Obama!

He's not my guy, but I'm thrilled that he pulled a victory in Iowa. He has run a brilliant campaign, he has inspired a rural white farm state, he has touched, arguably, the thread of decency that runs underneath and through this poor, divided, often angry, reactionary, and racist country. Please God he will toughen up if elected and forget about holding hands with Mitch O'Connell and Dick Cheney.

I'm thrilled that Edwards placed second. I think he's just begun to be heard. Take account of the degree to which the MSM have ignored and condescended to him and his showing in Iowa is remarkable.

I'm sorry that Hillary didn't place second because I want this woman to do well. I'm also glad that she didn't place first. Now she will sharpen her thinking, improve her campaigning, and whatever she achieves will indisputably be due to her personal effort, not because she is Bill Clinton's wife or the beneficiary of the vaunted (and alleged) Clinton "machine."

There's a terrific op ed in the NYT today about Huckabee. I recommend it. The nice thing about his win is that he kicked Mitt's butt. But I don't think Huck has national appeal. We've just had a clod-hopper in the White House. I'm going to enjoy watching the GOP get hoisted on its own evangelical dimwit petard.