NH Primary

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The Obama-Clinton-Edwards-Richardson straight superfecta looks like a 1/5 shot in the betting as far as the democratic race goes.

The scramble for 3rd between Paul, Huckabee, and Guliani looks like the most lively battle tonight.

Clinton is finally paying the price for her insane strategy of positioning herself to the right of every single candidate in this primary - it's almost as if no one explained to her that she could shift further right after she actually had her party opposition defeated.

I caught enough of a few early debates to come to this conclusion. And was amazed.

It certainly was not as dramatic as Joe Liberman's primary showing four years ago...when he refused to adjust and position himself further left while sharing the same stage with the likes of Kucinich, Carol Mosley-Braun, and Sharpton - thus quickly turning into a fringe candidate getting booed by members of his own party.

She probably could have overcome that tactical blunder if not for John Edwards keeping her feet to the flame - and doing so at his own expense - coming off way angrier than he's ever come off.

Of course, in '04, Dick Gephardt (who won the '88 Iowa primary previously) ran a tough and negative race against Howard Dean (who worked for Gephardt in '88) very much at his own expense. Those two had a seeming stronghold on the top two spots in Iowa until very late - when Kerry and Edwards took advantage of the hostile firefight, and made tremendous gains in the final two days to take the top two spots.

Basically, I think Clinton has put herself on the ropes because of tactical stupidity combined with Edwards taking the sacraficial position of going negative against her.

I think it's probably a lot more that than it is Obama turning it on late - as though all accounts in the press would suggest.

As for the Republicans - Huckabee - the once obese Arkansas Gov. who used to be a frequent Bill Maher guest when I watched him - he is smooth as silk and I didn't find his Iowa "upset" of Romney all that shocking.

I think he's far more a Jimmy Carter type than a bible beating type - and would love nothing more than to see him win the GOP nomination - which is almost an impossibility I would think.

From what I've seen - Romney has done and said everything perfect so far - sucks to be a mormon I guess.

McKean and Guliani are the two serious contenders - I don't like Guliani's strategy...but he really had no other choice.

To me - it looks like we have all the makings of an Obama V McKean match-up.

In a perfect world it would be Kucinich V Paul ...... but what can you do?