Posted on 10/31/2007 10:10:27 AM PDT by seanmerc
What if the current polls in Iowa are the final result?
What if Romney wins in Iowa and then comes in first again in New Hampshire? What if Giuliani stumbles badly in Iowa and finishes fourth? What if Huckabee surges and finishes second in Iowa? What if Fred Thompson makes an unimpressive third-place finish there?
And, on the Democratic side, what if Hillary only narrowly beats Obama in the first caucus state?
With two months to go before the Iowa caucus, everything can change, and probably will, but it is worth speculating on what the impact will be if things don’t change much from now until then.
On the Republican side, a Romney victory in Iowa would virtually guarantee a win in New Hampshire. The two states, in media terms, are practically one. Two-thirds of New Hampshire lives in the southern part of the state that watches Boston television every night. Since Romney served as governor in Massachusetts, he will probably win New Hampshire anyway. A win in Iowa would make it a fait accompli.
Two victories would make Romney the front-runner for the Republican nomination. Coupled with a Giuliani stumble in Iowa, it could totally change the dynamic of the Republican primary. Here’s what might happen:
Rudy could come to be seen as too antagonistic to the Christian right, and moderates might once again turn to McCain as the less inflammatory option, sidetracking the former New York mayor.
Huckabee, coming in a strong second, could take off and become the poor man’s Romney, taking advantage of his greater consistency on social issues, his Christian (read: non-Mormon) beliefs, and his support of the Fair Tax as an alternative to the IRS.
Republicans would likely panic about the idea of a Mormon candidate and worry about his prospects, making Huckabee and either Rudy or McCain viable as alternatives.
Thompson will be forced out, having lost his position as the socially conservative answer to Rudy.
Edwards, who had been leading in Iowa until recently, would probably have to leave the race. That would coalesce the entire ABH vote (Anybody But Hillary) around Obama, giving him a leg up in the national race.
Hillary’s vulnerability, newly revealed in the Iowa vote, could create a sense that she might not be electable given her baggage and lead Democratic voters to look seriously at Obama. The result could be a real slugfest between the two candidates, making a mockery of the idea that her nomination is inevitable.
And the outcome for Democrats?
Hillary probably still wins.
The history of Democratic primaries has always been that challengers emerge and run stronger than anyone believed they would but then fade and the front-runner prevails after all (see Bradley in 2000, Tsongas after New Hampshire and Brown after Connecticut in 1992, Gore after the Southern primaries in 1988, Hart in 1984 and Kennedy in 1980).
And among the Republicans?
Who knows?
The race would be thrown into chaos. Anyone could win.
Romney would have the momentum, but doubts about his ability to win as a Mormon would make his lead unstable. Huckabee would be gaining, but he may not be well enough known to make it. Giuliani could still recover, given his strong national standing, but would be hobbled. And McCain would still have his immigration position hanging over his head, but as Rudy falters, he might pick up the slack.
Then again, Hillary could open up a large lead in Iowa as her juggernaut gets going. And Rudy could, at least, finish a strong second to Romney in Iowa, and perhaps beat him, making it a Giuliani-Romney runoff in the main primaries, which Rudy probably wins. Then the general election match-up would be Hillary vs. Rudy, as we have all anticipated.
But what if?
That comment sucks a??; toes.
Demorats know she is only running as a centerist to win. She will govern as a socialist. That’s how Bill won. When he became pres she made him govern that way.
Again, we’ll have to choose between the lesser of two evils.
Mark my word, it’s going to be Hillary and Romney. At this point, the Mormon issue is a non-issue for most Americans, Christians included.
No. I do not believe Rudy will be nominated.
Democrats are "control" freaks and sheeple. They just want to be "winners" and they will walk in lock-step behind anybody they think will "win". If Hitler came back and they thought he would win, Adolph would be the nominee. Like her, the only scrupples they have they stole from someone else. She's the perfect candidate for them.
She is his bread and butter. He’s hopeless.
Giuliani just needs to win California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida and he’ll pretty much have the nomination wrapped up. And my understanding is that he’s leading in all those states by quite a bit.
Big bump! The Republican Party will no longer be recognizable if Rudy wins the election.
The only such doubts I've heard are those raised by folks like Morris. I have doubts about Romney, but it has nothing to do with his being a Mormon.
That sounds like the Rudy ("control freak") and his supporters ("just win, baby!").
What kind of drugs does Morris take?
Morris apparently had a headache this morning and couldn’t think of anything to write.
Morris is calculating his own prospects.
He will not get a job with a Pres Romney-—so he discounts Mitt’s chances.
That makes Mitt even more attractive to conservatives.
What is his beef with Fred Thompson? He has been on his case even before his candidacy was announced. Fred must be too conservative for him. I’m a Fredhead, but I’d like to see Fred get it if for no other reason but to make Morris angry. It will be interesting to see how he reacts if it’s a Thompson-Hillary race.
Morris is good when parsing or skewering the Clintons. His record on predictions hovers around -250%, however.
My doubts regarding Romney have to do with his propensity to look to bigger government in things like health care and mandates on employers regarding health insurance. Nothing to do with his being Mormon ... except as I learn more about Mormonism, I see Big Church. A guy who was born and raised on Big Church is certainly going to have an affinity for Big Government. So in that regard, I guess I have to say that indirectly, my objections to him do have to do with his being Mormon.
Dick Morris is wishing and hoping for candidates he can pick apart during the campaign. He has no clue on what is likely to happen.
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