who do you think will win this compatition, is there story:
Des Moines, Iowa – Capping the longest and costliest prelude ever to an election for president, Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday won the opening round in the battle for their parties’ presidential nominations, dealing sharp blows to Republican Mitt Romney and Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.
In the Republican race, Huckabee’s victory punctuated the biggest surprise of the fall and winter: his rise, fueled by the support of evangelical Christians, from national obscurity to serious contention in a deeply fragmented GOP race. He won in Iowa while being dramatically outspent by Romney.
For the Democrats, the victory gives Obama the early upper hand against Clinton, the onetime consensus front-runner nationally whose campaign has long seen Iowa as a danger post on the road to the White House.
It also raises questions about Edwards’ long-term ability to compete with the superior resources and star power of his two top rivals. In the competition between Edwards and Obama to be the chief alternative to Clinton, Edwards suffered a sharp setback in a state where he was heavily outspent but had a political head start, thanks to his strong campaign four years ago.
Boosted by a turnout that far outstripped past caucuses, Obama won the Democratic race with 37.6%, followed by Edwards with 29.8% and Clinton with 29.5%
Among the Republicans, Huckabee won with 34%, followed by Romney at 25%, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson at 13%, Arizona Sen. John McCain at 13%, Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 10%, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 3% and California Rep. Duncan Hunter at 0%.
In Obama and Huckabee, Iowa endorsed two very different politicians, a liberal African-American senator from Illinois, and a populist former governor of Arkansas and one-time Baptist preacher.
But both could claim to be fresh faces. And both tried to strike a hopeful, nonpartisan chord in the electorate. Each one made a point of decrying the stale battle lines and party divisions of the past, and each paid lip service to the idea of more civil politics.
the next vote in 4 days More<<
