vronnie
01-04-2008, 03:03 PM
DES MOINES, Iowa - Sen. Barack Obama, bidding to be the first black president in American history, won the Iowa caucuses Thursday night, pushing Sen. Hillary Clinton back to third place in the opening test of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to victory over Mitt Romney.
Obama, 46, told a raucous victory rally his triumph showed that in "big cities and small towns, you came together to say, 'We are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.'"
Final Democratic returns showed the first-term lawmaker gaining 38 percent support. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina gained second, barely edging out Clinton, the former first lady.
Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware dropped out of the Democratic race after poor showings, and Mike Gravel was expected to drop out as well. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finished well back.
With the New Hampshire primary only five days distant, Clinton and Edwards vowed to fight on in the race for the Democratic nomination.
"We have always planned to run a national campaign," the former first lady told supporters at a noisy rally attended by her husband and their daughter, Chelsea. "I am so ready for the rest of this campaign, and I am so ready to lead."
Edwards, the Democrats' 2004 vice presidential nominee, told The Associated Press in an interview he would distinguish himself from Obama in New Hampshire by arguing that he is the candidate who can deliver the change that voters have shown they want.
"I'm going to fight for that change," he said by telephone from his hotel room in Iowa. "I've fought for it my entire life."
Huckabee outspent in Iowa
Huckabee, a preacher turned politician, handily defeated Romney despite being outspent by millions of dollars and deciding in the campaign's final days to scrap television commercials that would have assailed the former Massachusetts governor.
He stressed his religion to the extent of airing a commercial that described himself as a "Christian leader" in his race against a man seeking to become the first Mormon president.
fact file Campaign at a glance
Details on the race for the presidential nominations as results are in from the Iowa caucuses.
• Obama, Huckabee revel in caucus victories
• Clinton brushes aside third-place finish
• Edwards: Caucuses show voters want change
• Romney stumbles despite heavy spending
• Giuliani sticks to Florida strategy
• Next stop
Obama, Huckabee revel in caucus victories
Sen. Barack Obama, bidding to become the nation’s first black president, swept to victory in the Iowa caucuses Thursday night over Hillary Clinton and a high-powered Democratic field. Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to win the opening round among Republicans in the 2008 campaign for the White House.
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina appeared headed for second place, relegating Clinton, the former first lady, to a close third.
Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware abandoned their bids for the Democratic nomination.
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to victory over Mitt Romney.
Obama, 46, told a raucous victory rally his triumph showed that in "big cities and small towns, you came together to say, 'We are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.'"
Final Democratic returns showed the first-term lawmaker gaining 38 percent support. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina gained second, barely edging out Clinton, the former first lady.
Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware dropped out of the Democratic race after poor showings, and Mike Gravel was expected to drop out as well. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson finished well back.
With the New Hampshire primary only five days distant, Clinton and Edwards vowed to fight on in the race for the Democratic nomination.
"We have always planned to run a national campaign," the former first lady told supporters at a noisy rally attended by her husband and their daughter, Chelsea. "I am so ready for the rest of this campaign, and I am so ready to lead."
Edwards, the Democrats' 2004 vice presidential nominee, told The Associated Press in an interview he would distinguish himself from Obama in New Hampshire by arguing that he is the candidate who can deliver the change that voters have shown they want.
"I'm going to fight for that change," he said by telephone from his hotel room in Iowa. "I've fought for it my entire life."
Huckabee outspent in Iowa
Huckabee, a preacher turned politician, handily defeated Romney despite being outspent by millions of dollars and deciding in the campaign's final days to scrap television commercials that would have assailed the former Massachusetts governor.
He stressed his religion to the extent of airing a commercial that described himself as a "Christian leader" in his race against a man seeking to become the first Mormon president.
fact file Campaign at a glance
Details on the race for the presidential nominations as results are in from the Iowa caucuses.
• Obama, Huckabee revel in caucus victories
• Clinton brushes aside third-place finish
• Edwards: Caucuses show voters want change
• Romney stumbles despite heavy spending
• Giuliani sticks to Florida strategy
• Next stop
Obama, Huckabee revel in caucus victories
Sen. Barack Obama, bidding to become the nation’s first black president, swept to victory in the Iowa caucuses Thursday night over Hillary Clinton and a high-powered Democratic field. Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to win the opening round among Republicans in the 2008 campaign for the White House.
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina appeared headed for second place, relegating Clinton, the former first lady, to a close third.
Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware abandoned their bids for the Democratic nomination.