Our Iowa Picks

Our Iowa picks are listed below. On the Democratic side, point values are as follows: 18 points for the winner, 9 points for 2nd, 6 points for 3rd, and 4.5 points for 4th. The Republican race, with fewer viable candidates, will be worth 12 points for the winner, 6 points for 2nd, 4 points for 3rd, and 3 points for 4th.

Democrats
My Picks:
1) Obama
2) Edwards
3) Clinton
4) Biden

Geoff:
1) Edwards
2) Obama
3) Clinton
4) Biden

Joaquin:
1) Edwards
2) Clinton
3) Obama
4) Biden

JJ:
1) Edwards
2) Clinton
3) Obama
4) Richardson

Devin:
1) Clinton
2) Edwards
3) Obama
4) Richardson

Matt:
1) Obama
2) Clinton
3) Edwards
4) Richardson

Lemme parse the picks a bit. Its interesting that Edwards make 5 of our 6 top 2s (including leading with 3 first place picks). Obama is hit-or-miss, picked to win by 2 of us and to finish as low as third by another 3. Finally, our 4th place picks are evenly split between Biden and Richardson, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding that spot, uncertainty which will allow whichever of these two finishes there to claim a small victory.

Republicans
My Picks:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) McCain
4) Thompson

Geoff:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) Paul
4) McCain

Joaquin:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) McCain
4) Paul

JJ:
1) Romney
2) Huckabee
3) McCain
4) Thompson

Devin:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) Thompson
4) McCain

Matt:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) McCain
4) Paul

Immediately after finalizing my picks, I began to wish I'd picked Romney. I still think he out-mans Huckabee organizationally and I assumed that most of us would go with Huckabee. As it turns out, JJ was the only one to go with Mitt the Massachusetts Mormon. If Romney comes up big on Caucus night, JJ will feel as though he's just dug up some gold in his back yard. Apparently we're all believers in the McCain surge, as we all have him in our top 4s. Three of us are also betting on some unlikely caucus-goers showing up to leapfrog Paul ahead of Thompson and Giuliani and into the top 4.