Iowa: Edwards leads, Richardson surges

Didnt see any diary about the horserace numbers, so here is the latest Des Moines Register poll of likely democratic caucus goers:

Edwards 29%
Obama 23%
Clinton 21%
Richardson 10%
Biden 3%
Kucinich 2%
Gravel 1%
Dodd -
Not sure 11%

Link

What to make of it? I think Edwards is still comfortably ahead among LIKELY caucus participants and clearly Richardsons strategy to run TV ads early has´paid off and he is now moving up rapidly.

I can clearly envision a four way race in Iowa and other early states. Richardson is a candidate who can connect on a personal level. Maybe not a great orator, although his speech at the DNC winter convention was pretty good. As more Iowans will see him in person his name recognition numbers should improve and enhance his poll standing even further.

I know that Richardson has lost some points in the blogosphere due to his lackluster and clumsy debate performance. But I do think he has the potential to move into the first tier of candidates until late summer. Higher poll numbers in Iowa and NH will ease his fundraising efforts, giving him in turn more ressources to go on with his TV ad campaign.

I still want Edwards to win, with Richardson or Clark as VP.

But I wouldnt be too sad to see Richardson snatch the nomination.

He is standing out with his distinctively funny, western style ads which bodes well for a general election campaign against any one of the republican clones.