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Republicans this year have the best chance of defeating a sitting Democratic president since Ronald Reagan toppled Jimmy Carter more than three decades ago, but Democratic heavyweights are quietly celebrating the fact that, given Tuesday night's caucus results, that task has just become harder.
For Democrats, the rising fear was that Mitt Romney would storm to victory in Iowa and New Hampshire, not only ending the GOP nomination fight but quickly uniting his party behind a candidate who has consistently shown the greatest potential against President Barack Obama.
Romney would have gained the muscularity and glow of a star.
While he did win the caucusesand should still sweep New Hampshire, the manner of his victory in Iowa hardly sent a message of strength and unity.
Consider: The percentage of votes that he won was virtually the same as four years ago when he lost Iowa to Mike Huckabee and the actual number of votes was six less.
That's not much progress for a candidate who has been courting Iowans off and on for five years.
Moreover, his percentage of votes is the lowest any winner has recorded in the 40-year history of the Iowa caucuses.
Republicans did have a respectable turnout of some 122,000 -- modestly better than four years ago -- but it was not the burst of excitement they had hoped.
This is a party that hasn't yet found its leader.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/04/opinion/gergen-gop-campaign/index.html
For Democrats, the rising fear was that Mitt Romney would storm to victory in Iowa and New Hampshire, not only ending the GOP nomination fight but quickly uniting his party behind a candidate who has consistently shown the greatest potential against President Barack Obama.
Romney would have gained the muscularity and glow of a star.
While he did win the caucusesand should still sweep New Hampshire, the manner of his victory in Iowa hardly sent a message of strength and unity.
Consider: The percentage of votes that he won was virtually the same as four years ago when he lost Iowa to Mike Huckabee and the actual number of votes was six less.
That's not much progress for a candidate who has been courting Iowans off and on for five years.
Moreover, his percentage of votes is the lowest any winner has recorded in the 40-year history of the Iowa caucuses.
Republicans did have a respectable turnout of some 122,000 -- modestly better than four years ago -- but it was not the burst of excitement they had hoped.
This is a party that hasn't yet found its leader.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/04/opinion/gergen-gop-campaign/index.html