Playing With Fire: [Ed Morrissey, Captain’s Quarters]: “In the end, Hillary can afford to lose Iowa a lot more than she can afford to make character an issue in the campaign … If she thinks she can win a character debate in the general election, she is getting very, very bad advice”
Hit Him Where it Hurts: [Steve Benen, The Carpet Bagger Report]: “Obama’s recent upswing is based, at least in part, on the idea that he’s an honest candidate with integrity. So, instead of targeting Obama where he’s weak (say, years of experience in statewide office), the Clinton campaign is targeting him where he’s strong -- an approach to negative campaigning Karl Rove has advocated for years.”
Unintelligent Design: [Daniel Finkelstein, Comment Central]: “Huckabee contends that it doesn't matter, because he is not intending to insist that schools stop teaching evolution. But that really isn't the point. The reason that his support for intelligent design matters is that it is ridiculous.”
Survey Says: [Walter Shapiro, ’08 Roadies]: “There is no such thing as a reliable poll a month before the Iowa caucuses, because no one -- from top campaign insiders to the lowliest reporters -- has any idea who will participate. Everyone has self-serving guesses, but that is all they are.”
--Ben Crair