What Was the Meaning of the Iowa Caucus Results?

Iowa citizens made their choice clear last night, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee won going away giving the Democrats a unique double victory. The Republican Party is still in shock after a Democrat won their first contest of the 2008 presidential year.

I'm joking, of course, but only a little. Huckabee is a Republican, but he won by appealing to the Democratic side of the Iowa Republican voter.

He was the Republican who distanced himself farthest from George W. Bush, attacked by Mitt Romney for saying that Bush's "arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad." Iowans agreed with Huckabee and the Democrats.

Iowans chose Huckabee's pro-environmental policies rejecting the burn and pillage approach favored by the rest of the field. They knew they wanted Huckabee when he said, "we have a responsibility to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, to conserve energy, to find alternative forms of energy that are renewable and sustainable and environmentally friendly.''

While the Republican candidates tried to stir up hate and prejudice against illegal immigrants, Huckabee stood his ground saying, "that some anti-immigration Republicans are guilty of demagoguery and racism."

CNBC this morning called Huckabee's economic positions farther left than many in the Democratic Party. Fred Thompson called Huckabee a "pro-life liberal," because of his populist economic positions and his record raising some taxes as governor of Arkansas. Iowans rejected Thompson.

Huckabee was not ashamed to share his Christian/Democratic values. He appealed to Iowan's sense of fairness and humanity and tries to change the Republican Party's image of greed and selfishness . He made health care a priority while critising the economic disparities that have arisen under Bush, leaving his Republican bedmates foaming at the mouth.

Iowans rejected Romney's call for reaffirming Bush's tax cuts, they rejected McCain's Iraq policy, they rejected the hate of Tancredo ,and they ignored Guiliani's attempt to wallow in 9/11 self pity. Iowan Republican rejected their own party.

Huckabee's win has been explained by his religious evangelicalism, but that is too simple an explanation. Look farther and you'll see that the Republicans, in the reddest of red states, have dramatically shifted toward the Democratic Party.