Correction! Romney was declared the winner by 8 votes! And here I am with a Dewey-Defeats-Truman hed!
AFTERTHOUGHT: This is not the closest significant presidential race ever. In 2000, Bush “defeated” Gore by 5 to 4.
Original post follows:
With “99%” of the vote reported according to the NYT, it’s Santorum by a literal double handful of votes, but since (as Bryan informs us in comments) a recount is impossible, it looks as if they’ll call it a draw. Two observations…
This is good for Santorum, who had little credibility as a candidate before fighting Romney to an effective draw, but…
This is best of all for Obama, because it means that the Republican field is well beyond divided, all the way to fragmented, and the nut-jobs seem to be beating out the semi-sane for the prize of losing in the general. Why do I think that? Because nut-jobs are uncompromising bastards; they get what they want or they go home. (Someone effectively accused ME of that this week, but never mind.) If they go home, they effectively vote for Obama. I, of course, have mixed feelings about that, but that’s a discussion for another time. It’s off to bed for me… (yawn…)
Steve Bates - Yellow Doggerel Democratic Views 
Comments
Does this mean that no one voted for Obama and Romney is now president? I for one am glad that all this political stuff is over for another four years!
Shaun, I’m assuming a /snark tag after your comment. I don’t even know if Democrats held a caucus in Iowa; if they did, it certainly didn’t get any media or press attention. Pretty much the only reason a one-term incumbent president isn’t his/her party’s candidate for a second term is if he/she decides to retire (e.g., Lyndon Johnson… it’s rare but it does happen).
honestly, i think the best thing to happen is for obama to be re-elected because the GOP completely melts down. not long ago they republicans were overconfident. the economy sucks and the president has alienated his base. they really have everything going for them in the upcoming general election. if they then blow it because they have embraced their inner nutjob, maybe the GOP will finally have to reassess the direction they have gone for the past 30 years.
i don’t think the dems are likely to do their own reassessment if obama loses because they can blame the bad economy and the fact that the economy began tanking before obama went into office. so while both parties really need to reevaluate themselves, only a GOP loss is likely to make that happen, IMHO.
‘noz, the GOP seems to be in disarray, but they have most of a year to get their act together, and of course their candidate choice is made by more than mere voters… I am convinced it’s largely a top-down process. Given that Obama or a Republican will win in November (no third-party candidate can possibly win), my vague hope is for Obama, but he has been such a deplorable president from a civil liberties standpoint that I personally will not vote for him. I don’t like being in this position, but my position is not of my own creation. If I am to be a Democrat, I demand better Democrats as candidates.
Steve I wasn’t being serious! It’s just with all the hot air and print expended over this rabble one could almost imagine it was all over for another 4 years!
Not to worry, Shaun… that’s exactly what I assumed. I’ve read somewhere that without explicit visual cues like /s or a smiley, there is no way online to distinguish sarcasm from genuine nutjobbery. In your case, though, I was pretty sure which it was. 🙂
Someone’s claiming there was a 20 vote typo and Santorum really won. Too funny!