[napscoordinator]

Hasn’t Romney always been the lead in Iowa? If Guiliani begins losing traction in other states than I will be thrilled. Until then this is interesting but not great news yet.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Buzzkill. ;)

[JohnBovenmyer]

Romney always had an IA+NH strategy. He was donating seed money to various GOP groups well over a year ago and invested more time and money there once he announced last January. Rudy and McCain determined by last July that they'd be blown out in the August Ames straw poll and ducked out to try to make their defeat there less newsworthy. McCain had also stiffed IA in 2000 and Iowans remembered that. Fred declined to get in and compete then. The three who punted Ames have never recovered from their early decisions (Fred seems to be running into the same problem with his punting the NH debate.) Of those who tried to contest IA Tommy Thompson and Brownback are already out. Huckabee, taking advantage of Iowa's high proportion of Evangelicals, is in second place to a large degree because no one else but he, Romney and Paul have tried to compete. So far Romney is doing just what he planned to do in the early states. The early state strategy may or may not turn out to work this year, but history says it could work and recent press shows the media increasingly is buying into it. Resulting, as planned, in positive coverage and increasing standing in the non-early states.

Don't be surprised to see Paul come in a strong third in Iowa. The only thing holding down his vote total will the the desire of his "fans" to vote for Obama, Edwards or Kucinich against Hillary that night. If the Democratic race looks close the "GOP" Paul support will have a moment of honesty and caucus where they really belong.

[Common Tator]

Think a moment. Where is Rudy doing good? The answer is in states where the only information voters are getting is what they get from the MSM.

So what are voters doing in states where there is significant campaigning? They are not going for Rudy. They seem to be going for Romney. What does that say?

If says the more Rudy and the other candidates campaign the the worse Rudy does with voters.

As the campaign moves on to States other than Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Rudy's fortunes will continue to fall. Consider this:::

Where ever Rudy campaigns he goes down in the Polls.