a look at politics: number one

Barrack
Obama (D) and Mike Huckabee (R) topped the polls in Iowa. Hillary
Clinton (D) and John McCain (R) were first a week later in New
Hampshire. Former mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani (R) failed to
finish better than fourth in either contest, both of which play a vital
role in determining each party's eventual nomination for the presidency
(if for no other reason than they are the first caucus and primary,
respectively, and thus there exists a media feeding frenzy around
each), yet still holds on to a close second place behind Huckabee in
the national polls.

Some
candidates have seen the writing on the walls (somewhat akin to Jack
Torrance in Kubrik's 1980 horror classic 'The Shining'—or not) and have
dropped out while some continue in what seem to be campaigns of utter
futility. We have another comeback Clinton, an ordained evangelical
minister who believes not in evolution but the power of some divine
being that exists only in theory, a man that hopes to be the first
African American to call the oval office his own, a man that quelled
New York City's collective hysteria after the attacks of 9/11, the guy
who sent Massachusetts into a tailspin and another that spent five
years in the hideous confines of multiple Vietnam war camps.

Clinton,
who led the national polls by nearly twenty percentage points just over
a month ago, finds herself in a gridlock with the surging Obama. Six
percentage points separate the top three at the national level on the
right side: Huckabee (25), Giuliani (20, and McCain (19).

There
are, as there always are at this time of the year, a preponderance of
separate scenarios and story lines working reciprocally to confuse you,
the voters. Fortunately, you the voters have the power to choose.
Unfortunately, the media has the power to manipulate those choices. And
they will, inevitably, do just that.

Don't however expect
clairvoyant political advice from me, though, as I am neither sage nor
scholar. Go to Wikipedia for that. But for a good time, and maybe some
laughs, come here. I'll be sure to make some egregious error in
political judgment weekly.

Note: from time to time Mr. Doyle will use this space to breakdown the political world.