How could Hillary boost Edwards?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Asked this a few weeks back, but much has changed since. In a new NH poll Edwards is actually visible at 15%, which spices things up.

Hillary would like to win Iowa, but if she cannot she needs Edwards to win Iowa. In fact, it it were absolutely certain that Obama would finish first, it would serve Hillary better to finish third than second.

If she wins Iowa she runs the table. But if Obama wins Iowa, an ongoing Edwards candidacy will keep the non-Hillary vote divided. The last thing she wants is to be head-to-head with Obama before February 5th.

As a practical political matter, how does Hillary boost Edwards, if she needs to? (It could be as blunt as over-the-top sliming Obama, hurting him and her both, but there must be subtler wrinkles to the question.)

[K Gardner]

1. Have to get back to you on that - the question made my head hurt...

I still have a headache from the GOP debate last night. But excellent strategy question !

[Adelante]

2. Edwards is moving back into Mr. Positive mode

Hillary wisely ignored his negative season, choosing to hit back at Obama, so with Hillary and Obama at each other's throats, Edwards gets to play nice guy again, which can only do him some good in Iowa. In itself a boost from Hillary.

[Life Long Dem]

3. What she is doing right now.

Keep on fighting with Obama.

[Stop Cornyn]

4. Obama and Edwards benefit from boosting each other because Hillary loses out in that scenario

From today's Rasmussen polling report:

In terms of second-choices in Iowa, John Edwards tops the list of candidates. He is the second choice for 28% of likely caucus participants. Obama is the second choice for 18%, Clinton for 16%, and Richardson for 15%. Second choice preferences are especially important given the nature of the Iowa caucuses. In a particular caucus setting, if a candidate receives less than 15% of the vote, their supporters will be re-allocated to other candidates.

If Hillary wins Iowa it's over for both candidates. If Edwards' and Obama's caucus supporters in who are superfluous to their first choice candidate's delegate count caucus for each other, they all help ensure that someone (hopefully both Obama and Edwards) comes out of Iowa ahead of Hillary and stops the coronation.

[geek tragedy]

5. No, if Obama wins Iowa Edwards is toast.

And if Clinton finishes third, she takes a HUGE hit in NH.

[Stop Cornyn]

6. Don't think so. If one beats Hillary and the other doesn't it's over for the one who doesn't because

support will migrate to the one who beat Hillary.

Otherwise, there is only a 7% gap between Obama and Edwards in New Hampshire, and that's really too close to be calling the race six weeks out.

Granted, there's a much bigger gap between both of them and Hillary, so you can legitimately ask if Hillary leaves Iowa with a bounce to add upon her current lead -- who can catch her and where?

Any candidate who finishes ahead of Hillary in Iowa will live to see the New Hampshire primary.

[geek tragedy]

7. If Edwards doesn't beat Obama in Iowa, no way in hell

does he then turn around and catch him in NH.

Remember that in 2004 he was the surprise second place finisher in Iowa, and went "splat" in NH, finishing in 5th place with 12% of the vote.