2008 Power Rankings: January 4, 2008
Posted on January 4th, 2008 at 7:58 pm by Jason Wright, EditorWelcome to the latest edition of PoliticalDerby.com’s 2008 Power Rankings, the original tracking service in the current race for the White House. The rankings are updated as circumstances warrant and are compiled by our Editor and contributors using wire reports, polls, campaign staffer scuttlebutt and confidential tips.
| Rankings last updated: January 4, 2008 |
| Power Ranking | The Horse | Mug Shot | Momentum | The Tip Sheet |
 |
Mike Huckabee |  |
 |
The Derby has discovered how Huckabee won the Iowa caucus, but after serious reflection, we’ve decided not to announce it. It’s never too late to do the right thing. Nevertheless an impressive victory, but does anyone else wonder why no leading conservatives support him? |
 |
Mitt Romney |  |
 |
Romney wishes he’d never raised the bar in Iowa with that summertime straw poll win. Because he just crawled right under it with his finish in the caucus. Now it’s either win New Hampshire or it’s back to that minimum wage job at Bain. |
 |
John McCain |  |
|
Forget expensive scientific polling data. Google “McCain + Lazarus” and you’ll find 48,600 results. But try Googling “McCain + Amnesty” and you’ll find 321,000 results. McCain better hope New Hampshire voters prefer Yahoo. |
 |
Rudy Giuliani |  |
 |
Rudy’s strategy from launch day was to ignore Iowa, survive New Hampshire, and cruise on Super Duper Tuesday. He’s right on track, if by “cruise” he meant Carnival and seven tasty meals and snacks a day. |
 |
Fred Thompson |  |
|
It could have been worse for Fred. He lives to play another day in New Hampshire and probably runs on to South Carolina. But he’s out of money, and Metamucil doesn’t come cheap. |
 |
Ron Paul |  |
|
Ron Paul has exactly one more chance to prove the naysayers wrong. It’s all about New Hampshire. He pulled only slightly more support than the “biased” mainstream polls predicted. Maybe all that Internet buzz was just that — buzzed people using the Internet. |
Rankings last updated: January 4, 2008 |
| Power Ranking | The Horse | Momentum | The Tip Sheet |
|
 |
Barack Obama |  |
|
Pick your sports metaphor: Obama just pulled a Buster Douglas, a Miracle on Ice, a Joe Namath in Super Bowl III. Even better yet, a win in New Hampshire will put Obama farther ahead than any horse since Secretariat. |
 |
Hillary Clinton |  |
|
Hillary’s third place finish in Iowa was more than a flesh wound, it was the systematic breaking of three out of four legs. Hillary must win New Hampshire, period, or she’ll be on Divorce Court faster than you can say Judge Mablean. |
 |
John Edwards |  |
|
What do we call it when 70% of Iowa caucus-goers reject you despite spending six years of your life there begging for their support? A loss. |
 |
Bill Richardson |  |
|
Richardson is likely to run until February 5th, regardless the outcome in New Hampshire. But is there truth to the rumors that Richardson’s wife calls him “Mr. Number Two” behind closed doors? Let’s hope not. |
| The rankings may not be reprinted or quoted in any form without attribution to PoliticalDerby.com. |
Posted in Power Rankings-2008, White House-2008 by
Jason Wright, Editor •
18 comments •
Post a comment
18 comments •
Post a comment
18 Comments
Leave a comment
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Ouch, Paul, major ouch.
On the flip side, now the tables are turned on Clinton: can ANYTHING stop Obama?
Considering Paul did better then everyone expected I call that a win.
Better than who expected?
I think he’s talking about the ”biased’ mainstream polls’.
Based on activity on this site and others, Paul and his Army thought they’d do a heckuva lot better than 10%. He did just what the mainstream polls suggested he’d do, didn’t he? He was polling just a tad under 10%.
sure, plenty can stop Obama… the win in Iowa was great for supporters (like myself) but most of us suffer no illusions… New Hampshire is just days away, and Feb. 5 looms large. NH isn’t as much of a horserace as Iowa- there isn’t the Edwards factor to blunt and blur the sharp edges of who beats who. He’ll be at least ten points behind whoever comes in second, and New Hampshire will end up having a lot to say. I think that the Obama victory shows his ability to bring new voters and Independents (and a few Republicans) into the Dem fold, which basically throws a lot of the polling out the window (unless you’re as prescient as the DMR’s amazing pollster) and we will have little idea what’s going to happen in New Hampshire until the returns start coming in. I think the momentum from Iowa, the victory speech appealing to independents, and the massive independent population in New Hampshire helps Obama, even more than the polling suggests, but it’s too early to call. I think that a win in Iowa and New Hampshire secures South Carolina for Obama, and that it will also help in Nevada, where Hillary is way ahead, but where the citizens largely have no idea how to caucus (having never been important before). Obama’s quietly getting an amazing ground operation in place there, and some big losses for Hillary at the beginning will blunt the enthusiasm for her there, allowing Obama to take advantage of his ground game and organization there. Last night’s win was so convincing and, frankly, revolutionary that it changes things a lot more than the bare win I was hoping fore.
I’m absolutely certain that I liked the Fred Thompson revolution much more than the Ron Paul one. It was just as effective, with far less effort, and much less annoying supporters. Less racism and conspiracy theories, as well.
Nice edition, Richardson’s wife calls him #2?
Jason, you by far are my favorite reporter of Political Derby, your honest and unbiased, thanks for keeping these things up for us!!
Now excuse me, I have some brown stuff to wash off my nose (since SA Kalinich will call me out on it anyway)
Man, Jason has a fan club, why don’t I?
Because we haven’t seen a YouTube video of you singing ‘The Twelve Days of Iowa’.
Drat, foiled buy blackadvent again.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2008
Fergus Cullen, Chairman, New Hampshire Republican Party
NH REPUBLICAN PARTY WITHDRAWS AS FOX FORUM PARTNER
CONCORD – New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen releases the following statement regarding Sunday’s Republican forum on FOX:
“The first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary serves a national purpose by giving all candidates an equal opportunity on a level playing field. Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures. Consistent with that tradition, we believe all recognized major candidates should have an equal opportunity to participate in pre-primary debates and forums.
This principle applies to tonight’s debates on ABC as well as Sunday’s planned forum on FOX. The New Hampshire Republican Party believes Congressmen Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter should be included in the FOX forum on Sunday evening. Our mutual efforts to resolve this difference have failed.
While we understand that FOX News continues to move forward it is with regret, the New Hampshire Republican Party hereby withdraws as a partner in this forum.”
I don’t know that Mitt has to win in the Granite State to avoid going back to making more filthy lucre at Bain. He says he’s in it for the long haul and I believe him.
After all, he’s got more spare change in his couch cushions than Huckabee raised in all of December.
Jon,
I agree that he will stick around, and money is obviously not a problem for him, but his plan from the start was to win Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan to gain momentum and sweep to the nomination.
Obviously, part one of that plan is now kaput and part two, New Hampshire, sits in serious doubt.
If he can’t win where he spent millions of dollars and tons of time, how will he win elsewhere?
A just-released Rassmussen Reports poll has Obama up by 10 points in New Hampshire: Obama 37%, Clinton 27%, Edwards 19%.
All of the other major polls are essentially showing it as a dead heat between Obama and Clinton. However, Rassmussen is the freshest data–and tends to be the best.
If true, that’s a whopping lead for Obamha.
It also is going to make tonight’s debate all the more interesting. Will Hillary go negative tonight? I think she will; just won’t be able to contain herself.
Link to Rassmussen poll below:
http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/new_hampshire/election_2008_new_hampshire_democratic_primary
David K. - You da man. I promise I won’t call you #2…
Haha, thanks Eddio!