Originally published on the CGS blog on January 4, 2008.
The nation’s major newspapers are falling over themselves in order to describe last night’s wins by Senator Barack Obama and Governor Mike Huckabee as ‘historic’ ‘an earthquake in the Midwest’ and a “rejection of the political establishment” .
Now all of these phrases and glaring headlines may in fact turn out to be a harbinger of things to come. However, riddle me this Batman: How many non-incumbents have won the Iowa caucus and then gone on to be elected president? Answer: One. George W. Bush in 2000. Jimmy Carter did launch his candidacy in 1976 by his strong showing in Iowa, but even he finished second to ‘undecided.’
I am honestly not trying to be cynical. I am trying to be realistic. However, no one can dismiss the fact that Obama, the son of a Kenyan father, won an election in the heart of America while at the same time his father’s country was embroiled in rioting and killing over the results of a recent hotly contested and protested national election.
Last night was a good night for Obama and Huckabee and the people of Iowa. Now, let’s see what happens in New Hampshire maybe then we can begin to ‘turn the page,’ as Obama likes to say.
UPDATE: A visual of newspaper headlines from across the nation.
