Live From Des Moines Tonight

KY3 CAUCUS COVERAGE
Tonight @ 10

DES MOINES -- We'll have our first live report from Iowa tonight on KY3 News @ 10. Be sure to tune in.

Caucus day, you can look for reports all day long beginning with KY3 News @ Noon. I'll be live from downtown Des Moines Thursday on KY3 News @ 5 & 6. We'll be inside Mike Huckabee's campaign party for KY3 News @ 10.

But enough about coverage, how about some predictions?

The Prince of Darkness has made his. Bob Novak is picking Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to pull out wins in the Hawkeye State. He also thinks Hillary will finish third.

Why Romney over Huck? "Romney is close or leading in the post-Christmas polls. This is probably good enough for him. He has a much bigger team in Iowa and much more money to spend than do Huckabee and the other Republican candidates. Romney's campaign should be better than Huckabee's at getting its supporters to their caucuses," writes Novak.

Novak joins most of the political chattering class in picking Romney.

Other nuggets of news this Caucus Eve:

• LATE NIGHT -- Most of the candidates are outside Des Moines and campaigning in rural areas or other cities today. Huckabee is flying to California to do a taping of The Tonight Show. The politicos are questioning the timing. Leave Iowa now? What's up Huck's sleeve? Is he that comfortable with his standing here, or is he just looking to bolster his national standing? Hillary is doing a "surprise" appearance on Letterman tonight as well.
• THE EXPECTATION GAME -- All types of fun musings from the trail today. Huckabee is going out of his way to praise Bush -- after hammering his administration for a "bunker mentality" on foreign policy. Huck is also calling himself "the underdog," Romney, is also playing the expectations game, saying he'll either win "the gold or silver."
• ROMNEY/CLINTON VS. OBAMA/HUCK -- In watching the candidates over the passed few days, and speaking with Iowans, journalists and other observers, it's striking the similarities people find with candidates from opposing parties. Clinton and Romney are the establishment candidates. Their events are more subdued, and offer less soaring rhetoric and overall energy. Obama and Huckabee put on a show -- their crowds want to hop on stage with the candidate. I also saw women at both Obama and Huckabee events seemingly moved to tears. Others who have been on the ground here note the same sense. Huck and Obama seem to be the insurgent rock stars. Romney and Clinton are the establishment, who you can't count out for organizational reasons. The question is: If Obama wins, does Huck come along? Same question with Hil and Mitt. Then again, John Edwards could throw a wrinkle in all of this.