Off the I-15

Caucus fever hit the newsroom at the Desert Dispatch on Thursday just as it was hitting interested horserace watchers across the country. And even though no one from the newsroom is hopping a red-eye to farm house in Boone, Iowa to caucus with the rest of Iowains tonight, we did conduct a very informal poll about how the candidates will fair in tonight’s caucus.

The newsroom thought former republican governor Mike Huckabee would fare the best out of GOP candidates tonight. On the Democrat side, Illinois Senator Barack Obama edged out New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

Here’s a breakdown of who we think will come out of Iowa ahead of the rest. How do you think the results will shake out?

— Aaron Aupperlee | Staff writer

David Heldreth, sports writer
Democrats:
1) Barack Obama
2) Hillary Clinton
3) John Edwards

Republicans:
1) Mike Huckabee
2) Mitt Romney
3) John McCain

Jason Smith, staff writer
Democrats:
1) Hillary Clinton
2) Barack Obama
3) John Edwards

Republicans:
1) Mike Huckabee
2) Mitt Romney
3) John McCain

JoAnne Dutcher, page designer
Democrats:
1) Barack Obama
2) John Edwards
3) Hillary Clinton

Republicans:
1) Mike Huckabee
2) Mitt Romney
3) Rudy Giuliani

Matthew Peters, sports editor
Democrats:
1) Barack Obama
2) Hillary Clinton
3) John Edwards

Republicans:
1) John McCain
2) Rudy Giuliani
3) Fred Thompson

Aaron Aupperlee, city editor
Democrats:
1) Hillary Clinton
2) Barack Obama
3) Bill Richardson

Republicans:
1) Mike Huckabee
2) John McCain
3) Ron Paul

Scott Shackford, editor in chief
Democrats:
1) Barack Obama (In a squeaker, he adds)
2) Hillary Clinton
3) John Edwards

Republicans:
1) Mike Huckabee
2) John McCain
3) Mitt Romney

It’s 2008, really, it’s 2008. Excited yet?

I always consider Jan. 2 to be the first real day of the new year. New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, just doesn’t count for me. It’s a day when most of the country is either recovering from the late night before, watching college football or doing both. It’s not a holiday steeped with history like Columbus Day, or one filled with tradition like Thanksgiving. It’s just a day to be completely lazy. One day to rest before you face the daunting task of trying not to screw up the next year.

For that matter, I love new year’s resolutions. I am historically bad at them — I still don’t make my bed, still overweight and still bite my nails, all resolutions of years past — but I like the idea of them and hence, make a lot. I sow my new years resolutions like the haphazard gardener. I throw a bunch out there at the beginning of the year and wait a few months to see which ones take root. And, I keep most of my resolutions private. There’s no use advertising a goal that even I don’t think I’ll keep. So you won’t see a list of my — it now numbers at least 10 — resolutions. But here are two I feel confident to share.

1) Do more of this, blogging.
When we first got the blogs on www.desertdispatch.com, there was a lot of excitement and the newsroom took to updating the “Off the I-15” blog with gusto. Then we all got busy and the blog moved to the back burner where it simmered until we scraped a minute or so out of our day to blog. Well, no more.

2) Limit fast food consumption to once a week.
Not sure if many people know where the Desert Dispatch office is, but you can literally stand in the parking lot and look out over the skyline and have your pick of deliciously unhealthy lunchtime options. I spent the last year sampling them all. So fast food regulars and employees on East Main Street, keep me honest on this one. If you see me in Del Taco on a Monday and then see me sneak in the again on a Friday, just remind me that there are seven days in a week.

There’s a peak of what I’ve got planned for Aaron Aupperlee 2008. What about you? Get your resolutions out in cyber-space and ask all us to help keep you on track in the new year.

— Aaron Aupperlee | city editor