Poll smoking

The latest CBS News/New York Times presidential campaign poll out of Iowa is very interesting indeed.

On the Democratic side, it's a statistical dead heat among Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. But on the Republican side, while Romney leads, Huckabee is only six percentage points behind, with Giuliani another six points back.

Here are the numbers (PDF):

Democrats

Biden 4
Clinton 25
Dodd 1
Edwards 23
Gravel
Kucinich 1
Obama 22
Richardson 12
Undecided (vol) 11
DK/NA 1

Republicans

Giuliani 15
Huckabee 21
Hunter 2
McCain 4
Paul 4
Romney 27
Tancredo 3
Thompson 9
Someone else /None (Vol.) 1
Undecided (Vol.) 10
DK/NA 2

While Iowa isn't going to decide either nomination by itself, it's safe to say it will play a significant role. And so the media's masturbatory fantasy of Clinton vs. Giuliani may not be quite the fait accompli the pundits might have you believe.