Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:<\/p>\n
* Research 2000 released a poll<\/a> of Iowa Dems yesterday, asking who they prefer in the 2008 presidential race. John Edwards and Barack Obama led the field, tied at 22%. Outgoing Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was third with 12%, followed by Hillary Clinton at 10%.<\/p>\n * One of the oddities of Barack Obama’s popularity is that he is not as widely known<\/a> as one might expect. The most recent Gallup poll showed that one-third of Americans still don’t know who Obama is, despite his strong media presence and base of supporters.<\/p>\n * New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) is widely expected to run for president in 2008, so it came as a bit of a surprise to hear that a group of Richardson allies are poised to launch a draft campaign<\/a> to urge the governor to throw his hat into the ring. Among the leaders of the effort is Reynaldo Martinez, a former chief of staff to incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.<\/p>\n * Outgoing Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), soon to be unemployed, is hoping to become a consultant<\/a> to Republican presidential candidates, helping them appeal to minority voters. “I’d like to have a hand in helping our presidential nominee … get the messaging right, to communicate not just with traditional voters, but to go outside our comfort zone,” Steele told the Washington Times. Steele claims to have spoken directly to McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Chuck Hagel.<\/p>\n * Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) is apparently unconcerned about the early buzz around all of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls, and still plans<\/a> on making a second run for the nomination. One Biden aide told the WSJ that the senator will have raised $5.5 million in new money through September, which is more than anyone except Clinton and Obama.<\/p>\n