Biden & Dodd

It’s been several days since the Iowa caucuses lead upstart senator Barack Obama to victory. Called a “Senator Killer” by Mitt Romney Mitt-Romney-MBA Sep-07 , Obama won decisive victories against Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. Chris Dodd. Any one of these senators would make an excellent president. Obama? He’s got the passion and the voice, but predicting his actions in office remains a fool’s game.

That is partially why the quick drop out of Biden and Dodd was so painful to Democrats looking for experience this election cycle. Both Biden and Dodd would have easily defeated any Republican nominee and set the country back on the right track. Both Biden and Dodd would have responsibly ended the war in Iraq, supported important social programs, and worked well across the aisle. Both would have been excellent, electable presidents.

So with a touch of sadness I bid them farewell in ‘08, left with rolling the dice on the youngblood (Obama), a previously defeated candidate (Edwards), an uninspiring overweight governor (Richardson), or Republican anathema (Clinton). Whoever said the Democrats were satisfied with their field of candidates should consider taking another poll now that our doyen elders have dropped out.

Don’t get me wrong, voting for any of the Republican candidates would be insane, and any of the Democratic candidates as president would make make George Bush’s presidency look that much more pathetic. The issue is that now we’ve ventured into riskier waters. The failures of the Bush administration have left the White House ripe for Democratic picking. Choosing a moderate, experienced Democrat as the party nominee gave us an enormous chance of taking back the presidency. Any of the Democratic candidates would make an excellent president. And the Democrats are excited about their prospects in ‘08: Too excited it seems to vote for the safe win. And the enthusiasm of the Iowa Democrats just might have been our Achilles heel.

As a final ode to the senators who were shunned by Iowa Democrats and would would have easily won in ‘08, here are their thank-yous to their supporters after the Iowa caucuses.

Hillary Clinton Mad or Sad

The over-analyzing of Sen. Hillary Clinton has begun. While many believed that new front runner Sen. Barack Obama would receive more scrutiny after his decisive win in Iowa, all eyes seem to be on Clinton and how she handles her trailing status.

Perpetually scrutinized, lambasted, and hailed, Clinton has given folks a lot to comment on in the last 24 hours. With an aggressive debate performance and an emotional response to a New Hampshire audience question the following day, the range of her emotions are being exposed in what many consider her do-or-die primary.

Republican New Hampshire Debate

It’s time for the first debate firsts after the Iowa caucuses. The playing field has changed, that candidate field has shrunk, and the campaign is growing in intensity. Here we go!

Debate Firsts

• First to be introduced: former Sen. John McCain
• First to say mention a dining room table: moderator Charlie Gibson
• First question: Will run on or against the Bush foreign policy record: Gibson
• First candidate with an odd halo/nimbus behind him (for real): former Gov. Mike Huckabee
• First to dress like a mortician: Huckabee
• First to say we are in a global war: former Sen. Fred Thompson
• First to wear an American flag lapel pin: Thompson (someone had to do it)
• First to say President Bush made the right decision to preemptive war: former mayor Rudy Giuliani
• First to say he supports the ‘Bush doctrine’: Sen. John McCain (moron)
• First debate to have more than one question about our current president: This one!
• First to sport a baby blue shirt: McCain
• First to give a compliment to another candidate: McCain to Giuliani
• First to address another candidate by their first name: former Gov. Mitt Romney Mitt-Romney-MBA Sep-07 to Rep. Ron Paul
• First to wear a tie that looks like a ‘Magic-Eye’ optical illusion: Romney
• First to say that American foreign policy has absolutely nothing to do with attacks on Americans: Giuliani (has their ever been a candidate with a greater amount of idiocy?)
• First to directly argue with Paul about the causes of Islamic terrorism: Romney
• First to ask Romney “which one” position is he taking:Huckabee
• First and only candidate to make sense when discussing foreign policy: Romney
• First to give a time-out signal: Gibson attempting to shut up Giuliani ranting about how wrong Ron Paul is
• First president to ask a question during the debate: Bush (recorded press conference in which the President was asked what type of candidate he would support for president)
• First to say ‘titanic transcendent’: McCain
• First to quote the constitution: McCain
• First spouse shown at the debate: Mrs. Romney (wearing hot pink no less)
• First to invoke Ronald Reagan: Giuliani (isn’t he always the first one to bring up the former President?)
• First to list the major flaws of each Republican candidate: Gibson (Gibson rocks)
• First to sport a trendy houndstooth jacket: Mrs. Huckabee
• First to cough: Thompson
• First to mention we haven’t declared war since World War II: Paul
• First to declare America should follow the Golden Rule: Paul
• First to say “If we can afford a trillion dollar military war, why can’t we afford health care for our citizens?”: Gibson (Gibson rocks, did I mention that?)

Democratic New Hampsire Debate

The second half of the New Hampshire debate focused on the Democrats. Don’t worry, they had some zingers too. Here we go!

Debate Firsts

• First debate to have the Democrats and Republicans join stage together: This one!
• First to be introduced: former Sen. John Edwards
• First to wear St. Patrick green: Sen. Hillary Clinton
• First to mention Osama Bin Laden: moderator Charlie Gibson
• First to talk with a froggy voice: Sen. Barack Obama
• First to look exhausted: Obama
• First to look like he’s nodding off: former Sen. John Edwards
• First candidate spouse to look like a first lady: Mrs. Edwards
• First to sigh before answering a question: Gov. Bill Richardson
• First candidate to make sense: Edwards
• First candidate to wear an American flag lapel pin: Richardson
• First to say he would ask the Pakistani President to “step aside” for violating the Pakistan constitution: Richardson
• First to wear two necklaces: Sen. Hillary Clinton
• First to rock back and forth in his chair: Richardson
• First to mention human rights: Richardson
• First to bring up Iraq: Obama (someone had to do it)
• First to say the President of the United States needs to project a “calming” effect after a nuclear attack on the United States: Edwards
• First to take notes: Edwards
• First to enter the debate without tightening his tie: Richardson (looks sloppy)
• First to mention the New Hampshire voters: Clinton
• First candidate to use another candidate’s first name: Obama (”Hillary”)
• First real debate of the debate: Clinton & Obama on health care
• First to interrupt Clinton: Obama
• First to interrupt Obama: Clinton
• First to say he appreciates Edwards’ patience: Obama

Obama & the Speech That Started It All

Watching the presidential candidate speeches to their supporters after the results of the Iowa caucuses, Obama’s victory speech stood out, and not just because he won. What stood out was the chant of the audience during his speech. Atop Obama’s rising cadence and powerful statements rose from the audience: “U-S-A!” “U-S-A!” “U-S-A!”.

While the cheers for “Hill-ar-y!” “Hill-ar-y!” from the Clinton camp were strong given her third place showing, of all the presidential hopefuls only Obama inspired his supporters to cheer not only for their candidate, but for the entire country.

And that’s why he won.

Echoing messages from his 2004 keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, Obama spoke of unifying the country and transcending red states and blue states.

Below is Obama’s Iowa victory speech followed by the speech that started the Obama movement, his 2004 DNC keynote address.