Iowa voters Still Undecided

[illinoisprogressive]

IOWA VOTERS STILL UNDECIDED ...
I must disagree with my alter ego Ari Melber that the new Des Moines Register poll showing Hillary Clinton leading John Edwards and Barack Obama is totally "worthless."

Yes, the media pays far too much attention to polls, especially in notoriously unreliable places like the Iowa caucuses. But buried inside the Register's write-up of the poll are a few fascinating tidbits.

Most notably, only a third of caucusgoers have made up their minds. Of that group, roughly half favor Clinton. She's locked down the early vote. But two-thirds of voters haven't yet settled on a candidate. Good news for Edwards and Obama: the race is still very much wide open.

Moreover, frontrunner status in Iowa is a dangerous proposition. "The key to success," blogs Register pundit David Yepsen, "is beating the expectations of the political community for how you'll do on caucus night. The poll means political and media people will start expecting Clinton and Romney to win in the state."

Even first place has its peril. "Go to any Clinton or Romney staffer or campaign leader today and tell them: It's great to see you're the frontrunner in Iowa. Watch them wince."


http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=240927

[gateley]

1. That does it. I'm not reading ANY more of this crap. Biden??? Kucinich??? Dodd???

Richardson???? Stranger things have happened. I'm so angry at the dismissal of viable candidates who DO have people supporting them!

Edit for embarrassing spelling.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I hear ya, Gately

At this point I'm already sick of Clinton, Obama and even Edwards, although less so. Give me a second-tier candidate any day -- ANY of them.

[PatSeg]

6. It is the media that is turning this into a three-way race

even though lower tier candidates have pulled up to the first tier in previous primaries. A lower tier candidate could run naked through DC and would probably get pre-empted by Brittany Spears!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. They seem to even be undecided as to when the caucus is!

[illinoisprogressive]

4. I completely agree that only the three get covered. I'm sorry it is wrong.

for the media to ignore them. I wish there was something I could do.

[gateley]

5. It's just so frustrating. And I hope I would be as understanding as you if my

guy was one of the ones getting all the press! :toast:

[PatSeg]

7. And the media loses more and more people to the Internet

because they just won't wake up and give us unbiased coverage! Thank you for understanding.