In Iowa, Obama Wins, Clinton Concedes

Gallery

After an Exhaustive Campaign in Iowa, the Results are In

After months of campaigning in Iowa, the primary election season begins with a Democratic win by Barack Obama and a Republican win by Mike Huckabee.

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Unlike a primary, where a voter casts a single, secret ballot, caucuses function more as town meetings with dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people, gathered in living rooms, school multipurpose rooms and church halls across the state.

Republicans gather in preference groups by candidate, are counted and then are dimissed. The Democratic caucus is far more complicated. Voters gather in preference groups, too. But after the inital sorting, those whose candidate does not meet a threshold of viability -- typically 15 percent -- can shift support to a candidate who does.

Given that uncertainty, rumors flew on caucus day as each campaign sought to gain even the slightest advantage.

Sources suggested that a deal was in the works between Obama and Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-Del.) that allegedly would deliver voters who chose Biden on the first ballot to Obama on the second. Under Iowa Democratic caucus rules, supporters of any candidate who do not constitute at least15 percent of the total number of people in their precinct must reorganize and make a second-choice pick.

Biden rejected the idea outright in a statement released by his campaign in the early afternoon. "There are no discussions underway and there will be no deal with any campaign," said Iowa state director Danny O'Brien. "We believe Sen. Biden is strong enough on his own."

There was also considerable speculation about what second-tier candidates would do if they finish out of the money tonight.

The Politico reported this morning that former senator Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) would likely drop from the race if he fared poorly tonight. Thompson seemed to leave the door wide open to that possibility in an interview earlier today, telling NBC's Tim Russert: "At the end of everything tonight, things are going to look differently for all of us... We've got to recognize the signals that we are being given and respond accordingly."

Thompson communications director Todd Harris, however, issued a denial that any decision about the candidate's future in the race had been made. "We have no plans to give up Fred's fight for conservative change and every intention to keep this campaign going onward to victory," he said in an interview.

During an interview with the Fox News Channel, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) seemed to hint that he would reconsider his candidacy if he finished below fourth place tonight. "People should be cautious about inferring too much," said Dodd spokesman Hari Sevugan.

Putting aside that sort of scuttlebutt, the real focus of the day for the top-tier candidates is ensuring that their much bally-hooed turnout operations were up and ready for this evening.

All three leading Democrats -- Clinton, Obama and Edwards -- as well as Romney have poured millions of dollars into identifying their supporters and putting in place a system that will ensure a strong turnout at their precinct tonight. Romney's Iowa staff began an all-day call-a-thon at 9 a.m. to do just that. Clinton has recruited nearly 5,000 volunteers to drive those who can't drive themselves to their caucus sites.

EMILY's List, a Washington-based group that supports pro-abortion rights Democratic women, released a memo just hours before the caucus touting its groundwork for Clinton's campaign.