If there were any remaining doubts about whether Hillary Clinton's collapse is merely an artifice of a (hopeful?) national media or something truly demonstrable, let it be known that she has fallen, and dramatically. IOWA. Comparing results in the Hawkeye State from September 23 and December 6 Strategic Vision polls, in 10 weeks Clinton has gone from a three-point lead over Barack Obama to a seven-point deficit, with Edwards and almost all other candidates except Bill Richardson holding steady. (Richardson's dropped from 13 percent to 3 percent, and undecideds went from 14 percent to 8 percent, with Obama picking up most of the combined 13 percent movers.) SOUTH CAROLINA. Whereas a month ago she had a 10-point lead over Obama here, according to Rasmussen polls Clinton's lead in the Palmetto State is now a mere two points—a statistical tie. NEW HAMPSHIRE. Ditto for the Granite State: The new ABC/Washington Post poll has Clinton +6 over Obama, ratifying the drop the three Rasmussen polls this fall show, with her falling from +23 in late September to +10 in early November, to +7 now.She's still the favorite, but the trajectory with four weeks to go isn't good. We'll see what sort of closers she and Obama are. --Tom Schaller
