Christmas Is Over, So Campaigning Resumes

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 26, 2007 — -- With Christmas over, rushing back to Iowa today are six of the eight candidates who have a plausible path to the White House — Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Fred Thompson.

In the modern era, a race this wide open is unprecedented. And with just eight days to go before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, now it's crunch time.

For the Democrats, it's largely a three-way fight among Clinton, Obama and Edwards.

Her "inevitability" on the line, Clinton launched a "Bring a Buddy to Caucus" campaign in an effort to get first-time women caucus-goers through the wintery weather on caucus night.

"We have hundreds and hundreds of women in the 90s who want to caucus for me," Clinton said this month in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Obama needs to turn those cheers at his rally to votes at the caucuses and is looking to a different generation to put him over the top: college students.

He appealed to college students who live out of state but attend school here to vote, telling Iowa State University students at a Dec. 2 rally in Ames. "If you're an Iowa student, you can be an Iowa caucus-goer, and I want you to prove them wrong when they say you're not going to show up."

It's do-or-die for Edwards in Iowa. Four years ago he came in second here. He needs to hold onto his old voters and add to that total, especially in farm country.

Edwards isn't taking his old supporters for granted.

"You know I learned a valuable lesson a few years ago. A lady comes up to me after an election and she said, 'You know Edwards, I would have voted for you, but you never asked me.' I'll never make that mistake again," he told town hall attendees Dec. 14 in Elkader, Iowa.

Among Republicans, former Gov. Mitt Romney and Huckabee have the most at stake here. Romney's early lead has slipped as Huckabee's surprise surge among the state's conservatives has launched him into the role of Iowa's front-runner.

Romney has banked on early victories, creating a wave of momentum, has spent millions in the state and brags about his Iowa organization.

"The number of precinct captains and county chairs is second to none," he recently told reporters in Storm Lake.

He has bolstered that organization with more than $16 million in TV ads, many of them attacks on Huckabee.

Huckabee needs to hold onto that lead under assault from such attacks. His evangelical supporters need to rally because a loss here for the man once thought a long shot could return him to second-tier status.

One possible beneficiary of the Romney-Huckabee brawl could be Thompson who could then re-emerge as the strongest Southern candidate.

A third-place finish in Iowa could be like plasma for his struggling campaign.

"The future looks bright and a lot of people are watching now," Thompson told supporters just before the Christmas break. "A great number of people are undecided if those polls are to be believed."

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and McCain have banked it all on later states; McCain in New Hampshire on Jan. 8, and Giuliani in Florida at the end of the month and again on Feb. 5's Super Duper Tuesday when more than 20 states vote.

Giuliani's strategy of de-emphasizing early states would be unprecedented if it succeeds. But then, if there's any election where such a scheme might work, it could be this one.