Huckabee leads Republican poll in Iowa
- 00:02:10
- ITN
Huckabee leads Republican poll in Iowa
Americans will get their first chance to have their say on who will be their next president this week.Around 200,000 Iowans will gather in school gyms and public places across the state on Thursday evening to say who they want to lead their party in the race to the White House.Traditionally the polls in the Hawkeye state provide the first glimpse into the minds of a few, strategically important, Americans.In a speech last month presidential hopeful Barack Obama said: "Whoever wins this caucus is likely to win the nomination, and likely to win the presidency."Only around 7 per cent of Iowa's population (0.066 per cent of the US population) are expected to tackle the cold in order to have their say on their party's candidate, with both Republicans and Democrats holding their caucuses at the same time.But their actions will set the tone for a month which could see the US General Election candidates emerge by the end of Super Tuesday on February 5.Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton top the polls for the Democrats, with John Edwards in third.A surprise surge in recent months has led Mick Huckabee to join Mitt Romney at the top of the pile for the Republicans, followed by John McCain and Fred Thompson.The Republican national front-runner, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, has run a very limited campaign in Iowa, choosing to concentrate on states which go to the polls later.With the New Hampshire primaries on January 8, the Iowa caucuses are crucial if a candidate wants to take advantage of the five days of momentum and free media that will come with the win.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | January 2, 2008
