Only one thing is certain in this election year, and that is that nothing is certain. On the same day pundits all but wrote Senator Hillary Clinton’s political obituary, the former first lady surprised even her own team and revived what some considered a dead campaign.
Pumped up by a wave of female support, Clinton slightly edged Senator Barack Obama in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night. As experts on cable news stations breathlessly gave shout-outs to the former first lady, it was hard not to notice that they sounded pretty much the same a few days when Obama defied critics and snatched the Iowa caucus from Clinton, who came in third.
It’s been a hardscrabble fight, and candidates have been bruised and bloodied, but so far most are continuing on. As exciting as a topsy-turvy reality show, the campaign season has already had some great moments, with Clinton letting loose on opponents during the New Hampshire debates, then nearly tearing up this week at an event with women.
The stakes are just as high for the Republicans, and the outcome is even more uncertain. Arizona senator John McCain had been left for dead only a few weeks ago by political analysts, but Tuesday night he arose to victory, trouncing his biggest rivals Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
How will Obama, a Black man and a political star, fare in this grueling race for the most powerful position in the world? Was his win in Iowa a fluke? Or was it the precursor to an even bigger victory? We’ll just have to stay tuned. But we can count on this: It won’t be boring.
Caucus Update: Upset in New Hampshire
In an uncertain and tough presidential race, who will be the victor? Hillary Clinton conquers New Hampshire, but who will take the next round?