Thursday Clips

Thursday Clips

Caucus Watch I: Branstad says Straw Poll: Be There Or Else to GOP candidates and hints at possible pre-caucus endorsement [mrsubliminal]romney![/mrsubliminal] Of coursw we all know WWBVPD (Huckabee again) so that internal Iowa GOP holy war will continue...

Back in caucus season 2007 I had regular updates on Caucus Date Leapfrog, as Michigan and Florida tried to cut in front of us in line. Still watching that, as always: It seems Florida Republicans will not be holding an early primary, but are looking at a late 2011 straw poll instead.

This cycle, like last, Republicans hold the governorship and legislature so they set the primary date. It was the GOP that drove Florida's efforts to go early last cycle, in what proved to be the end of the ball game: Rudy Giuliani bet all his chips on this hand but McCain won and (after skipping that Ames straw poll, Mr. Branstad!) somehow was the last candidate left standing.

On the Democratic side, who can forget Hillary Clinton's jet touching down for the "victory" speech the moment the polls closed and the campaigning ban ended, or Obama's press team releasing their take on the results ("Obama zero delegates, Clinton zero delegates"). Of course the party wimped out in the end and seated the entire delegation with no penalty except a longer cab ride to the hotel.

Less noticed: Florida night was when The Baby Daddy Who Must Not Be Named finally hung it up. It was a week before Super Tuesday, and if you check those California returns you'll se a 10 percent or so (if I remember right) of the early vote going to Edwards. Bet those folks wish they could walk to another corner of the room like us Iowans.

Joe Scarborough is the first significant Republican to seriously bash Palin.

Johnson County Dems regroup tonight for their monthly meeting; 7 PM at school district office.

And I'm still looking for folks to join me tomorrow night at 11 for The Godfather. IMU, 5 bucks, free for students. The Don says be there; you gotta problem wid dat?