More Perennial Politics

The Iowa caucuses are over and everyone - myself included - is digesting the surprising results: Obama for the Democrats and Huckaby for the Republicans by commanding pluralities. How long will the magic of the newly minted leaders survive the rough and tumble of the next round or two? Only fools would predict the outcome of next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary vote.

If both of the turnover twins win again, the whole campaign process will taken on a totally different look. Everything will then depend on the outcome of the 22 state primaries on February 5th. By then too we shall also know the results of a few other minor state primaries - South Carolina, Nevada and Wyoming, I believe. This race is for the patient, but who among us who are political junkies are willing to wait.

Meanwhile, back in Canada Prime Minister Harper has finally agreed to hold a meeting with the premiers of the provinces. That too smells like a political gambit, especially after refusing to meet with the premiers for the two years he has been in office. Is it designed to persuade the electorate that the economy is becoming more fragile than the predicted large surplus and high Canadian dollar led us to believe? The PM is meeting with the premiers next week then hustling off to two international conference before returning to meet the House of Commons at the end of the month. Again we must wait and see.