A new year, a last shot at voters
New York Senator Hillary Clinton campaigns with her mother and daughter Tuesday at the Sioux City Art Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)
DES MOINES -- As a new poll showed Senator Barack Obama opening up a modest lead over his rivals, the Democratic presidential candidates today kicked off 2008 by making their final pitches to voters across Iowa.
Though Obama's opponents questioned the accuracy of The Des Moines Register survey, which gave him a seven-percentage-point edge over Senator Hillary Clinton, Obama was buoyant as he charged up his troops at a morning rally in Des Moines. But he also warned against complacency.
"The polls are not enough," the Illinois senator told a crowd of 1,000 at Roosevelt High School, as supporters hoisted the Register's front page over their heads. "The only thing that counts is whether or not you show up to caucus."
That is the challenge for all the Democratic campaigns as they head into Thursday's caucuses, where the results will hinge on organization, turnout, and even the weather. The forecast: Sunny, windy, and a relatively balmy 31 degrees for a high.
While Obama was claiming momentum from the Register poll, his opponents, including former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who placed third, tried to discredit the results. They argued that the survey relied too heavily on first-time caucus-goers, and that it reflected an unrealistic expectation of how many Republicans and independents would participate in Democratic caucuses.
Campaigning in Ames today, Clinton expressed confidence in her chances, saying, "I don't know about you, but I am feeling great!"
Later, at an arts center in Sioux City, she turned her platform into a rallying cry, shouting, "Are you ready for change? Are you ready for universal health care for every single American? Are you ready for home-grown energy that is going to put Americans to work right here? Are you ready to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home as quickly and responsibly as we can?"
Edwards was also in Ames, kicking off a 36-hour "Marathon for the Middle Class" tour and highlighting 36 proposals – such as raising the minimum wage to $9.50 and strengthening labor laws -- to help working families.
Marcella Bombardieri of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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Why is Helman only citing the day old Des Moines Register poll and not the two today with Senator Clinton in the lead?
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee hold narrow leads on their top rivals two days before the state opens the U.S. presidential nominating race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Tuesday.
Clinton, a New York senator, maintained a stable four-point edge over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, 30 percent to 26 percent, in the Democratic race. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was in third at 25 percent, down one point overnight.
Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, widened his lead over Romney among Republicans to 29 percent to 25 percent. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who has been on the attack against Huckabee, slipped two points overnight.