memeorandum: The Mold Is Smashed — Look at their names: Huckabee and Obama. (Andrew Sullivan/The Daily Dish)

9:05 AM ET, January 4, 2008

Top Items:

Huckabee, Obama leave Iowa as front-runners — DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) — Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have claimed victories in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses. — With all Democratic precincts reporting, Obama had the support of 38 percent of voters, compared to 30 percent for John Edwards and 29 percent for Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Des Moines Register, Open Left, MSNBC, The New Republic, You Decide 08!, Captain's Quarters, CBS News, Jon Swift, American Spectator, Outside The Beltway, Think Progress, Dick Polman's American Debate, Jack and Jill Politics, Unqualified Offerings, Comments from Left Field, The Mahablog, PrestoPundit, The RBC, The Anonymous Liberal, All Spin Zone, The Garlic, skippy the bush kangaroo, Liberal Values, CALIFORNIA YANKEE, No More Mister Nice Blog, PunditGuy, Hot Air, National Review, The Moderate Voice, Blogs of War, Stop The ACLU, Lonewacko, Hullabaloo, PoliBlog (TM), Iowa Independent, Donklephant, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, The Caucus, QandO, Wall Street Journal, Arizona Republic, TPM Election Central, The World Wide Rant, Scared Monkeys, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, American Street, Truthdig, Sister Toldjah, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Democratic Daily, Washington Times and Booman Tribune

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor — DES MOINES — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation's first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Swamp, CNN, The Nation, Associated Press, The Trail, Prairie Weather, normblog, Immigration Chronicles, HorsesAss.Org, Captain's Quarters, Washington Wire, The Politico, American Power, Outside The Beltway and TPM Election Central

The Politico:

GOP race in total disarray — DES MOINES, Iowa — Mike Huckabee's startling, not-even-close victory over Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP field in the Iowa caucus means the Republican Party is in for a wildly unpredictable ride in the weeks ahead. — Here's what's certain …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg, Tammy Bruce, Outside The Beltway, DownWithTyranny!, The RBC and Spin Cycle

New York Post:

CLINTONS NO LONGER THE LIFE OF PARTY — DES MOINES, Iowa - Awaiting her coronation here last night, Hillary Rodham Clinton instead faced a seething revolt within her own party. — More than 70 percent of Iowa Democrats rejected her bid to get back into the White House.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Right Wing News and Betsy's Page

Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:

Out With the Old, In With the New — Obama and Huckabee rise; Mrs. Clinton falls. — And so it begins. — We wanted exciting, we got exciting. — As this is written, late on the night of the caucuses, the outlines of the decisions seem clear: Barack Obama won.

Discussion: Don Surber, Macsmind, Pam's House Blend, alicublog, The Anchoress and Pajamas Media

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Two Earthquakes — I've been through election nights that brought a political earthquake to the country. I've never been through an election night that brought two. — Barack Obama has won the Iowa caucuses. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel moved by this.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Vox Popoli and Gawker

Washington Wire:

Beginning of the End for Romney? — Susan Davis reports from Des Moines, Iowa, on the presidential race. — Mitt Romney congratulates Mike Huckabee on his victory in the Iowa caucus. — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, wildly out-spent and out-organized by Mitt Romney here in Iowa …

Discussion: TownHall Blog, FactCheck.org, Deadline USA, Hotline On Call, Macsmind and Ross Douthat

David Schoetz / ABCNEWS:

Huckabee Takes Iowa; Romney in 2nd — Former Arkansas Governor Rides Momentum Surge to Early Victory — ABC News projects that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will win the Iowa Caucuses, beating out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a two-man race for the Republican party's top spot in Iowa.

Discussion: New York Times, The Politico, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, The Swamp, RealClearPolitics, TownHall Blog, The Moderate Voice, ComMITTed to Romney!, AlterNet.org, Middle Earth Journal, QandO, The Caucus, michellemalkin.com, Punditry and BitsBlog

Reuters:

Dodd and Biden drop out of White House race — DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Veteran U.S. Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd dropped out of the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday after placing a distant fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Iowa caucuses.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters

Washington Post:
Huckabee Wins Iowa's Republican Caucuses

Discussion: Flopping Aces, No Left Turns and The Politico

Deacon / Power Line:
A BIG NIGHT FOR HUCKABEE

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Weekly Standard, Wizbang, Hot Air and Ground Game

John McCormick / The Swamp: Obama arrives in N.H., expresses pride in Iowa

Fox News:
Huckabee Declared Winner of Iowa Republican Presidential Caucuses

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and Little Miss Attila

Glen Johnson / Associated Press:
Romney Falls to Huckabee in Iowa

Discussion: eyeon08.com

The Board:
Report from Iowa: Democracy It Ain't

Discussion: Publius Pundit

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:

Obama stuns Clinton in Iowa while Huckabee shows his strength over Romney — (01-04) 04:00 PST Des Moines — Des Moines - Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won a shocking victory Thursday in Iowa's Democratic caucuses, bringing out droves of enthusiastic new voters to easily outdistance …

Discussion: protein wisdom and TownHall Blog

Foon Rhee / Boston Globe:
Romney waits for Iowa's verdict

Discussion: beldar.blogs.com

Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
Barack Obama scores decisive victory

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Times and TV Decoder

Frank James / The Swamp:
Obama supporters get ready to party

Discussion: New York Times

Martin Kady II / The Politico:

Dodd, Biden drop out after Iowa defeat — Two Senate veterans — Democrats Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut — are abandoning their presidential campaigns after very poor showings Thursday night in the Iowa caucuses. — Neither mustered more than 1 percent …

Discussion: The Swamp and BlueOregon

Joe Biden / CNN:
Biden, Dodd to abandon White House runs

Discussion: MoJoBlog and The Democratic Daily

Matthew Yglesias:

Delivering — I think the manner of Barack Obama's win is pretty impressive. I can't be the only one who was a bit inclined toward a cynical roll of the eyes at the idea of winning on the back of unprecedented turnout, mobilizing new voters, brining in young people, etc.

Discussion: Obsidian Wings

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

The Mold Is Smashed — Look at their names: Huckabee and Obama. Both came from nowhere - from Arkansas and Hawaii. Both campaigned as human beings, not programmed campaign robots with messages honed in focus groups. Both faced powerful and monied establishments in both parties.

Discussion: Althouse

Matthew Yglesias:

Preordained — Watching Chris Matthews, I just saw that Tim Russert has already booked John McCain as his featured interviewee for this Sunday. Republican presidential candidate who won the Iowa Caucuses? Well, sorry, you're out of luck. It's already been decided that the “real” story out of Iowa is McCain....

Discussion: Sirotablog

John Distaso / New Hampshire Union Leader:

John DiStaso's Granite Status: Several candidates see Tuesday as a must-win — SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE. Campaign consultants and candidate handlers can spin all they want, but it's clear: — Tuesday's New Hampshire primary is a must-win for several candidates and a potential last stand for others.

Discussion: The Campaign Spot