Reader comments
Caucuses are setback for Clinton and Romney

This certainly is not good, but is not a big setback for the Romney campaign. Given that 60% of the voters were Evangelicals/born agagin Christians I think that Mitt did very well against a Baptist Minister. Huckabee winning in Iowa is like Romney winning in Utah, not a huge deal. I expect Romney to well in the other states. Remember, Reagan and George H.W. Bush also lost Iowa...we'll have to wait and see how this plays out.

I was very pleased by Governor Romney's reaction to his placing second in Iowa. There was no sign of defeat in his voice. He is ready to compete nationwide and hopefully has learned some lessons from this contest.

Number 1 lesson is to put forth more positive ideas such as eliminating unfair taxes and agressively laying out how he will strengthen America. Number 2 lesson is to not appear negative while pointing out the hidden weaknesses of opponents. It would be great if an unbiased group would rate the candidates on truthfullness, their past mistakes, what they have done to remedy these mistakes, and what they intend to do in the future. This election is all about the future.

If a person has done things to hurt his country in the past and is non-repentant that person will continue to do the same things, but in a bigger arena. Mitt is still the man with the best record and the greatest potential to run the US government in a truly conservative fashion. GO MITT!

Who cares about Romney. Congrats to Obama! I knew Hillary was bad, but to finish third? Behind Edwards? Way to go chick, I love it!

Romney's speech was pathetic. It was among the worst I ever heard from any politician. All he spoke about was "me, me, me" and how he won the "silver" and will go for the gold. He certainly sounds like a man who cares more about winning than serving the people. He doesn't seem to care about anyone other than those people who think the way he currently thinks. He has burned his bridges with Democrats and Independents and how does he expect to win a general election like that?

America is hungry for and demanding of leaders who tell the truth.
Romney would be better off coming clean on the lies he told about his father marching with Martin Luther King in Detroit etc. then ask for forgiveness. If not - he's toast.

eu contraire: it is a big deal. Good looking candidate, nice looking family, lots of money, est. worth is $350M?, always in royal blue outfits (great sweaters), touting how he ran a liberal state, son of a well-known rich businessman, has Mormon phone banks in Sandy Utah doing his bidding, loses to funky, underfunded, more liberal, poor boy,who still doesn't fit his clothes right, shucks talking guy. That is news! Huck's aw shucks won't get him to the white house, but neither will flip-flopping around by the blue kid. Let's face it: McCain is still popping corks this morning.

And Michele Obama is picking out the furniture that goes with the Presidential seal. If he wins in NH the fat lady has sung.

I beg to differ. With the amount of money Mitt spent in Iowa and the near double digit whippin., it was a very big defeat. Face it, he's LDS and will not win the nomination. We Utahns have been taken to the cleaners again. It's time we woke up.

As soon as LDS people can find a liberal-leaning leader (not a flip-flopper) they may have a chance at the big prize.
Until then its Utah - the reddest state in the Union.

It is ironic that Huckabee can benefit from his religion but Romney is not allowed to benefit from his. It is the age-old story of how religion only counts when it is "my religion". I will vote Democrat for the first time if Huckabee goes on to win and uses religion to power his campaign.

When you have ALL the media stumping for one and against the other...Who's going to come out ahead?

After failing to convince Iowa that he was his party's "only true conservative", how is he going to convince New Hampshire that he is now his party's moderate who can deliver independent and democrat votes? He lost it, when he reincarnated himself as the new Mitt. He cannot win a general election. He can't brag about having been governor of the liberal state of MA without bringing up his flipflopping ways. MA won't have any more of him now.

It never ceases to amaze me how what is appropriate for one candidate is not appropriate for another. It's OK that Huckabee preached his campaign from every Baptist pulpit in Iowa, but Romney can't use his Church pulpits, nor the Baptist ones. Separation of Church and State you know. It is OK that Huckabee was admittedly voted in by members of his Church, where if Romney had accomplished that it would be negatively spoken of for months or years. If Romney figuratively speaks of seeing his father march we think it the worst evil imaginable, whereas if Huckabee says "oh, we had no idea that cross was back there" and "we need to get away from all the politicking and just celebrate Jesus birth" we still think he is oh so honorable. People outside his faith are beginning to see what a fake he is and it is going to derail the Hucksters campaign.

I agree with those thinking the defeat was huge. Iowa was essentially a two man race in the Republican caucuses - there was next to no campaign activity from any of the candidates except Romney and Huckabee. The "silver" finish translates to a last place finish in Iowa. And it doesn't get any better in NH where McCain has already tracked Romney down in the polls and won the endorsement race. Outside the ranks of the hard core base, even Republican voters recognize Romney's weakness with the truth. And of course Huckabee's religion was a factor in his win, just as it is when Mormons show up to vote for Romney. Bias cuts both ways! Romney's loss wasn't about his Mormonism, it was about his truth devoid character. Time to shed the rose colored glasses out in Utah, and face the facts - Romney is toast.

Two words define the Iowa 'loss'.

President Dean.

Remember? He won Iowa by a landslide?

Utahns need to wake up, Bart? You know, Just because theres a lot of LDS here, does not make us dumb and dumber. I do support Mitt, but not just because he's LDS. I don't think the 'victory' in Iowa was a solid one, as folks voted religion, rather than the merrits of the man. Huckabee is a religious bigot. I'd believe he wasent if he did not have so much anti-mormon on his website. He spoke the evang. message. Romney is strong is NH.

Things are not looking to good for Mitt. What we know is even spending over $400 a vote in Iowa could not make them believe him. Thank goodness they could see through the insincerity of this candidate. New Hampshire, I hope you get a clue, too.

With Obama's win, this can't be a good day for Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton, the two who have made a forture of race hussling.

Huckabee is showing us ordinary people can have a chance to be President and you do not need to sell your soul for the job, and flip flop on issues.
I am so releived Mitt could not just buy a State.

If
Romney were to win the nomination (which he will not) or the presidency (which he will not) he will be the perfect example that if you have enough money you can buy anything. Iowa is the writing on the wall, Mitt. You should not have run. Come on, Utah. Would you vote for him if he were not Mormon. Anyone who is Mormon has to be little closer to the angels. NOT. Can't we just use our heads and not let our entire intellect be based on religion?????????? God told us to use our intellect, not to be a bunch of sheep. The LDS church stays out of politics for a very good reason. I think that reason is obvious.

Bart, you hit the nail on the head. What you and your members, [and I know you don't want to hear this],is challange your high up church officals to bring LDS, out of it's cult-like status and join the rest of america,[the majority],lose the secracy,and isolation. Debate openly, your beliefs that a few years ago, a young boy had a vision that began this religion,to show the right way,that most others struggle with. Debate things such as paligamy, that is know forbidden [I think],but remember, this is america- we can all agree to disagree. While your at it, check into how LDS seems to be getting into hot water, concerning wrongful adoptions, this should be corrected before it becomes another eye catching, finger pointing ordeal for future political ambitions. but don't give up, this is america.