This is BIG news as it’ll ensure that a lot more people participate.
From Des Moines Register:
Sources from both the Iowa Democratic Party and Republican Party of Iowa say they are getting ready to jointly announce a date for the 2010 Iowa caucuses. For the first time, they’ll be held on a Saturday afternoon in January. [...]

2012 is already ramping up for some folks.
From Radio Iowa:
A friend of mine in Des Moines, Iowa, got a phone call last night, testing out the names of potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates. It was an automated survey and did not indicate who the sponsor of the call might be, “but it was quite [...]

A speech from the Senate Majority Leader in Iowa sums it up pretty succinctly…

This is why I’m telling folks that the marriage between the social conservatives and the fiscal conservatives is done. Because this next generation of voters favors progressive social policy in bigger numbers than any other generation in history. And fiscal conservatives ignore [...]

A genuine surprise from the Hawkeye State today because the ruling was unanimous.
Expect more of this type of thing to happen in the next couple years and challenge Obama’s opinion that gay marriage shouldn’t be legal…
“The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause [...]

Does this guy really want to be the sacrificial lamb in 2012? Because nobody’s going to blame Obama for this economic downturn (except hardcore Friedmanites), and if Obama creates 2.5 million jobs in the next few years, he’s got 2012 in the bag.
In any event, here’s more from CNN:
(CNN) — Bobby Jindal’s in Iowa today. [...]

If he’s truly thinking about running in 2012, I think that’s a mistake since he’ll literally be 41 years old at the time. Then again, that’s what they said about Obama a couple years ago, although Obama had more legislative experience when he ran than Jindal will have in 2012.
And actually, both Huckabee and Jindal [...]

Sure, it’s just a book tour, but we all know what it’s really about.
From NY Times:
Mr. Huckabee’s new book could offer him a fresh platform to weigh in on the emerging debate over the Republican Party’s future. His Web site describes it as: “Huckabee’s amazing story, in his own words s — from making commercials [...]

79 electoral votes here for the Illinois senator.
Moving on…

The poll of polls reveals Obama holding steady.
Colorado…
CNN’s new Colorado Poll of Polls shows Obama leading McCain by 6 points 51% to 45%; The last Colorado Poll of Polls –- released Saturday –- showed Obama leading McCain by 7 points.
Florida…
An average of polls conducted in battleground Florida, shows Obama leading McCain by 4 points, 49% [...]

Looks like Palin mentioning ethanol subsidies in Iowa a couple days ago wasn’t a sign of her going “rogue.”
In any event, here’s more from Politico:
“On the subject of ethanol, my friends, I will open every market in the world to the best products in the world, and that’s the American agricultural farmer and worker,” said [...]

In Iowa today she said she supported ethanol.
Now, for anybody who knows about McCain’s opinions on ethanol subsidies, this is a BIG no no. In fact, he’s so famously against ethanol subsidies that he never even bothered running in Iowa this election cycle and instead focused on New Hampshire. And I think we’re all [...]

First, the story of a man who has never endorsed a Democrat…
Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach — a Republican — endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this morning. Leach, as you may recall, lost his bid for re-election in 2006 after three decades representing portions of eastern Iowa in congress. Leach was considered [...]

Obama – 49%
McCain – 44%
3rd Party – 2%
Undc’d – 5%
The numbers above represent the “with leaners” numbers. Usually I include both in Rasmussen daily polling, but for the purposes of state polls, I’m going to just feature the “with leaners” up top. However, “without leaners” numbers still show a 5% margin 46/41 in favor of [...]

I reported about his big push in Missouri, and now it appears as if he’s adding staff in the Hawkeye State too…which is a curious moves since Iowa has been leaning blue this entire election season.
From Des Moines Register…
Obama has 15 campaign offices open and staffed in Iowa, while McCain is still plotting where to [...]

Keeping the Washington interests out of his campaign? Perhaps not, and this is something I’m keeping an eye on…especially since ethanol is widely seen as a boondoggle.
From NY Times…
Mr. Obama is running as a reformer who is seeking to reduce the influence of special interests. But like any other politician, he has powerful constituencies that [...]

Obama – 49%
McCain – 45%
Another key swing state poll shows it up for grabs.
Here are some gender breakdowns…
Gender – Male
McCain – 56%
Obama – 39%
Gender – Female
Obama – 59%
McCain – 34%
As we can see, Obama and McCain are taking women and men by fairly large margins, but McCain has 8 more points to make up among [...]

I talked about one of Edwards’ switchers earlier, and now 6 out of the 8 from South Carolina and 1 from Iowa have announced they’re backing Obama.
They are…

Daniel Boan, South Carolina
Christine Brennan-Bond, South Carolina
Robert Groce, South Carolina
Susan Smith, South Carolina
Mike Evatt, South Carolina
Lauren Bilton, South Carolina
Machelle Crum, Iowa

This has the net effect of him winning [...]

And Clinton’s gains in Pennsylvania continue to dwindle.
First, a key endorsement from Kentucky congressman Ben Chandler…
Chandler will announce his support for Obama at a midday news conference in downtown Louisville. Chandler represents a central Kentucky district and carries one of the most famous names in Kentucky politics.
The endorsement means Obama will have the backing of [...]

Seems like a lot of Edwards’ supporters jumped on the Barack bandwagon.
From TPM:
The Iowa caucuses might have been over two months ago, but Barack Obama is still making gains off of them. In today’s Iowa county Democratic conventions — which those caucus delegates were elected to participate in — Obama picked up the votes of [...]

Well, sort of.
John Tomlin shot a lot of video in Iowa and captured some candid, goofy moments.

Man, Romney is just an awkward guy…