Iowa Caucus 2008

Many Americans seem to think that Caucuses are fleeting and don't really mean all that much in the end of the Presidential race. Since it's inception in 1972, the Iowa Caucus has been crucial in identifying which candidate will likely win the nomination from their respective party.

Widely viewed as the first step in the nomination process, tonight's caucus could potentially determine who is *leading* in the race.

Coverage of today's events has been so far quite informative, the final Zogby poll came in within the last few hours and of the Democratic candidates, it looks like pretty close to a 3 way split, with Senator Barack Obama taking the lead by almost 2 points over Senator Hillary Clinton. John Edwards is trailing the threesome, but not by much.

Republican Candidates are running a close race as well, with Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney practically tied with John McCain coming in second. Today White House press secretary Dana Perino said that President Bush will not be waiting for the results to come in, as he goes to bed early. Also, she declined to comment on who President Bush would call his *favorite* of the candidates.

As reporters, pundits, and staffers are engaged in a frenzied hunt for new information and rumors, many are also pointing out that the caucus excludes many voters, and due to the fact that caucus ballots are not secret, many voters will be swayed to show support for a candidate they may not actually support.

The poll predictions are changing by the second, I've personally seen three different *predicted outcomes* in the last hour alone.

Concern over whether Iowa voters will come out in droves for hours of political talk has prompted some rather interesting offers from candidate camps, ranging from free babysitting to free snow shovels for those who might have to stay home due to inclement Iowa winter weather.