Politics: Iowa fallout - Democrats choice is past or future?

Unless Obama has some scandal hidden that comes out of the woodworks or if he totally bungles debate performances that shows he isn't ready for prime time, he may well be the Democrat nominee and the next president.

The dynamics on the Democratic side is simple: past or future?

Edwards is the past and had his last hurrah in Iowa. His populist message is going to be overwhelmed by the new wave backing Obama.

Clinton is the past and will not go easily into the night. She represents the mainstream Democrat wing which is substantial. But another wipe out like Iowa in New Hampshire, she is done, toast, finished. She has the organization to weather a narrow defeat but clearly, they want a win. They can say Bill Clinton didn't win Iowa nor New Hampshire but the analogy doesn't wash as 1992 was a multi-candidate field with favorite sons in play. This is one-on-one and if Clinton can't get a win soon, she's done.

As I have mentioned before, she has none of the charm of her husband and all his negatives.

What worries me is that Obama is a blank slate and people are stampeding to him. People are investing all this hope for the future on what is essentially an unknown quantity.