Dems eye '2nd choice' supporters in Iowa
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer 49 minutes ago
DES MOINES, Iowa - It's not just in horseshoes that close counts. The same goes for Iowa's presidential caucuses.
The state's complicated rules for winning the Democratic presidential contest mean that being a voter's second choice can sometimes translate into solid support on caucus night. And the crowded race for the 2008 nomination means these second- choice supporters are more important and receiving more attention than ever.
That's because candidates must reach at least 15 percent support in any given precinct to have their supporters counted there. If they don't, those caucus goers are up for grabs by other campaigns in a free-for-all negotiating session where voters often switch sides.
"Have we been targeting those voters and keeping track of them from Day One? Absolutely," said David Barnhart, the Iowa caucus director for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The most valuable Democratic second-choice voters are those who support second-tier candidates Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich. Though those candidates have pockets of support around the state, they all are polling in single digits and aren't expected to reach the minimum 15 percent threshold in many of the state's 1,781 precincts.
Recent polls have the four combined pulling in roughly 15 percent of the voters. That's a significant number that will be available on Jan. 3, especially when Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards are in such a tight three-way race for victory in the state.
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