Tuesday Roundup: Iowa Happens

We have heard a great many things about polls lately — that Clinton broke 50% nationally, that Huckabee is in third in Iowa, and so on — but the New York Times has an interesting perspective on how Iowans feel about who they aren't voting for.

The poll in which Huckabee finished third asked after how the respondents felt about the candidates they don't like as well as the ones they do. The findings show quite a bit about the frontrunners' opposition:

More than 6 in 10 Democratic caucusgoers said they were not supporting Mrs. Clinton because they saw her as polarizing. More than 7 in 10 Republican caucusgoers said Mr. Romney’s shifts on issues like abortion kept them from supporting him.

I think it is always interesting in a poll where two or three people have percentages in the 20's to see what people that aren't going to vote for them think. When you're winning in the polls but 75% of people are going to vote against you, the top is always a precarious position.

Speaking of frontrunners, the New York Times explores whether Obama will be the guy who finally motivates the youth vote. It is a fair question — if there's one candidate who has positioned himself to be the candidate of excitement and hope and ideals, it is Obama, even if he shares the lease on being the candidate of change with Edwards now. Obama has taken steps to go after those voters specifically, and just like every election cycle, pundits are starting to ponder whether the kids will show up this time. I would love to say that the under-30 crowd is ascendant and will totally Rock The Vote (grr!), but I wouldn't count on it. I hope I'm wrong, but each cycle it is the same, and the kids do not show up.

In state news, the plan for returning money to community colleges that was supposed to be finished a week or two ago is still in progress. According to the El Paso Times article, they've put together plans for about $100 million of it, and are working on the remainder. I'm assuming that will get hammered out by the end of the month. Whether the money will be restored in time to prevent problems at community colleges remains to be seen.

More news on SCHIP: do you remember a few weeks ago when the Democratic radio address was given by a 12-year-old boy? Well, that boy's family has been continually harassed since then by right wing bloggers:

But the 12-year-old boy whom Democrats chose as their poster child is now at the center of a firestorm in Washington and beyond. Conservative bloggers who uncovered some details of the family's finances are blasting the family, calling the fact that they rely on federal insurance an example of how the State Children's Health Insurance Program has expanded beyond its original intent.

According to Senate Democratic aides, some bloggers have made repeated phone calls to the home of 12-year-old Graeme Frost, demanding information about his family's private life.

I can't say I'm surprised, but that doesn't make it any less detestable. Speaking of right wing bloggers, USA Today reports that among that constituency Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan are not favored. That is sort of a surprise, since Ron Paul is the internet candidate and everything. I would be interested in some more thorough analysis on that split between Paul and the Republicanetroots.

Lastly today, I'd like to point you to a story over at Politico about GOP retirements in the House. We have written at length here about Republican problems in 2008 and have observed as many Senators have announced their retirement (or, in Larry Craig's case, their unretirement retirement.) A similar stream of retirements is occurring in the House and creating similar problems for the party there. Politico's Ryan Grim asks if his readers would run for re-election if they were House Republicans, and I think I'd have to say no. Many of the job's perks have been reduced and I can't really see how the GOP could end up back in the majority anytime soon, so it doesn't seem very appealing to hang around and take beatings if there's no choice committee assignment to take solace in. The article is an interesting take on the current situation and worth reading.