A Scary Pre-Caucus Analysis of What Drives Voters at the Huffington Post and Second Thoughts About Obama at the Daily Kos

In a scary pre-caucus analysis titled Iowa: It's Emotions, Stupid! published in today’s Huffington Post, Peter Emerson and Michael Maslansky predict:

“It will not be the experience of a candidate; it will be the emotion of the voter that decides this election. New studies of the brain by neuroscientists and psychiatrists prove that emotions trump logic.”

In supporting their case, Emerson and Maslansky point first to the “likeability” factor in the two previous elections that helped Dubya, the guy you’d most like to have a beer with,” defeat first Gore and then Kerry.

If the Emerson and Maslansky analysis is correct, America will continue on the dangerous course set by Dubya by choosing Obama, the candidate registering higher on emotional appeal than support for his qualifications for the presidency.

But one well known voter is taking a step back from his earlier support of Obama: in today’s Daily Kos, Markos shares second thoughts about the candidate he’d previously endorsed:

"You know, I was going to vote for Obama and even announced that a week or so ago. But this is a great example of why it's best to wait and see how things shake out. Not being blinded by candidate worship, it's easier to sniff out the bullshit. And you have to have your head stuck deep in the sand to deny that Obama is trying to close the deal by running to the Right of his opponents. And call me crazy, but that's not a trait I generally appreciate in Democrats, no matter how much it might set the punditocracy's hearts a flutter.

"I don't get to vote for another month, so we'll see how the next four weeks go. Certainly none of these guys have earned my vote yet.

"Amazingly enough, none of them walk on water, no matter what their frenzied supporters might think."

That's a good thought to keep in mind as the Iowa count down begins.