Juan Cole: "McClatchy has a new Iowa poll out, taken Dec. 26-28. It shows that there was no spike among Iowa voters in concern for international affairs or terrorism in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. The poll shows that Mitt Romney has a significant lead, 27% to 23% for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, whose momentum has slowed, and that Huckabee has lost ground even among evangelicals as the spotlight has been put on him. This is a really small poll, of 400 Democrats and 400 Republicans, with a massive plus or minus margin of error, of 5%. So I don't think Edwards' one-point lead in this poll means much. But that the race is tight is obvious enough."
Political Wire: "A new American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds the Democratic presidential race tightening and the Republican race deadlocked. Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 31% followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 27% and John Edwards at 21%. The poll has a margin of error of 4 points. In the Republican race, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain remain tied at 30%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 11%, Rudy Giuliani at 9% and Rep. Ron Paul at 7%."
Pollster.com: "Voters in the early primary states are making up their minds, or at least picking a candidate when pollsters call. For all that has been written about how unsettled the races in both parties have been, we are now seeing a clear decline in the rate of "don't know" answers to the vote question. Interestingly, that trend is clear in the earliest primary/caucus states, but only faintly visible if at all for the nation as a whole. This is further evidence that early state voters really do pay more attention and move to a choice sooner than the nation as a whole. Looming election days concentrate the mind apparently."
Politcal Wire: "For the first time all year, Sen. John McCain leads a national Rasmussen tracking poll for the Republican presidential nomination. Nonetheless, his lead of 17% is not statistically significant since his rivals are all within the poll's margin of error. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are just a point behind at 16% and Rudy Giuliani is two points back at 15%. Slightly off the pace, but still within five points of McCain, is Fred Thompson at 12%. In the hypothetical national primary, it's a statistical tie among five candidates."
"2008 pres"
6:20:30 AM 
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