This is exactly what I thought to myself when I saw the Iowa Caucus results:
So much for Democrats jumping blindly off a cliff. The main message Iowa caucus-goers sent on Monday is that, while they may be angry with President Bush, they think the best revenge isn’t to snarl and stomp but to defeat him in November.
Democrats took a bold leap for the conventional, lifting a pair of well-known Senators, John Kerry and John Edwards, to the front of the Presidential pack. Both candidates were helped enormously because the two earlier Iowa front-runners, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt, decided to attack one another in ads and speeches while the Senators dodged media and opponent scrutiny.
But it also helped that Iowa Democrats seemed to be in an Al Davis mood: Just win, baby. According to the “entrance polls” (this being a caucus, not a primary), 26% of voters said the most important quality they were seeking was the ability to beat Mr. Bush. Senators Kerry and Edwards combined to win two-thirds of those voters.
We shall see.
Steve
I think too many people are reading too much into the result. Voting strategies like the Iowa caucuses are somewhat unpredictable given the mehtod of the vote. The method is very similar to the Borda count where the results can dramatically change when candidates are eliminated.