True, it's a very, very tiny number of people, relative to the number who will vote in November. But still, it marks an important milestone, and an occasion for predictions. Here are mine:
1) Ron Paul will win the Republican Iowa caucuses. I realize I'm going way out on a limb here, but it seems that the party has been trending more and more toward Kooky over the last three years, and they don't get much kookier than Paul. Republicans have threatened so often to shut down the government that you have to believe that's actually a goal of many of them. And those are the kind of people who turn out in Iowa for the caucuses. Though the other candidates may try, nobody's more anti-government than Paul. Paul's support has famously always been small but intense, and that's also the kind of support that can shine in Iowa in
2) There are a few names we won't have to hear anymore. As soon as all the votes are counted, several candidates are going to be counted out. I'm looking at you, Bachman. You too, Perry. You three, Gingrich. The latter may hang in there for a couple of weeks, but he's toast. Expect the first two to drop out before the circus gets to New Hampshire.
3) In the end, Romney will be the nominee. And I suspect we'll know this by about April.
