The Road to Iowa: 17 Days To Go

While most Americans are thinking about upcoming holidays, presidential candidates are focused on Iowa, where the nation's first test in the race for party nomination is set for 3 January, 17 days from now.

Over the weekend, Democratic contender Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain racked up important endorsements. The Des Moines Register endorsed Clinton and McCain, who also got the Boston Globe endorsement and one from the NH Union Leader. Barack Obama picked up the Globe Democratic endorsement.

Polls suggest that Clinton, Obama and John Edwards are neck-and-neck in Iowa; the endorsement from The Register provided a spark of life for the Clinton campaign. However, as Deborah White notes, it's unlikely that "undecideds" will migrate to the Clinton camp, as the candidate is perceived as polarizing (you either like her or dislike her - very little "in-between" which is were undecideds live).

Read more: 2008 Election Central, 2008 Straw Poll, Comparison of 2008 Democratic and Republican Presidential Candidate Fundraising - 3rd Quarter 2007.