Edwards ekes out second-place finish

DES MOINES -- Barack Obama, the only African-American in the Senate, scored a decisive victory in Iowa's Democratic caucuses, buoyed by a record-shattering influx of new voters.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose campaign had an air of inevitability because she had more than $100 million in fundraising and a lead in national polls, appeared to finish a close third to John Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee.

"On this January night, in this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do," Obama told a cheering crowd of supporters, who chanted his name.

Edwards told his supporters: "The one thing clear from the results in Iowa tonight is the status quo lost and change won."

Clinton focused on the turnout, calling it "a great night for Democrats" that signaled a big win in the race for the White House this fall. "We have always planned to run a national campaign," she said, vowing to head "on to New Hampshire," where voters go to the polls Tuesday.

Obama's gamble that he would be able to induce young people, independents and even some Republicans to come out in support of his candidacy on a cold winter night appeared to pay off as reports poured in of massive jumps in participation statewide.

Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who remained neutral in the race, said he believed more than 200,000 people attended his party's caucuses. The previous record was 122,000, set in 2004.

At the Edmunds Academy of Fine Arts near downtown, 248 people showed up at the Democratic caucus, compared with 130 in 2004. "There's something there that didn't get them to come out four years ago," said Scott Slaughter, who supported Clinton.

In Clear Lake, a town near Iowa's northern border, the crowds were so great that caucusgoers had to move to a nearby church, said Obama precinct captain Lisa Stokke.

The three top Democrats said their party was the winner in Iowa. "Together we have made the case for change and made it absolutely clear that America needs a new beginning," Clinton said.

Another factor in the Democratic race: secondhand votes. Party rules allow supporters of candidates who are not considered viable to switch candidates. Candidates need about 15% of caucusgoers to be viable. At the Edmunds Academy, for example, Edwards jumped from 38 to 47 votes after a second and third round of reshuffling. Clinton gained only three votes there.

National figures

The three top candidates all entered the race with the advantage of national prominence: Obama is a rising star whose 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention electrified the party faithful. Clinton, a New York senator, is the first presidential spouse ever elected to office in her own right. Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, had already been on a national ticket and finished second in Iowa four years ago.

Because all three have similar positions on major issues — they vow to end the war in Iraq, expand health care coverage, improve education and make it more affordable, and expand the use of alternative fuels — the front-runners expended most of their energy arguing that they have the necessary personal qualities to make a break from President Bush's policies.

Clinton emphasized experience she gained as a New York senator and as a top counselor to her husband, former president Bill Clinton.

Edwards used his work as a trial lawyer representing plaintiffs against big companies as evidence of his ability to fight for the downtrodden.

Obama said his biracial background and relative newcomer status in Washington made him best able to build bridges in a polarized political environment.

Both Clinton and Obama made recruiting new caucusgoers a key strategy. Clinton, the first woman ever to lead the national polls as a presidential candidate, is urging women to "make history" by going to caucus for her.

Obama, at 46 the youngest contender, urged young voters to disprove the "cynics" who "say you won't turn out."

Edwards, mindful of the disappointment four years ago when an army of young supporters for Howard Dean failed to materialize on caucus night, focused on veteran caucusgoers.

Trying for fourth

Jockeying behind the front tier, and trying to stay alive in the race, were two veteran politicians likely to "do better than most people think," Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said.

•Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who finished fourth, served both as Energy secretary and as United Nations ambassador in the Clinton administration. Richardson, who favors 50-mpg automobile fuel-efficiency standards, said his goal was to place in the top three in Iowa.

•Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has emphasized his experience in foreign affairs. On the day of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Biden discussed the situation with reporters after receiving a telephone briefing from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut will drop out of the race after his last-place finish, the Associated Press reported. He had moved with his family to Iowa in October to boost his candidacy.

Two other candidates who have participated in several national presidential debates, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska senator Mike Gravel, have not campaigned actively in Iowa recently. Kucinich had told his supporters that if he did not qualify for a delegate, they should vote for Obama.