Huckabee and Obama Wrap Up Iowa

Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee. Those two are the big winners of the Iowa Caucus. Huckabee's story is one of a political miracle. Obama's story is about change. CBN reporter David Brody provided coverage from Des Moines on the first big night in the race for the presidency. Big Night in Iowa The smiles were everywhere. The excitement immeasurable. This was Mike Huckabee's night. "I wasn't sure I would ever be able to love a state as much as I love my home state of Arkansas, but tonight, I love Iowa a whole lot," said Huckabee to applause. Call it a miracle. Call it fate. Call it unbelievable. But however you describe it, this is truly an underdog story for a candidate who was outspent 15 to 1 by his chief rival, Mitt Romney. "We proved that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks like you and across this country who believe that it wasn't about who raised the most money, but who raised the greatest hopes, dreams and aspirations for our children and their future. And tonight, I hope we will forever change the way Americans look at their political system and how we elect presidents and elected officials," Huckabee said. Huckabee was polling in the single digits just eight weeks ago, but rave reviews in the debates and his folksy, genuine charm began to get him attention. With the moderate national front runner at the time Rudy Giuliani conceding conservative Iowa, it left Huckabee an opening. Mitt Romney had the lead here for a long time but faded. Romney's recent conversion to the pro-life cause may have helped Huckabee, who claimed the mantle of lifelong social conservative Evangelical Christians - who make up a large portion of voters here - came out in droves to support him. Dozens gathered at his caucus night party to pray for him. "There's no doubt that the Christians have had a tremendous turnout, that they've had an impact on this caucus and will continue to have an impact on the later primaries," said Ghost Cheatham, an Evangelical Huckabee supporter. At Obama Headquarters... Just minutes away at the Barack Obama event, the music of marching bands and the scent of change was in the air. "You came together as Democrats, Republicans and Independents and said we are one nation, one people and our time for change has come," said the Illinois senator. Since day one in Iowa, Obama has matched national front runner Hillary Clinton dollar for dollar, and his organization has been vast. Young people and large crowds were the norm since he entered the race. "I think it's his message of change," said Obama supporter Michael Steeples. "Of course I think he's going to make a great President." Obama and his advisors say his appeal is not just to Democrats, but to Independents too, who want to see a new way of conducting politics. "You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that's consumed Washington, to end the political strategy that has been all about division and instead make it about addition, to build a coalition for change that stretches through red states and blue states," Obama said to the Iowa crowd. Change Is in the Air That new language of bringing people together was coming out of Mike Huckabee's mouth, too. "A new day is needed in American politics just like a new day is needed in America, but tonight it starts here in Iowa but it doesn't end here. It goes all the way through the other states and ends at 1600 pennsylvania Avenue one year from now," said Huckabee. With the New Hampshire primary now just five days away, how much of a difference will these victories make for Obama and Huckabee? For the last six weeks or so, Obama already had been cutting into Hillary Clinton's once-insurmountable New Hampshire lead. Now, with momentum, Obama has a real shot at taking these first two states and becoming the new national front runner. "We've got a lot of momentum going into New Hampshire and we feel great about how this campaign is doing, but we're not taking one vote for granted," said Obama's national spokesman Bill Burton. "We're going to go up there and we are going to fight as hard as we fought here in Iowa and we're going to hope for the best." As for Huckabee, he told us that even if he doesn't win New Hampshire, he has a path to the nomination. "I think we will do well enough to still have momentum coming out of New Hampshire, and when we get to South Carolina, that's where we feel like we have a great opportunity for us to light the fires," Huckabee said. Privately, Huckabee campaign advisors tell CBN that a third place finish in New Hampshire is something they can live with. But even though John McCain and Mitt Romney are battling for first there, the Huckabee campaign believes it can be competitive.