Clinton Falls to Third Place in Iowa

Hillary Clinton's campaign is running into trouble -- potentially very serious trouble -- in Iowa.

The latest and best poll of likely Democratic caucus goers in the first state that will weigh in on the 2008 nomination race has Clinton falling to third place. And that's not the worst of it. As Clinton stumbles, a new contender with potential to eat into her base it rising rapidly.

The Des Moines Register survey has former North Carolina Senator John Edwards solidly in first. Edwards, who ran second in the 2004 Iowa caucuses and has worked hard to maintain his organization in the state, is at 29 percent. That's about where he has been for some time in Iowa, where caucus goers will do much to define the direction of the 2008 race as it hist full speed next January.

In second place is Illinois Senator Barack Obama with 23 percent.

Clinton musters a mere 21 percent -- down significantly from her position in several previous polls -- to secure the No. 3 position.

But Clinton, the presumed frontrunner nationally, does not just have to worry about who is ahead of her in the first-caucus state. She's also got to watch who is coming from behind.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the former congressman, cabinet secretary and UN ambassador who only formally announced last week, is gaining 10 percent support among likely caucus goers. As in New Hampshire, where a new poll has Richardson breaking from a pack of weaker contenders to enter the second tier in the crowded 2008 contest, the governor is moving up rapidly in Iowa.

The next strongest candidate, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, was at 3 percent.

Richardson, who is campaigning in Iowa small towns this weekend, was making the most of his improving position.

"We have a lot of good candidates running for president," he told friendly crowds. "A lot of them could be in the White House - as my vice president."

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Comments (37)

1. So Big Sister is in third place, but John Boy is leading? Well, Bill Richardson is gaining, so the Dem primary voters in Iowa are not all determined to squander the opportunity to elect a Dem Prez in 2008.......

   'Course, Rudy will whip all of them.....

   Posted by davebarlett at 05/20/2007 @ 2:10pm

2. Edwards up, Hill down.

   That's some good news for progressives even if it is very preliminary.

   When is Obama gonna offer specifics? I suppose he's just being cagey, but I believe he'd better begin positing something significant soon.

   It's not as if there isn't a bountiful cornucopia of broad campaign issues that he can exploit for some easy slam dunks in the wake of the widening slick left by the USS Bushdick.

   Posted by b_kool_66 at 05/20/2007 @ 2:19pm

3. Why do all the cons liv in a dream world? Rudy? yea, right!

   Why? what has he done, other than leave three wives and get paid huge sums to speak platitudes? Do you honestly think that the American Taliban will loose their hold on the repub party and allow him to be the candidate?

   Hillary in third, now were getting somewhere. But, Shrillery can lose in Iowa, NH, SC and still roll on. She has the corporate bottomless pit of money at her disposal. It seems to me that Richardson will make slow moves. He has already won over our resident "real" conservative Maasch. Libs like him. Us indies like what we have seen so far. Nobody is perfect but Billy2 appears eminently qualified, unlike the present Commando Guy.

   go back to sleep Dave.

   PS, while you where napping, Scooter Libby, the VP's Chief of Staff was found GUILTY< GUILTY< GUILTY< GUILTY.

   Posted by crabwalk at 05/20/2007 @ 2:22pm

4. 'Course, Rudy will whip all of them.....

   Posted by DAVEBARLETT 05/20/2007 @ 2:10pm

   Well selected verb, DB.

   Rudy as drag queen dominatrix. Could be entertaining at least.

   Posted by b_kool_66 at 05/20/2007 @ 2:29pm

5. I maybe the resident consrvative , an endangered species for sure, but I wouldn't vote dem unless the repubs were so bad...and I am leaning libertarian Party anyways..

   To Crabs point,

   Hillary can by pass Iowa compleletly and win it all..NY Cali, and fe others and it is over...it is over anyway....Edwards may win Iowa and then go home...but I suppose he needs a hobby...as a conservative I would love nothing more than Edwards to be the nominee in 08..his spending plans alone scare the rap oput of at least half the dems...

   Hillary is the nominee and candidate in 08...no one has beat her at anything yet...polls this early mean nothing...excepth to Bushfooledagain.

   Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 3:23pm

6. The current crop of repubs is so bad.

   If you're going to be endangered, just think, you get to share the list with the likes of BARRY, RIO and the winged horsey guy, LUVSDESPOTS (who can find a commie under every rock, public interest group, state dept, CIA and everyplace else, except in China!)

   Talk about funny little hats with spinners.

   Posted by crabwalk at 05/20/2007 @ 3:51pm

7. 'Course, Rudy will whip all of them.....

   Posted by DAVEBARLETT 05/20/2007 @ 2:10pm

   YOU'RE SHITTIN' ME...

   A socially liberal cross-dresser (watch the video of "Rudia" -- it's a hoot!) who's on his third marriage? He's even running behind Hillary in national polls.

   Check out Ted Rall's latest column. (OK, OK, I know we're not all Ted Rall fans, even among the lefties here.) He is at least willing to make the interesting prediction that the Presidential race will wind up being between the current third-place candidates Edwards and Romney after the front-runners all knock each other off -- an interesting speculation at any rate.

   Posted by w_m_bear at 05/20/2007 @ 4:11pm

8. "The current crop of repubs is so bad."

   And every repub believes the same of the Dems field....I do think the Dems would make a huge blunder by assuming Rudy can't win against them..especiall Hillary...he can...and he can threaten some eastern strong holds as well..diverting money to hold down the home front...

   Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 4:22pm

9. Its not that the dems are not happy with the repub candidates, its that the REPUBS are not happy with ANY of their candidates. Think about it, the best they can do is hope an actor shows up.

   the dems can get excited about Obama, Shrillery or Edwards, and are quite excited about Richardson. Indies are happy with Richardson.

   On the repub side there are a bunch of "lesser of ten weevils".

   and they all run from Chimpies legacy.

   Posted by crabwalk at 05/20/2007 @ 4:31pm

10. and they all run from Chimpies legacy.

    Posted by CRABWALK 05/20/2007 @ 4:31pm

    Duh, they are fighting for conservative votes...

    "its that the REPUBS are not happy with ANY of their candidates. "..

    not yet..it is too early..all the dems cards are all on the table..face up and there is not a winning hand in the bunch...the repubs are still sorting through the deck....and we will have to wait and see...Hillary has been running for years, Edwards has already lost an election, and can't carry his own state, Obama has no resume'...in fact most of the DEM field is well known and hence the national yawn at this point...the Repubs don't quite know who they are yet..and Bush may have helped the conservatives wake up with the talk of that shitty immigration bill..

    The Dems may be exited and thats good for them, but the country is a long way from excitment...for any of the candidates or the already chosen nomineee(Hillary)..

    Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 4:56pm

11. Well selected verb, DB.

    Rudy as drag queen dominatrix. Could be entertaining at least.

    Posted by B_KOOL_66

    B_Kool, you cracked me up....and I almost said that Rudy would spank 'em......

    Posted by davebarlett at 05/20/2007 @ 9:25pm

12. So many hypothetical choices, so little current consequence considering continuing Iraqi occupation. Like Katrina said today on ABC's "This Week..." Gonzalez is a "shield" whose departure will not interfere with congressional investigations, however slow.

    Posted by lewwelge at 05/20/2007 @ 9:32pm

13. "Isn't the right to life what the republican party is all about?"

    No.

    Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 10:04pm

14. No.

    Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/20/2007 @ 10:04pm

    correct

    The republican party is about the right to life and selling out their country

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 10:26pm

15. Posted by WILL C. 05/20/2007 @ 10:26pm

    You know nothing about what real republicans and conservatives believe and value, as you don't really know what they are...you think theu are Bush 1,2 or both. You I equate with Frank.

    Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 10:42pm

16. that could only be true maasch if you weren't a real republican and conservative

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 10:49pm

17. I can explain that to you if you need me too.

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 10:49pm

18. The hamsters do like the phrase in god we trust on the root of all evil. And look what the alliance between the evangelic church and greed has gotten us...

    evil

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 10:58pm

19. and that actually worked out just like we were told it would

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 10:58pm

20. Frank,

    My view of republicans is that they either worship money and all things material or they think that their God is the only God or they would like nothing better than if the country was ALL white. They're probably a combination of all three. Likable chaps except when you turn your back to them.

    Posted by FRANKGRITS 05/20/2007 @ 10:54pm

    I like you just fine and would buy you dinner if we ever happened to meet..but it is statements like the one above and your views on censorship that give great pause.

    Will as one sided as you seem to be, but he is cemented in the hard left and can't see beyond what he believes..he is a waste of time.

    Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 11:29pm

21. Will as one sided as you seem to be, but he is cemented in the hard left and can't see beyond what he believes..he is a waste of time.

    Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/20/2007 @ 11:29pm

    of course you can defend that with something other than you think so right maasch?

    Posted by Will C. at 05/20/2007 @ 11:34pm

22. "of course you can defend that with something other than you think so right maasch?

    Posted by WILL C. 05/20/2007 @ 11:34pm '

    sure..everyone of your posts youi have ever written..look at this page alone and see if you can find some , ah, "concrete" clues...

    anyway..I am out of here..It doesn't matter what you say or think and I know you feel the same about me..I accept it and comfortable with the situation...

    Posted by john maasch at 05/20/2007 @ 11:55pm

23. sure..everyone of your posts youi have ever written..look at this page alone and see if you can find some , ah, "concrete" clues...

    anyway..I am out of here..It doesn't matter what you say or think and I know you feel the same about me..I accept it and comfortable with the situation...

    Posted by JOHN MAASCH 05/20/2007 @ 11:55pm

    ah, so you're saying that you can't defend that with something other than you think so.

    (not entirely unexpected maasch)

    Posted by Will C. at 05/21/2007 @ 12:02am

24. "Maasch, thanks for the offer but the only republicans that I would break bread with are the few that are in my family and only because I have to to keep peace. But they are some dumb motherfuckers.

    Posted by FRANKGRITS 05/21/2007 @ 12:00am '

    you are welcome, ah,..I think..

    Posted by john maasch at 05/21/2007 @ 01:01am

25. "(not entirely unexpected maasch)

    Posted by WILL C. 05/21/2007 @ 12:02am

    I always get what I expect from you...

    Posted by john maasch at 05/21/2007 @ 01:02am

26. "shuffling through the deck"

    That's funny, Maasch. not hahah funny, but sad funny. there are 11 repub candidates, raising millions upon millions of dollars. They are not shuffling, they are running. Running for pres, and running FROM Chimpy, the conservative candidate of 2000, 2004.

    the best hope for the repubs is an actor from Hollyweird! Gotta love the rich, creamy, deliciously smooth irony of that! It is almost as good as an evangelical conservative "minister" being caught with male hookers.

    One of Phreds shining moments was passing laws that led to the S&L boondoggle, so we have 2 former allies of the S&L crisis on board the repub train. He also supported deregulation of the energy industry, which led to ENRON and the consolidation of energy companies we have now. In other words, the end result of his free mkt ideas has been the shrinking of competition in the mkt place.

    and he is the best you've got!! HAR!

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/21/2007 @ 07:42am

27. And he's been divorced. We know that the family is the source of all good in this country.

    Probably the worst crop of repubs in my lifetime.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/21/2007 @ 07:46am

28. In 2006 he served on the advisory board of the legal defense fund for I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, Jr, who was indicted and later convicted of lying to federal investigators during their investigation of the Plame affair.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/21/2007 @ 07:47am

29. Fred Thompson has held various positions on abortion throughout his career. He has consistently opposed any type of government funding of abortion. On the issue of whether or not abortion on demand should be legal, Thompson has shifted in his views. During his first senate campaign in 1994, when asked by a reporter from a libertarian newspaper, Fred Thompson said that the decision of whether or not to have an abortion "must be made by the woman. Government should stay out of it."

    He currently characterizes himself as being pro-life. -wiki

    Looks like we got ourselves a "flip-flopper"

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/21/2007 @ 07:49am

30. Few comments on various posts--

    FREI and MAASCH are right about Hillary in Iowa....she can lose it and still win the nomination. Remember...Bill LOST New Hampshire and spun it into a "comeback victory". She could hold third place, then come in second and claim it's a "comeback" and ride it into a victory in NH, Nevada or South Carolina. They're that good!

    FRANKGRITS of course in full-blown crush on Her Nibs.

    Notice WILL, supposedly an ardent Hillary supporter, makes no mention of her...and concentrates on JOHN MAASCH. SOP for him.

    and CRAB in attack dog mode, since he apparently doesn't care WHO gets the nomination....except on the Republican side! hehe

    Posted by Mask at 05/21/2007 @ 09:10am

31. Good to see Richardson improving so much. I hope he can continue.

    Posted by Hman23 at 05/21/2007 @ 10:10am

32. Mask

    bzzt. Wrong again. I do care.

    As in most things, I find the amusement first, then get to the nitty gritty. so far, on the dem side, Richardson looks the best to me. that is not saying a tremendous amount though. On the repubs, their best is a divorced actor from Hollyweird, with varying positions on the only plank that matters in the repub platform, abortion.

    so far Unity08 has produced nobody, but it is way early yet. My choice would be a god indy, but we have no entries in that category yet either.

    till then, I laugh at the repub whirlygig of a show. pro-abortion, pro-failed war, thrice divorced, whack job loony with gold plates. Get the clown car from John, they will need it on the tour.

    Posted by crabwalk at 05/21/2007 @ 11:16am

33. Okay, let's slough away the Republican stuff....

    "on the dem side, Richardson looks the best to me. that is not saying a tremendous amount though."----Posted by CRABWALK 05/21/2007 @ 11:16am

    Why Richardson?

    Posted by Mask at 05/21/2007 @ 12:45pm

34. Hillary Clinton's campaign is running into trouble -- potentially very serious trouble...

    Nichols fails to provide the reader with a more comprehensive view of the current state of the campaign: Edwards leads in two states. Obama leads in one. Clinton leads every remaining state.

    In light of this material information, one may consider the irony: If Clinton's seismic lead could possibly be characterized as "running into trouble", then it's the kind of "running into trouble" that every other 2008 contender dreams of!

    Posted by JoeCHI at 05/21/2007 @ 12:46pm

35. First woman running for president is a negetive, first black man is also a negetive, however either one on a ticket as V.P. is a positive. John Edwards or Bill Richardson with either V.P. is a winner. "My Pet Goat" is a better read then "America Is Under Attack".

    Posted by jjandi at 05/25/2007 @ 01:11am

36. No sorry, Rotten Rudy is not going even be the nominee. What a joke that guy is!

    Posted by denisec at 05/25/2007 @ 11:54am

37. Who are these Repugs infiltrating this site? Don't you think the Repugs have already done enough destruction? The GOP is DEAD.

    Posted by denisec at 05/25/2007 @ 11:56am