Barack Obama posted an impressive win in the Iowa caucuses last Thursday and in most polls, leads Hillary Rodham Clinton in tomorrow's presidential primary in New Hampshire.
The Illinois senator's Iowa victory resulted in part from an unexpectedly large turnout of caucus goers. He captured 38 percent of the delegates compared to 30 percent for former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and 29 percent for Clinton.
But it is too early to write off Clinton. She is in a dead heat with Obama in other polls. At a rally at a high school in Nashua, on Sunday the crowd matched the turnout for Obama at the same venue the day before in numbers, enthusiasm and youthfulness.
A poll for MSNBC put Obama on 33% in New Hampshire, Clinton on 31% and John Edwards on 17%. A Rasmussen poll the previous day gave Obama a commanding lead, on 37%, with Clinton on 27% and John Edwards 19%.
Polls also show Obama leading Clinton by 2 to 1 among independents, who make up an estimated 40% of the New Hampshire electorate and have the choice of voting in either the Democratic or Republican primaries.
The biggest test comes less than a month from now on February 5th when 23 states hold their primaries on "Super Tuesday." It is widely believed among political experts that the Democrat who wins the bulk of the February 5th votes will be the party's nominee for president.
Meanwhile, conservative Mike Huckabee garnered the greatest number of caucus votes on the Republican side in Iowa last week. Despite the win, most observers doubt he will capture the Republican presidential nomination because his often extreme conservative views may drive away more moderate voters. Currently, he is running fourth in New Hampshire.
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