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Huge Turnout in Iowa Caucuses. Obama, Huckabee Winners |
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The first votes of 2008 are in, and the winners of Iowa’s caucuses are Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on the Democratic side and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.) on the Republican side. As the first contest of the 2008 presidential race, the Iowa caucuses set off what is sure to be a competitive primary process.
The record participation in these caucuses proves the demand for change in the country from the past seven years of the Bush administration’s anti-working family agenda. With the health care system in crisis and the economy failing working families, Iowa voters came out in unprecedented numbers to demand new policies and a new agenda.
AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney had this to say about the remarkable participation in Iowa’s caucuses:
The amazing turnout in Iowa is a great sign that voters are determined to take our country in a new direction. The energy we’re seeing is an emphatic, exhilarating rejection of the Bush agenda.
The Democratic race was marked by record turnout, with 239,000 attendees—a 93 percent increase over the 2004 turnout figures. The Republican caucuses drew 115,000 voters, also a record.
Obama won 38 percent of the vote in Iowa, followed by former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) with 30 percent and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) with 29 percent.
Huckabee won 34 percent of the vote, a sizable margin over former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), who came in second at 25 percent. Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) finished third with 13 percent, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) came in fourth place with 13 percent.
With more than twice as much turnout on the Democratic side as the Republican side, it’s worth noting that third-place finisher Clinton brought in more than 73,000 votes, nearly doubling the 38,000 votes that went to Republican winner Huckabee.
(The Democratic numbers are only estimates, however. The Iowa caucus system is an unusual process, and the state Democratic Party uses a formula to calculate the results based on precinct-level and county-level participation. The raw numbers are not made public. Most other states use a more straightforward primary election system.)
According to exit polling by MSNBC, members of union households made up 22 percent of the vote. (Union households make up 15 percent of Iowa’s voting-age population, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.) Obama and Clinton tied for first among these voters, with 30 percent each; Edwards won 24 percent of union household members.
For reaction from labor leaders in Iowa, check out Workers Independent News.
The AFL-CIO did not make an endorsement in the presidential primaries and will not carry out a united program during the primary season, as all major Democratic candidates are strong supporters of working family issues. The three top finishers in Iowa have high lifetime AFL-CIO congressional voting record scores: Clinton has 93 percent, Edwards 97 percent and Obama 96 percent.
Although the AFL-CIO did not endorse, several affiliate unions did, and many of those unions ran active programs in Iowa.
AFSCME released TV ads in support of Clinton, and AFT aired radio ads supporting Clinton. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union was active in Iowa in support of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), including a bus tour featuring Dodd and IAFF members from around the state. The Iowa Postal Workers union (APWU) supported Edwards.
In addition to AFSCME and the AFT, Clinton has won the endorsement of 10 unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO: AFSCME, AFT, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the Bricklayers (BAC), the Letter Carriers (NALC), the Machinists (IAM), the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA), TCU/IAM, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the United Transportation Union (UTU).
Three national unions are backing Edwards in the Democratic primaries: the Mine Workers (UMWA), Transport Workers (TWU) and United Steelworkers (USW).
IAM’s endorsement of Clinton in the Democratic primaries was accompanied by an endorsement of Huckabee in the Republican primaries. The union earlier this week denounced Huckabee’s move to cross the picket line of striking television writers to appear on the Jan. 2 “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
On the Democratic side, results stayed tight throughout the night. As results came in, Edwards, Obama and Clinton stayed with a few percentage points of each other—and frequently less than 1 percent—as they switched between first, second and third places.
On the Republican side, however, news networks projected Huckabee’s win early in the night.
Sens. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) announced shortly after the caucus that they would drop out of the presidential race.
IAFF President Harold Schaitberger released a statement today thanking Dodd for his efforts and his commitment to the issues that matter to Fire Fighters and working families.
Simply put, we have stood with him because we believe that Chris Dodd should be the next president of the United States. Now that he is ending that quest, we thank Chris for a hard fought campaign. We have been proud to stand with him through this tough effort. I am extremely proud of the time, sweat and heartfelt effort the professional fire fighters of Iowa gave for Chris. While we walk away with our heads held very high, knowing we made the right decision to support the right candidate, ultimately, this time, with the extremely high turnout and massive funding advantages of other candidates, our effort was not enough.
The Fire Fighters union will not make a new endorsement until the spring.
The next test for the Republican candidates is Jan. 5, at the Wyoming caucuses. The first regular primary of the year is set for Jan. 8 in New Hampshire.
For more information on presidential candidates, visit Working Families Vote 2008.
8 Comments
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I am very disturbed by the fact that Obama has a better voting record than Hillary Clinton and yet not one union has endorsed him.
What I would like to know is how many of Obama’s votes were people who would have voted for Congressman Kucinich. I am very disappointed that he told his people to vote for another candidate. I do not care what anyone says, the two best candidates in the race for workers is Congressman Kucinich and Senator John Edwards.
Obama is endorsed by the United Auto Workers Region 4 (Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin).
Unfortunately, all these candidates have foreign policy advisors who want to continue the criminally insane warmongerng policies of the Bush-Clinton-Bush dynasty. See Democracy Now with journalist Allen Nairn for a rundown on who is on board for Obama, Clinton, etc.
HRC’s silence about the hundreds of thousands of civilians, mostly children, who died during the sanctions against Iraq during Big Bill’s regime is quite revealing, as was the presence of former sec. of State Albright at HRC’s rally. Albright famously opined that the deaths of the Iraqi children was worth it in the supposed war against Saddam. The Clintons need to be prosecuted for war crimes. Obama has a number of former Clintonite imperialists on his team.
for real “Change we can believe in” vote for Cynthia McKinney, now a candidate of the Green Party.
I am A former Auto Worker and Sheet Metal Worker. I would just like to say that Anyone Who supports Obama or Hillary are fools! You people better do your homework and research their past. The only Democrat That I would support is John Edwards! If he doesnt get the nomination, well, I believe that I will look the other way!
If you want to know a little bit about Obamas life style, check this website out, www.ttcu
Obamas lifestyle is on www.tucc.org. If he is an American christian such as I , besides Almighty God, who is he devoted to, America or Africa!
I would never vote for a candidate that crossed my picket line and the Huckster, Huckabee did, I have a Problem with Clinton because Bill Clinton Signed the NAFTA Bill, so any real choice for me is Edwards and Obama. You need to know that Edwards is in bed with the Trial Lawyers so Mr Clean in the Presidential Race looks like Obama for me. We have experienced a congress that the GOP congressional Politicians have rubber stamped most everything Bush wants. We need a new everything in America, a complete House Cleaning.
None of these candidtates impress me,not one is talking about what they will do to change this country.I have not heard one straight answer to any question ask of them.We are going to be left with the only vote possible again,which is the lesser of two evils.None of these people give a whit about working people or our problems.I can’t figure out how any union could endorse any of them.Use your heads big business owns them all.Until we get term limits they always will.Put a republican or a democrat in the white house nothing will change,because they still do not listen to the people,lip service is all we get.
Pinky 1’s admonitions about Obama’s “lifestyle”, religion, etc., have no place on this website. This election is about bring our country together and rebuilding the middle class and workers’ bargaining and organizing rights — not about a candidate’s religion. Religion belongs in our houses of worship and homes. Not on the campaign trial.