DES MOINES, IA.–It’s not official yet, but White House hopeful Sen.Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is poised to win the Iowa Democratic caucus, bolstered by a wave of turnout across Iowa, double that of 2004. After results are made official and Obama thanks his backers at a rally here, he takes a late night charter to New Hampshire where there is a primary five days from now.
Lines were so long at some caucus sites, said Obama senior David Axelrod, that “there are places where people can’t get in the caucus.”
“I think the turnout is large everywhere,” he said. Some 124,000 turned out for the Democratic caucus in 2004 and Obama team projected 2008 turnout as high as 230,000
He added, “Not just Democrats” and not just repeat caucus goers. There are tens and tens of thousands of new people.”
For the past several days, the campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has been braced for a loss–even third place.
Obama supporters just started steaming into Hy-Vee Hall here, boisterous at the expectation that Obama’s campaign for change worked in this first-in the nation presidential vote state.
