The remaining top Democratic presidential condenders are arriving in New Hampshire today to start a week-long dash to the state's key primary election on January 27th after a dramatic Iowa caucus.
With Mr Richard Gephardt leaving the field after his poor fourth-place finish in Iowa, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Iowa's two big winners, fly in to rejoin campaigns re-energised by their surprisingly strong showings.
Mr Kerry capped a stunning political comeback by taking first place in the state last night with 38 per cent of the vote, followed by Mr Edwards with a solid 32 per cent.
Former lawyer Mr Edwards had long been mired in the single digits in the polls but, like Mr Kerry, he appeared to get a second look from Democrats fixated on finding a candidate with the national appeal to beat President George W. Bush in November.
The Iowa result was a major blow for third place finisher Mr Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who has set the pace in the Democratic race and may now need a strong finish in New Hampshire to salvage his campaign.
Mr Dean finished with just 18 per cent of the Iowa vote. His clever use of the Internet to raise a record-breaking $40 million and drum up grass-roots support had helped propel him to the top of the polls late last year,
He complained that he had been a "pin cushion" for his rivals and the media because of his front-runner status but vowed to fight back in New Hampshire.
The top Iowa contenders face up to a new rival in New Hampshire in retired general Wesley Clark, who entered the race late and chose to focus his energies on the state. He has campaigned hard in recent weeks, drawing big crowds, some big-name endorsements and rising to second place in some polls.
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, the most conservative of Democratic contenders this year, also elected to skip Iowa, but he has struggled to make an impression in New Hampshire.