The morning after the Iowa caucuses changed the American political landscape, the editors at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer chose to lead the home page with Gov. Chris Gregoire's decision to tear down the Alaskan Way Viaduct by 2012.What were they thinking? All politics is local? Not last night. The mandate for change delivered by the Iowans was seismic.
Last night's Democratic caucuses result lessened the likelihood of a third-force movement led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Barack Obama's strong showing, cutting across all demographics, and Hillary Clinton's third-place finish (running strongly only among over-60 women), made it extremely likely that Obama will be nominated – unless someone in Hillary's corner turns dirty and tries to stop him with a smear campaign.
What keeps us planted on the corner, waiting for that little light to tell us to "walk"? Frankly, we're a bunch of walking wussies, and if the city's going to call itself foot-friendly, it's time step up to the challenge.