Obama, Huckabee claim victory in Iowa

4 Jan 2008, 3:26 pm   -   Source: SBS staff and agencies
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US presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have claimed victory in the battle for Iowa's caucus nominations.

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US White House hopefuls Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have claimed Iowa's presidential nominations following a bitterly contested caucus battle.

Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister and the former governor of Arkansas, was considered a rank outsider only weeks ago, but came from behind to win voters' approval with the help of his Christian faith and folksy demeanor.

Celebrating his win with party members, Mr Huckabee said he would be "forever grateful" to those who spoke up in his favour at caucus meetings across the state.

"Tonight I love Iowa a whole lot," he told a cheering audience at his campaign headquarters, before vowing to continue the fight for nomination in New Hampshire's primary next week.

'Breath of fresh air'

Illinois senator Barack Obama was much derided by his opponents for his youth and relative inexperience; however his promise to bring a breath of fresh air to Washington appears to have struck a chord with supporters.

"They said this day would never come," he told fans and party members at a victory rally late on Thursday night. "They said our sights were set too high... that this country was too divided, too disillusioned.

"But you have done what the cynics said we could not do... you came together to stand up and say, 'We are one nation, we are one people, and our time for change has come,'" he said.

Mr Obama exploded onto the US political scene at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 with a stunning speech which drew comparisons with Martin Luther King and John and Bobby Kennedy.

Exceptionally high turnout

His win in Iowa is a huge blow for one-time front-runner Hillary Clinton, who finished in the dreaded third place, behind challenger John Edwards.

Despite her poor result, the former first lady pledged to continue her fight to win the White House in her own right.

"I am so ready for the rest of this campaign, and I am so ready to lead," she told supporters.

Offering her congratulations to Mr Obama and Mr Edwards, Ms Clinton said the exceptionally high caucus turnout was great news for their party, saying she was sure a Democrat was destined to win the presidency.

Big-spending campaigns

If she is to be the one who takes on that role, Ms Clinton will have to follow her husband's example and fight back strongly at forthcoming primaries. Bill Clinton christened himself the "Comeback Kid" during his 1992 campaign.

Mr Huckabee's success among Republicans came at the expense of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

The multi-millionaire's big-spending campaign was criticised for his negative tone, but he has insisted he will fight on to New Hampshire, where he is seen as the firm favourite to win.

"I'm looking for the gold or the silver," Mr Romney told Fox News. "I'm going to continue battling and I will get the nomination."

Democratic drop-outs

High profile Republican candidates John McCain and Rudy Giuliani's share of the Iowa vote was poor, with the pair coming in third and fifth respectively, but both said they had been concentrating on campaigning elsewhere.

Vietnam veteran Mr McCain is looking to upset Mr Romney in New Hampshire next week, while former New York mayor Mr Giuliani is pinning his hopes on the state of Florida, which holds its primary on January 29.

Two Democratic candidates, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, have bowed out of the race for the presidency on the back of poor showings in Iowa.

Nominations are expected to be finalised on February 5, the so-called 'Super Tuesday' when voters in more than 20 states take part in caucuses and primaries.

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