We’re getting close

It’s been a while since I’ve been here, due to laziness in the holiday season, but here we go. This might not be the longest post, because I’ll probably try to post after the Iowa Caucus results are finalized (and if not then, definitely after NH, but it could be both as well… either way expect a reaction to both events here). It should be interesting to see how everything plays out, though some pieces are falling into place already.

Kucinich is encouraging people who vote for him to make Obama their second choice (due to Caucus rules, if a Democratic candidate gets less than 15%, their votes are redistributed based on what they decide while they are voting or what have you). This will provide a bit of a boost to Obama I suppose, but probably not all that much, unless I’m underestimating Kucinich’s pull in Iowa.

Here’s an interesting article about the consistency of Edwards’s message (with a small mention of how Huckabee and Clinton don’t have that going for them). Speaking of Edwards, he got backing by Nader, so both Edwards and Obama have an added credibility with regards to progressive voters that I don’t believe that Clinton. I still think Edwards plays better in a national election than Obama, due to a variety of factors… Here’s more Edwards (on Iraq troop pullout).

It’s interesting to see that FOX news seems to have issue with Ron Paul being at a pre New Hampshire debate, though if FOX were less biased as a general rule, people might be responding a little differently. I don’t care for Ron Paul, nor do I see him getting the nomination, but he should certainly be invited to a debate before any primary has been decided (though oddly, he was invited to a FOX debate on the 10th of January, which makes little sense, as if his viability would go up after not being able to debate before the nation’s first primary). You would think as long as Tancredo can come, than so can anyone else who cares to (Paul on a recent FOX news poll was 6 points ahead of Thompson and 7 of Tancredo).

Huckabee does something disingenuous. Let’s all take a moment to be surprised. This was really stupid though.

NY Times offers up a surprisingly cutting editorial which is worth a read.

More Edwards. He still has a good shot in Iowa, and I’m still pulling for him, though I don’t know how much things Michelle Obama says are going to have an impact (Elizabeth Edwards herself has certainly made herself a more visible potential first lady). Perhaps the last Edwards article I’ll link today.

Letterman’s move to try and get his writers paid and get back on the air (a move which is working) should allow for his show to come back and perhaps suck a lot less than Leno (though in all fairness that was the situation when they both had writers too). Here’s an article which speaks about the situation much more in depth than I ever could.

Putin is getting a NY Times column. That might be worth checking out just for curiosity’s sake.

Ok, here’s another Edwards link. This one is seriously the last, but it’s really good.

Alright, this one didn’t end up being shorter, really. See you after some voting (and perhaps also after the upcoming debates, though I won’t watch all 3 Republican debates, because 3 in 5 days would be hellish on any level). Time will tell, but I’m curious to see where Dodd and Biden throw their support (if in fact they do) in the Caucus. It’s an exciting time for politics nerds.