Iowa Hangover

It's the day after the Iowa caucuses, and the incredible scene of a populist, change-driven, suddenly viable black man winning handily in a state that is 91% white and tends towards conservatism still hasn't proven to be a mirage.

Astonishment is general on the web - on the right as much as the left and center. Most pundits (again on both the right and the left) are already putting this up there with the 'do you remember where you were' moments in the history of politics. We'll see. On to New Hampshire, where independents should put Obama and McCain over the top. As Obama's campaign manager put it - it's hard not to be optimistic. But again - we'll see. After all, things are not tending towards normal so far this primary season.

The web-based punditry gave itself whiplash today trying to decide what's going to happen next. Is Obama's magical, schwerve-like oratory going to carry him on to victory? Or is he going to turn into a pumpkin in N. H. or S. C.? Can HRC get her air of inevitability (or even her footing) back? Can Edwards turn an Iowa second into a N. H.... anything? Can the Repubs get any kind of press? The pundits don't really know; they only think that they do (like me).

Well, I hope that voters in the United States can see fit to get Obama to the White House. Even if he's a disaster - though I find it hard to imagine a “Don't Blame Me - I Voted For Huckabee” bumper sticker - we'll all be able to say we went for a desperately needed wholesale change, in both domestic and foreign policy spheres. (Awkward and interruptive aside - If he does get the presidency, it'd be nice if we had a democratic Congress for more than two years to avoid the political gridlock of the last... eternity. Hell, while I'm wishing, I may as well just wish for a bit less partisanship right now.) It might just be the birth of a whole new era of politics.

One more time - we'll see.