch time, many party members tend to back whoever they think is the most electable (eg: John Kerry the last time...) Nationally, Clinton figures to get strong support among women and those who would still back her husband for the top exec job...

Statistically, the case is commonly made that Hillary has the highest "negatives" among the candidates, but she's still the frontrunner, and she's probably clever enough to win if she really wants it.

Whoever "wins" will inherit all kinds of major crises - so it's gut-check time at some point.

[Pluto]

Obama continues to enjoy an EXTREME amount of popularity in Illinois too. . I remember he beat Alan Keyes by a vote of almost 7 votes to 1. His optimistic attitude seems to inspire much hope for people. It's been said that Iowa voters don�t really like 'dirty and nasty' campaign tricks and would prefer someone talking positively. That would certainly describe Barack Obama.
I really don't know what is happening in Iowa at the moment. You'd have to ask an Iowan. Yata, could you provide some insight to Obama's poll surge?

[Kuros]

My interpretation would be that Obama, as the "change" candidate, is being bolstered by the bear market.

I used to live in NH, so I like to think its a more important bellweather than Iowa.

Clinton is still ahead of Barack there by 10%. But her lead is declining.

I'd like to note that Richardson is doing his best showing in Iowa and NH.

[Czarjorge]

I'm not only an Iowan, I'm in Iowa. I even hang out with Biden's campaign coordinator here. Whoopee.

From what I can tell, at least around here, Obama's staffers are more organized and active than everyone's but Clinton's. Clinton's people are generally older and more established. Edward's has a lot of old white men and women supporting him and working for him. Take from that what you will.

I've been pushing for Obama with everyone I know. Honestly, it's a little bit of white guilt, though Obama is the only one with new and positive on his resume.

The polling is generally misleading, as they don't tell you the sample's source. Some are showing Clinton ahead by a few, some are showing Obama. I take that as a pretty neck and neck fight for now.

For the record, Iowa caucuses. That means you can't just vote for someone. You and a bunch of friends have to get together and vote for a candidate. In the neighborhood I caucus in it will likely require 14 or 15 individual votes to garner a delegate to the county convention. At the county convention they decide delegates for the state convention and so on. So, you need to not only get enough individuals to support your candidate at your polling station, there then needs to be enough people at the county level who support your candidate to qualify for a delegate to the state convention. Caucusing is party politics, but the average Joe has the opportunity to be a delegate for candidate.

The delegates in a primary state are usually chosen by the county party political machine. Then again you can vote for the candidate of your choice in a primary.

That's the real difference. Iowa going first clears the field of candidates. Kucinich won't have enough support in most districts to garner a delegate. The only people who show well in Iowa are Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Biden.

Edwards is a bit of a dark horse though. He showed very well last time in Iowa. However, lots of old school democrats, the good old farmer type, are upset with Edwards. He's coming off as a little smug. And the class warfare stuff is a mixed bag. The poor, at least in this town, don't really vote in a caucus. It's a widely social way of partaking in democracy, and the marginalized are just that by the process. Though talking of sticking it to the rich are the only things that really appeal to me about Edwards. Biden might take the support of those who want some change, but not "black president" type change.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Vicissitude]

Winning Iowa is very important, especially in the primaries! No, it's critical. Do a little research on this an you'll see for yourself.

I think Obama is the best Democratic candidate with a real standing chance. It would be nice to see a minority with a clean background take the lead in Washington. He'd probably do a good job and make the country proud.

I don't like Mrs. Clinton mainly because she is two sided on too many issues. More importantly, she has a tendency to bail out when the heat is on like she did on national health care so many years ago. I'll never see her as good for her word again. I don't have respect for her. Watch her fall flat on her face in Iowa.

[Hater Depot]

Who wouldn't have trounced Alan Keyes.