So here’s some quick punditry standing on horseback at a full gallop. Watch me go.
The results out of Iowa are interesting. Living in a democracy is interesting. Living in a rowdy democracy is interesting.
First, take both parties together. The results appear to be largely connected to that intangible thing called likeability. Huckabee comes off as an affable gent, and Obama does the same. This has nothing to do with their proposed policies, and simply means that people like voting for human beings, instead of having to vote for a candibot. Mitt Romney is the uber-ken-doll. And Hillary, as Florence King put it in a memorable phrase, puts on her smile in the morning with lug nuts.
Second, the Democrats have taken an important winnowing step. Obama did not just win, he won decisively. Edwards — whose only robotic feature is his hair — came in with a two-way tie for third with Hillary. Nobody came in second. The logic of Hillary’s whole campaign was the inevitability factor, but that is now blown into the middle of next week. It is not over by any stretch, and the Clinton team knows how to throw an elbow. But they don’t know how to look innocent afterwards. This should be fun to watch.
On the Republican side, Huckabee won this caucus walking away. McCain needed somebody to take Romney out in Iowa, which he couldn’t do, so that he might take his shot at Romney in New Hampshire. Huckabee did that for him. Thompson did well enough to survive until South Carolina, maybe, where he might have a shot at winning one. Ron Paul beat out the national designated front runner Rudy, making it into double digits (as of this writing), and he now looks to be established as a permanent nuisance, both pockets full of cash. The only thing that could make this race more interesting would be a late entry by someone like Toby Keith.