Out With the Old, In With the New (Huckabee, Obama wins)

WSJ ^ | 1/4/08 | Peggy Noonan

[xtinct]

Obama and Huckabee rise; Mrs. Clinton falls.

And so it begins.

We wanted exciting, we got exciting.

As this is written, late on the night of the caucuses, the outlines of the decisions seem clear: Barack Obama won.

Hillary Clinton, the inevitable, the avatar of the machine, lost.

It's huge. Even though people have been talking about this possibility for six weeks now, it's still huge. She had the money, she had the organization, the party's stars, she had Elvis behind her, and the Clinton name in a base that loved Bill. And she lost. There are always a lot of reasons for a loss, but the Ur reason in this case, the thing it all comes down to? There's something about her that makes you look, watch, think, look again, weigh and say: No.

She started out way ahead, met everyone, and lost.

As for Sen. Obama, his victory is similarly huge. He won the five biggest counties in Iowa, from the center of the state to the South Dakota border. He carried the young in a tidal wave. He outpolled Mrs. Clinton among women.

He did it with a classy campaign, an unruffled manner, and an appeal on the stump that said every day, through the lines: Look at who I am and see me, the change that you desire is right here, move on with me and we will bring it forward together.

[canuck_conservative]

Today it’s official: Hillary is a loser.

[PeteB570]

I saw some stats somewhere.

Was it true that Ron Paul got as many or more Republican votes than all the Democrats combined?

[Cowboy Bob]

As for Sen. Obama, his victory is similarly huge. He won the five biggest counties in Iowa, from the center of the state to the South Dakota border. He carried the young in a tidal wave. He outpolled Mrs. Clinton among women.

The MSM is making a big deal about the record turnout among Democrats. They spin it as being anti-Republican.

I take a different view. I see it as anti-Clinton.

As many Democrats came out to vote against Hillary in 2008 as came out for the entire Democratic caucus in 2004!

Also, the Democrats has a much bigger war-chest in 2008 vs. 2004. More money spend on the "get out the vote," plus heightened MSM interest means bigger turnout.

[paudio]

I believe I read somewhere that the turn out was about 240,000 for both parties, with 114,000 were Republicans.

[Cowboy Bob]

I believe I read somewhere that the turn out was about 240,000 for both parties, with 114,000 were Republicans.

Last night, they were saying that the Democrat turnout would be around 230,000 - about twice that of 2004. The results show 71% (~163,000) voted against Hillary.

I'm not sure of the Republican turnout, but it was about 100,000-125,000.

[Caipirabob]

[LowCountryJoe]

They believe that Mr. Huckabee, the minister who speaks their language, shares, down to the bone, their anxieties, concerns and beliefs. They fear that the other Republican candidates are caught up in a million smaller issues--taxing, spending, the global economy, Sunnis and Shia--and missing the central issue: again, our culture. They are populists who vote Republican, and as I have read their letters, I have felt nothing but respect.

You're much to kind, Ms. Noonan. I have felt nothing but the urge to barf. Limiting government -- rather than using it as a tool to affect change -- is an important aspect to Republicans; or at least it used to be. Populism and an embrace of intrusive government is a recipe for disaster. It's just too bad that populism has become this big of a Factor in the GOP...At least that's my spin in my zone.