I believe that the next seven days may determine Obama's future. I am a devotee of the 'win Iowa and New Hampshire theory' and the rest , by and large, fall like dominoes. The race won't be over until Feb. 5th.  But if Obama wins Iowa with any sort of convincing numbers, and bounces into a win in New Hampshire and South Carolina; Nevada is irrelevant and can go to any candidate. On Feb. 5th a coalition of African Americans and college educated urban dwellers will show up for Obama big time.

I also believe that Friday, December 21 is the defacto end of the campaign. Obviously the campaigns will go on via the TV and the mail boxes and the candidates will continue making speeches and shaking hands but the voters will go on an extended 11-12 day week-end. They don't call it the Friday night news dump for nothing.

So the next seven days are crucial.  Each day will have a media narrative that will help or hurt someone. It looks like the discussion of drugs have passed for the moment and today we get Bill Clinton on Obama's experience and 'rolling of the dice.' (devastating comment made worse if it was Rose's) Obviously they are going to pound away on experience all week--the devil you know...

This will take a toil after a while. Obama will have to reclaim the media meme at his press conference this afternoon.  It is coming down to experience vs. change. The Clinton's have decided to put all their marbles into diminishing Obama's experience . That is what we should expect to hear for the next seven days.

Edwards will likely stay positive. Not too many surprises.

Not sure what Obama will do. He has pleasantly surprised me by being so consistent, remaining above the fray, yet never letting an attack go unanswered.

Yesterday's news on the Wyoming dem chair discussing the 'locker room' component to Hillary's candidacy and its effect down ticket was ignored by everyone except drudge and the Denver post. Will this resurrect itself later this week? Will another dem take up the call?   I don't see the Pandora's box of bill's sex life being discussed except in round about ways until possibly super duper tuesday.

Will the press re-embrace the Clinton's?  Hard to imagine but in every election that I have observed the press always returns to the 'institutional' favorite.   I don't expect this time to be any different but possibly due to the compressed time-line and the so-called Christmas truce, the MSM won't have time to swing back to Hillary until after New Hampshire, which frankly could be too late.

Media narrative today is Bill, Bill, Bill. Will his words be twisted into a negative? Will Obama blast back? Who will win the news cycle today?