Horse Race

Yesterday, Kucinich exhorted his Iowa supporters, in the likely event that his support fails to make him a viable contender, to select Obama as their second choice. Dodd declined to do the same:

"The idea that I would go around telling key supporters of mine that tomorrow night, if for whatever reason we didn't get 15 percent, I want you to do the following — I'm not sure I'd vote for me," Dodd said. "The idea that you're trying to market me, auction me off to some other campaign, would truly bother me."

Wow, lookee there—respect for his supporters' autonomy!

Biden's campaign first suggested they would direct their supporters elsewhere, and expected it to be in Obama's direction, then said they wouldn't. Then came a report that they were making a deal with the Obama camp to shift support in specific precincts, which was met with denials.

The Richardson campaign is also expected to direct supports to second-round Obama, with now-denied rumors of back room deals with the Obama campaign circulating earlier yesterday.

Why all the support for Obama? Because it extends the primary. If Clinton wins Iowa, the primary is effectively over and the nomination is hers. But if Obama wins it, there's still a horserace, which means there's a greater possibility of getting to February 5th's Super Duper Tuesday—and that's where Clinton is, presumably, the most beatable if she's hasn't already sealed the deal.