My Return: The U.S. Presidential Primary Battle

Hello! I'm back and I just thought I would take another crack at this blogging thing. My interest in politics has shifted big-time towards international relations and comparative politics but of course I will still pay attention to the biggest event this year, the United States Presidential Election. The presidential primaries have just started and they are shaping up as one heck of a battle royal.

On the Democratic side, it appears that Senator Barack Obama is gaining a lot of momentum due to his win in the Iowa Caucus. I have to admit, I am supporting Senator Obama for president and so I was very happy to watch him win last Thursday. He won Iowa in convincing fashion and he did it in an amazing manner by pulling in first-time caucus goers, independents, and even some Republicans. I think the fact that Senator Hillary Clinton finished third was very detrimental to her campaign and I think Senator John Edwards staved off elimination by finishing second, albeit by a narrow margin. The New Hampshire Primary is coming very soon, in fact, it's this Tuesday and so the big question is, "Can Senator Obama's momentum carry over with a victory in the Granite State?" I certainly hope so and I hope all of you will be watching with me.

On the Republican side, we have more of a battle royal here. Former Governor Mike Huckabee won Iowa convincingly with great help from his evangelical base in the western part of the state. The final result must have been disappointing for former Governor Mitt Romney, who spent so much money in the state but ended up finishing second. Huckabee's victory is good news for Senator John McCain because since McCain and Romney are running neck-and-neck in the polls in New Hampshire, it diminishes Romney's prospects for victory on Tuesday. Romney did recover somewhat by winning the Republican Wyoming Caucus on Saturday but since hardly any media coverage was given to that event, it remains to be seen if it will have any positive effect for him. And even though Huckabee won Iowa, it is likely he won't get any significant bounce heading into New Hampshire because for some reason the voters in that state doesn't like voting for southerners all that much. So the big question for the Republican battle is, "Can McCain recapture the magic from 2000 and win New Hampshire once again?" And "Can Romney recover by winning New Hampshire, thus grabbing the momentum mantle?" We'll have to wait until Tuesday to find out.