A new race in Iowa

last updated 8 January 2015

What happened

Barack Obama’s surge in polls ahead of Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucuses—the first vote of the primary season—changed the dynamics of the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Front-runner Hillary Clinton, far ahead in national polls, said she was still the Democrat with the best chance of winning in next year’s general election. (The Boston Globe, free registration)

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Obama’s fortunes have finally changed now that he’s gone on the attack, said Clarence Page in the Chicago Tribune. His newfound confidence helped him jump into a narrow—but statistically insignificant—lead among Iowa Democrats, and the “perception of momentum” will help him attract converts the way his “rock star” status never did. “Perceptions are nine-tenths of reality in politics.”

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