NYT: Iowans Take Their Time in Open Race (For the Inevitability crowd)

[Colobo]

“It’s not over,” Mr. Obama said, pausing for a moment to answer an open-ended question about the state of the campaign. “Presumably if they thought the race was over, they wouldn’t be taking the time to come to a town hall meeting to talk about the presidential race.”

If the chase for the Democratic nomination appears to have reached a stage of inevitability, if Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is becoming a runaway front-runner as national polls might suggest and some of her rivals are beginning to fear, the word has not reached the voters here in Chickasaw County.

It is not that the 200 or so people who turned out to see Mr. Obama on Friday morning are oblivious to such prognostications. As ardent political enthusiasts, many of them obsessively follow them. But the voters here have not necessarily become believers, particularly before they have a chance to size up the competition when it comes to town.

“The one thing about Iowa is that we always have the ability to bring a reality check to the country,” said Randall Rolph, 56, who came with his son to see Mr. Obama, of Illinois, and plans to return Sunday when Mrs. Clinton arrives for a campaign stop.

More at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/us/politics/06iowa.html?ref=us

[bullwinkle428]

1. I live in Iowa City and have to say I see more Obama bumper stickers

than any other single candidate at the moment in and around town...

[SaveElmer]

2. Frankly...

The only people I see talking about inevitability are those opposing Hillary...almost seems to have developed a life of its own...I'm not sure I have ever talked to or heard a Hillary supporter claim her nomination was inevitable...if I have it was not memorable...

I suppose it must feel that way at times to non-supporters given we are getting more evidence daily of her growing support...

[Colobo]

3. Elmer, several pro-Hillary posters over here

post articles that talk about Hillary's "inevitability". They themselves don't say it; they let their posts talk for them, just like those who post crap about Hillary.

I know politics are all about spin and almost nothing about honesty, but we all know how this works.

[illinoisprogressive]

5. I've seen Elmer post inevitability stuff along with some of the biggest spin and

the most nasty of the anti Obama stuff. She is a big reason I decided to fight back hard.

[Colobo]

6. Elmer is a woman?

[SaveElmer]

7. Can you provide a couple examples?

If you are complaining about the media I can understand...but that doesn't mean Hillary supporters view her as inevitable...

[illinoisprogressive]

4. I like this part the best:

This is the part I liked the best aside from the guy who just converted to being a supporter,


"The Obama campaign has studied the collapse of Howard Dean’s Iowa campaign in 2004, when he carried only two counties. At least once every three weeks, the Obama campaign calls supporters, making sure they are still committed."


Obama doesn't have to call to find out if I'm still a supporter. I am firmly in his camp. And so is my husband who think he is the greatest thing to happen to the country in forever.

[murielm99]

8. I think Iowans always behave that way

when they caucus. Many of them take the time to listen to all the candidates and weigh the issues. They behave in an open-minded and intelligent way about what they are hearing. They take their political responsibilities seriously.

I know that quite a few DUers complain that Iowa has too much power. They complain that Iowa is not representative enough of the country as a whole. But they are not uninformed sheeple throwing their votes away on candidates just because they look good or sound Presidential.

I respect the Iowa caucuses. I am glad they are one of the first in the nation.

[Hardrada]

9. Thank you!

from an Iowan.