The Chuck Norris Factor?

On January 3, the results were in: Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee led the polls in the Iowa caucuses. Before the results were out, I thought Huckabee would be at the bottom of the polls. Boy, was I wrong!

It makes me wonder, did the Oprah Factor and the Chuck Norris Factor actually work?

In the candidates’ last push in New Hampshire, Norris accompanied Huckabee on his campaign. The New Hampshire primary is on Tuesday. The “Huck and Chuck Show” is in full swing.

“If you elect me, what about Chuck Norris for secretary of defense?” Mr. Huckabee said, pledging to build up a military so formidable it would be “Chuck Norris approved.”

Mr. Huckabee’s rally was interrupted periodically by shouts of “Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!” from a group of teenage fans in the crowd.

And what about Obama’s celebrity backer?

In a December rally in Iowa, an audience of more than 15,000 people attended one of Obama’s rallies, during which Oprah made a 17-minute speech.

The intersection of politics and celebrity began the moment that Mr. Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, declared, “It is my honor to introduce to you the first lady of television, Oprah Winfrey.” A wave of camera flashes illuminated a downtown convention center here as Ms. Winfrey entered to a thunderous roar.

Intersection of politics and celebrities, indeed. Did the celebrity factor actually work in Iowa? And will the people in New Hampshire vote the same way? I guess we’ll see on Tuesday...