I believe Willard Romney is finished.

What a relief.

Is stand and applaud.

The most astounding thing to me about this caucus? That the exit poll from voters who voted for Huckabee and Obama listed as their primary issue: change of direction for the country.

Expect to hear that word(change) a lot for the next year. Were I a mahoot at the RNC, I'd be very unhappy.

but until the structure of the federal system is changed, policy remains the captive of the corporations, civil rights the step-child of abusive parents.

enjoy the sweet words while you may, the substance is not likely to be nourishing.

Honestly, it gave me goosebumps. When I think on the power of a great orator, it makes me believe strongly that Obama behind the bully pulpet could be a power that could change America, and in doing so, change the world.

Whether it's oblama or huckabee, I just think it's neat that we live in such modern times with hope and iPods and Hummers and, heck, even the surge is working. Whatever "working" means. Hope hope hope.

I'm ready to believe again, believe in....believing.

Neat.

The surge is not working. There's a fine line between hope and delirium.

My eyes do defy my mind as I watch Tim Grieve and others lap up the Obama rhetoric.

I can't figure out what is more ironic, Obama supporters accusing Clinton for triangulating to the center and being divisive at the same time, or them gushing over how he can triangulate the best and appeal to republicans and independents.

Frankly, the inconsistency of our liberal disease is causing my stomach to sour: we stomp our feet at the likes of Pelosi/Reid for appeasing republicans, then we opine and give our gushiest and most heartfelt support to the Democratic candidate that appeases, and pleases, republicans and independents who voted for Bush: Obama

Ahhhh, us poor Dems.

I don't know about you, but I thought progressives and liberals were pissed! Pissed at being pushed around! Tired of republicans always getting their way! Angry that they screwed up this country so bad and they are getting away with it.

And these stupid independents and republicans, who voted for Bush...should they not get a slap on cheek for being stupid twice, but also, because they were so wrong so badly?

But now we have hope because Obama said we can hope again? I was only hoping that republicans would finally get a taste of their own medicine and have to sit in a corner in "time out" while the rest of us got to set things right.

But somehow, they've got a place at the table again because Obama gave us hope.

I don't want that patronizing message. Let's get some shit done, and done right. I don't want Obama if he's offering a more palatable choice to the sorry lot of republican candidates for independents and republicans. My red flags go off at that.

Oh sure, I'm supposed to be glad Obama appeals to them? Nope, something tells me their spidey sense is way off-kilter, if they are not liberal or progressives after 8 years of Bush.

Unfortunately, I need details and evidence to do so. Obama is a great speaker - what with the belly fire and all; unfortunately all he seems to be talking about is change and hope and reaching out. In other words, a lot of stuff that sounds good but doesn't really mean anything when you look past the totally awesome delivery.

I am glad that Edwards made a good showing, since at least with Edwards I have some idea what he is talking about actually doing if elected.

Personally, I will take angry over hopeful these days, since personally, I am pretty pissed off.

Mr. Grieve, your's is perhaps the most measured assessment of the "Iowa Shindig" that we have heard all evening. Thank you for holding on to some sort of normal perspective on things.

I believe I have finally discovered what makes Gov. Huckabee so great, and Sen. Obama likewise. Both are proponents of the politics of hope and courage, or so we are told. They are also adherents of a philosophy of change, which is just the thing the doctor ordered. God, the rousing speeches - we almost stood to attention, so powerfully were we reminded of all the inspirational/aspirational speakers throughout history!

But can someone please remind us of either candidates' record through now? What exactly has the good Gov. Huckabee done in his entire political career, which eclipses the records of his competitors? What has Sen. Obama done thus far, as a State legislator and then as a US Senator, except for being an awesome orator (which doesn’t feed the hungry, unfortunately), which the others in the Democratic Party do not measure up to? Nothing.

It was considered insulting when Sen. Biden described Mr. Obama as "clean", "articulate" etc. Even after the Senator's victory speech, powerfully reminiscent of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., William Bennett, as Republican a partisan as there ever was, announced, that Obama had won without invoking the "race card" even once! In addition to Mr. Bennett, Chris Mathews had an epiphany - he declared that he would now loudly say that America’s awfully racist history is finally over, because an African American had won the primary from "lily-white Iowa". We don't know about the Iowans, but I'd take umbrage to the description if it were used in my context - perhaps, that is why they voted him in - Sen. Edwards, the angry populist, is daunting at any time; Ms. Clinton is the female devil, hence she is as fearsome as she is “unelectable” - the only alternative therefore, is the "clean and articulate" Sen. Obama.

Listen to the Senator's Victory speech - he begins by saying, "They said that this day would never come. They said that we had set our sights too high" etc. Who the hell said this? Isn't America the country where hard work makes all dreams come true? Isn't that the reason all the world's immigrants decide at birth literally, it’s going to be "America or bust"? So, who said that he could not achieve his goals? He means "the Man" really, and we buy it because we dare not confront an “African-American” candidate. Where is the honesty in that?

Tim Russert, Chris Mathews, etc. skewered Ms. Clinton on her inadequacies. Yet, these same MSM heavyweights (literal and figurative) failed to ask those questions when Obama graced their shows. Why the disparity? When is Lou Dobbs going to savage Sen. Obama for his "idiotic immigration policy" which is essentially anti-American middle class? When will Mr. Obama have to answer for making the same errors as Hillary Clinton and Co? When will someone ask Gov. Huckabee, how come he has no clue about foreign relations, contemporary history, and knowledge basically? Which journalist will pick up the gauntlet and pin Gov. Huckabee and Sen. Obama down, and ask them, enough with the speeches imbued with hope and hype - what exactly are your plans with regard to healthcare, the war, the rapidly growing fears of recession and what they plan on doing to rehabilitate America’s sagging international image, how much will those plans cost, when will they be completed, and finally, how many Americans will have to undergo torture daily, and still be left out of the purview of their "aspirational goals"; what are the differences between the plans put forward by the other serious candidates and those of the current front-runners, Huckabee and Obama ? When will some serious journalist hold their feet to fire?

The answer is never - because just as Iowa is "lily white" the press corp., liberal or conservative, is lily-livered – therein lies the pity!

As for Ms. Clinton – here is a suggestion – read your press Ma’am, and revise your plans. You do not know everything, and heaven knows, your “people” may be great, but they do not have a firm hold on the current trends. Read the stuff yourself, listen to the radio, anything, but there has got to be a certain amount of interaction between you and your supporters, which will persuade them, that you don’t think of all the Democrats between 17 and 50 “useless wastes of time”, and learn that there are good people on the other side of the aisle, who would happily come to your assistance, if you could only come off your high-horse for a while. Your husband understood that, hence he continues to be beloved, despite his peccadilloes.

Good job, Mr. Grieve.