The battle for Iowa
Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 9:26 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
States, Democrats
The new Washington Post/ABC poll isn’t the first survey in Iowa to show Obama ahead, but it's the latest. "The results are only marginally different from a Post-ABC poll in late July, but in a state likely to set the tone for the rest of the nominating process, there are significant signs of progress for Obama -- and harbingers of concern for Clinton. The factors that have made Clinton the clear national front-runner -- including her overwhelming leads on the issues of the Iraq war and health care, a widespread sense that she is the Democrats' most electable candidate, and her strong support among women -- do not appear to be translating on the ground in Iowa, where campaigning is already fierce and television ads have been running for months."
More: “Clinton retains a comfortable lead among Iowa voters who consider strength and experience more important. She is supported by 38 percent of Democrats, compared with 19 percent for Edwards, 18 percent for Richardson and 12 percent for Obama, according to the new survey.” But: “She appears more vulnerable on questions of character. Thirty-one percent found Obama to be the most honest and trustworthy, about double the percentage who said the same of Clinton. While about three-quarters credited both Obama and Edwards with speaking their mind on issues, only 50 percent said Clinton is willing enough to say what she really thinks. Forty-five percent said she is not sufficiently candid.
The Des Moines Register talks to local Democrats who are concerned about the increased nastiness of the Dem contest. Will Iowa Nice prevail and punish a candidate or two, or do Dems want to see how these candidates take a punch?
Iowa Nice certainly didn’t stop Clinton and Obama from jabbing each other yesterday. Clinton "suggested that her colleague from Illinois was not fit to oversee a U.S. economy where more families are struggling to keep their homes and pay medical bills. She avoided mentioning Obama by name, but her campaign staff later confirmed that she was talking about him when she said: ‘Every day spent learning the ropes is another day of rising costs, mounting deficits, and growing anxiety for our families.’”
“Speaking in Knoxville, Iowa, Clinton added: ‘We need a president who understands the magnitude and complexity of the challenges we face and has the strength and experience to address them from Day One.’”
Obama, who is halfway through his first Senate term, sounded a feisty note when asked to reply at a news conference here later in the morning… ‘I am happy to compare my experience to hers when it comes to the economy," Obama said. ‘My understanding was she wasn't Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration. I don't know exactly what experience she's claiming.’”
The New York Times adds, "After weeks of sparring about foreign policy, health care and leadership vision, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama turned to the economy as a new proxy for their fight over experience."
