Obama: I will say that while I hardly support his policies or candidacy, it is heartening to see his victory as another demonstration that race isn’t a political impediment even in a state as white as Iowa.
Edwards: He came out to give his concession speech to U2′s “(Pride) In the Name of Love” and immediately started talking about his grandmother and father working in a textile plant. Suffice to say, I immediately needed an airsickness bag.
McCain: Fred Barnes said on Fox News, “This is a perfect result for McCain.” Strategy wise that might be true. And Ramesh has in the past made the astute observation that McCain’s the only Republican candidate whose weaknesses in the primary (moderate, appeals to some Dems and independents) are strengths in the general election. But every time I even mention McCain on the Corner I get scads of angry emails from true blue conservatives. I wonder what he can do long-term to pacify conservatives if his chance of winning the nomination continues to improve.
Mike Huckabee: The only people I know who are excited about a Huckabee victory are friends who are rigidly pro-life Democrats. That about sums it up. But nonetheless, Huckabee and his campaign organization are now (begrudgingly) owed more respect.
Hillary Clinton: While I must admit she proved better on the campaign trail than I would have thought. And relative to Edwards and Obama, she seems better on foreign policy and national security by a factor of ten.
Still, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching the Clintons start to go gently into that good night…