If the weather's bad, we'd hear something like

Edwards' grimly efficient army of union bosses, tree-huggers, and out-of-state class-warriors managed to drag their base out to the caucuses while Clinton and Obama supporters, happy with either of the frontrunners, stayed off the treacherous roads.

If the weather's good, try

Most Democrats, equally happy with either of the front runners, chose to spend the gloriously springlike day outdoors, leaving only Edwards' supporters to be frogmarched to the caucuses by a grimly efficient army of etc etc etc

And if the weather's so-so they'll come up with another lame rationale that has nothing to do with populism. And if they can't stifle the populist message they'll do their damnedest to select, or if necessary arrange, some bit of nastiness at the Edwards victory celebration with supposed-JRE supporters that are clearly crass &/or nasty &/or bloodthirsty &/or smell bad, & every MSM network & Far Wrong screaming head will play the clip of that over&over in the ensuing days to make JRE seem like the leader of a lynch mob, the same way they took Howard Dean's shouting over the crowd & turned it into The Scream.

John Edwards has to know that a win in Iowa will be more like El-Alamein than Midway--not (in Churchill's words) "the beginning of the end, but perhaps the end of the beginning." The craporate wing of the Democratic Party won't give up that easily. It'll be one battle after another, getting worse all the time, all the way through primary season--& probably beyond, when the DLC-riddled DNC proceeds to turn its back on the Presidential ticket in favor of Congressional races where its favored flunkies are running...

I will preface what I'm about to say by stating that I firmly believe John Edwards has as strong a chance as any in taking Iowa.  His movement, and yes, it is a movement, will grow and expand.

I sometimes look at the other scenarios.  I think we know what we'll be getting in Clinton.  I wonder how Obama supporters will feel when they realize that their candidate is a complete centrist.  Will they continue to look the other way?

I watch Obama very carefully.  He pretends to be populist...he gives the illusion of being populist...but none of his actions, nor policies bear this out.

He's okay.  But as a populist?  He's the Emperor's new clothes.

Obama, folks, is letting us all know who he is.  I watch his supporters here on this site come to his rescue time and again with only his speech of 2003 to "prove' that he's the agent for change.

Edwards time and again sets the bar this election cycle.  The others spew rhetoric and make adjustments in policy to appear as if they're not being left in the dust.  They know in their hearts what is right.

But:

They don't lead.  Only one man does. Edwards.  And should either Obama or Clinton win this thing, they'll be fooling themselves if they think Populiism is on the back burner.

It's here to stay.  America is crying out for it.

But one should keep in mind that, despite the claims of Mr. Mizner, relatively few economic "corporatists" are "centrist" on social policy.

Indeed, going on history (which I recognize, as a proponent of the "populist south", you probably would rather not), it's the populists that have been staunch conservatives.

The rest of the article has some merit. If Edwards is to win Iowa, he will not become the frontrunner, but he'll easily move into the first tier, and if he manages the media properly has a very good shot at winning the nomination.

.....the revival of a strong political coalition, the likes of which have not been seen since FDR.  A big tent that includes progressives, the Farm-Laborites, peace activists, the environmentalists, small businesses, those with small farms, organized labor, and the politically and economically disenfranchised.

This sounds like a real winner.  

send a real message to our more moderate Dems. The course that the current Dem leadership has been taking is not only not working, it's only serving to weaken the party. I hope that Iowans realize that Edwards message is not only the right one, but a winning one.

For example. Today I went to a rally in Washington Square Park where John Edwards spoke in front of the writers who are on strike.  Edwards received a fantastic welcome to a cheering crowd of hundreds -- the loudest welcome of any of the speakers. I received compliments on my "John Edwards for President" sticker from lots of people in the crowd. I stood next to Tina Fey and Seth Meyers of SNL as they cheered as Edwards spoke.

Here's the Newsweek covered the event: http://www.blog.newsweek.com/...

Total mischaracterization of the tone and sentiment of the crowd.

Sad when reporters would rather talk about candidates as being "shiny" than the substance of the message.

I like what he says, but the man himself has disappointed me.

I don't see Edwards bringing about such a realignment.  I see him winning if he's the nominee, easily, but that's all.  If I'm wrong, I will be very gladly mistaken have no doubt, but it would be a great surprise to me.