As Democrats in Iowa caucus for candidates, some in the field will be left out. Democrats have the opportunity to lobby supporters from lesser candidates and move them into groups supporting the top tier candidates, which can give a significant edge to those tied for the lead in the state. With Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in a virtual tie in Iowa, other Democrats such as Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Chris Dodd can urge their supporter to shift to another candidate instead of simply going home at the end of the day.
With poll numbers posted at usaelectionpolls.com showing the three top candidates in a dead heat in the Iowa caucus polls, any additional help they can muster from supporters of other candidates could push them past the competition. Kucinich has already asked his supporters to look at Obama as a second choice and some other candidates, with ideas that resemble other's may ask their supporters to switch alliances in the waning hours of the January 3 caucus.
Deal-making between candidates and their supports is common in caucus elections as camps lobby for additional support. The process in Iowa stipulates that any support for a candidate that does not receive enough votes to win a delegate, about 15 percent of the voters that turn out on caucus day, can either move to another's camp or go home and not have their vote counted.
In a majority of instances, the supporters will have a candidate as their second choice to make sure that one person gains an edge over another candidate whom they may feel equally as strong against.
Breaking News: Obama and Huckabee are predicted winners before caucus has started.
