Barrack Obama (D) and Mike Huckabee (R) topped the polls in Iowa. Hillary Clinton (D) and John McCain (R) were first a week later in New Hampshire. Former mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani (R) failed to finish better than fourth in either contest, both of which play a vital role in determining each party's eventual nomination for the presidency (if for no other reason than they are the first caucus and primary, respectively, and thus there exists a media feeding frenzy around each), yet still holds on to a close second place behind Huckabee in the national polls.

Some candidates have seen the writing on the walls (somewhat akin to Jack Torrance in Kubrik's 1980 horror classic 'The Shining'—or not) and have dropped out while some continue in what seem to be campaigns of utter futility. We have another comeback Clinton, an ordained evangelical minister who believes not in evolution but the power of some divine being that exists only in theory, a man that hopes to be the first African American to call the oval office his own, a man that quelled New York City's collective hysteria after the attacks of 9/11, the guy who sent Massachusetts into a tailspin and another that spent five years in the hideous confines of multiple Vietnam war camps.

Clinton, who led the national polls by nearly twenty percentage points just over a month ago, finds herself in a gridlock with the surging Obama. Six percentage points separate the top three at the national level on the right side: Huckabee (25), Giuliani (20, and McCain (19).

There are, as there always are at this time of the year, a preponderance of separate scenarios and story lines working reciprocally to confuse you, the voters. Fortunately, you the voters have the power to choose. Unfortunately, the media has the power to manipulate those choices. And they will, inevitably, do just that.

Don't however expect clairvoyant political advice from me, though, as I am neither sage nor scholar. Go to Wikipedia for that. But for a good time, and maybe some laughs, come here. I'll be sure to make some egregious error in political judgment weekly.

Note: from time to time Mr. Doyle will use this space to breakdown the political world.