How Both Races Could be Over in January

Yep, that’s right. Forget Super Tuesday -- Both the Democratic and Republican races for their respective presidential nominations could be essentially over before the end of January.

On the Democratic side, it’s easy to imagine Hillary Clinton steamrolling to the nomination after a win in Iowa. Barack Obama’s campaign flame, which is currently threatening to burn through Clinton’s firewalls in the subsequent contests, would be effectively doused. That would likely make Clinton the prohibitive favorite in New Hampshire, which would be her gateway to dominating the remainder of primary season. With just five days between the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, Obama would not have time to recover. Clinton might even run the run the table like Al Gore did against Bill Bradley in 2000, when he defeated Bradley in every single primary and caucus. Keep in mind that the race was very close that year as it headed into the Iowa Caucuses, with Bradley holding slight lead there in some polls. Once Gore, the establishment favorite and original frontrunner, won in Iowa, his nomination became a foregone conclusion and Bradley could never regain his footing. 

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney has lost his once-formidable lead in Iowa, after having been recently overtaken by Mike Huckabee. However, losing his lead could be a blessing in disguise for Romney if he ultimately regains it and scores a victory in Iowa. Whereas before it would have been seen as an expected victory, it would now be viewed as a stunning comeback and a great show of resilience. No doubt it would solidify his standing as the frontrunner in New Hampshire, where he has never lost his lead. With wins in  Iowa and New Hampshire in hand, Romney would likely shoot to the top of the polls in Michigan and South Carolina, venues where he is already very competitive, although not currently leading. Wins in those contests would likely leave him with competitors who would be too weakened to put up much of a fight in Florida and in the Super Tuesday states that follow a week later.