Wow.  Some firewall.  

Ahem, Iowa, begets New Hampshire wins South Carolina, and the Race plays out just as I foresaw hip hip hooray.

quite a bit of tightening

Last month's results are within the MOE of this poll. Are more poll results expected this week? If they all narrow, I'd agree.

So let's see. What does this all mean?

Iowa ia everything.

This is different how?

This is different because New Hampshire is now clearly within striking distance, and Iowa win would mean far less if Hillary than won New Hampshire.

Not of of reach but much harder. It also supports what I call the engagement theory. Where the race is most engaged, it is closer.If the engagement theory holds, national polling becomes meaningless.  

A lot of polls are showing Clinton's lead in New Hampshire minimizing.  

Iowa is still the key, but if Clinton loses Iowa to Obama, and he gets a boost, he may just take New Hampshire too.  We'll see.  

Something to consider.  Everyone is talking about the debate being what hurt Clinton.  Could it also be that Obama also started putting ads out in New Hampshire a few months ago and they are starting to have an effect?  We'll have to see where this stops.  

I'm glad that Obama/Edwards are finally making a contest of it. It's more exciting that way. The bands are playing. The crowd is on its feet. The teams are fired up, ready to go. Let's play the second half!

BTW, for all the poll junkies out there, some of the internals in that poll are worth looking at: strength of support, second choices of candidates, electability, and so forth.

We cannot nominate Hillary.  She will be an absolute disaster for the progressive movement, just like her husband.  

From the poll results:
http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/NH/NHPZ 0711.htm

64% of likely voters who back Hillary Clinton say they are strongly committed to her.   In contrast, 49% of likely voters who support Barack Obama, and 46% who back John Edwards say they strongly support their candidate.

From the poll:

http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/NH/NHPZ 0711.htm

Regardless of who you support, who has the best chance of defeating the Republican candidate?

Of likely voters:
Clinton: 53%
Obama: 17%
Edwards: 13%

From the poll:
http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/NH/NHPZ 0711.htm

Who is your second choice?

Of Obama supporters:
Clinton: 43%
Edwards: 18%

Of Edwards supporters:
Clinton: 36%
Obama: 20%

Of Clinton supporters:
Obama: 35%
Edwards: 34%

I think Clinton needs to do three things:

1) Take a couple days off, refresh and refocus.

2) I think she nees to get back to foreign polic and thumping Bush.

3) If the emails exist Wolfson needs to find them and get them out there.  She can't let the fleas keep nipping at her ankles.

I am not worried about a downtick in polling, just like with the national polling, there was a downward trend for a few days, and then it picked back up. Its statistical noise

So much for Edward's demise for taking on Hillary's double talk, that some here have been trying to say would happen.

Truthfully, I find this GOOD news.  The way people were talking, I thought it might reveal 5 points or even less ahead.  I was prepared for much worse.

I always try to be truthful, and I tell ya, if she don't stop all these gaffes one after another coming out, she could be in real danger soon- she has got to turn things around- her main asset at the moment is democrats not having confidence in either Obama or Edwards, it could possibly be turning into 'Clinton's bad, but the others are even worse choices' and that's not a great way to win.  God knows I'll take it, though.

One thing i've heard again and again from Hillary Clinton and his supporters is , to stop attacking Hillary and aim your attacks toward the GOP candidates.She's making the same statement through her speech tonight.

The problem with that is , first , challenging Hillary Clinton because of double-talking should not be perceived as attacking.

Second , If the rest of the democratic field stop challenging Hillary on anything , she'll the nomination win hands down because she's extremely well known and is basicly the democratic incumbent with the backing of the entire establishment.
You will never win against such a strong candidate by just ignoring her and aiming your attacks toward people that you're obviously not competing against.Remember , this is a democratic primary , not a general election.Your opponents are democrats , not republicans.

Unless you can differentiate yourself from Hillary by challenging her on her major weaknesses such as honesty , calculation and hawkish Iran and Iraq policies , she will crush you because she has huge advantages that have never been seen before.

Hillary and her supporters understand very well that if her democratic opponents stops challenging her and instead , aims their heat toward the GOP , she will walk to the democratic nomination  so this is why you hear a lot of talk coming from them suggesting the need to play nice and stop attacking or challenging Hillary.

Anyone noticed that the instant Hillary starts getting some heat , her polls starts trending down a bit?

This shows that the only way you beat her is by challenging her , not George Bush.

Democrats already know Hillary so anyone who wants to get their vote will have to tell those voters why they are better then her , period.