Trailhead: A campaign blog.

Clinton Tornadoes!

Fifteen minutes to go before returns start coming in, and CNN decides to tell us about ... tornadoes in Clinton, Ark. Never has weather and politics been such a natural match.

But more important, what kind of omen is this for Hillary? Are the gods conspiring against Clinton's candidacy? Is Mother Nature a sexist for not wanting a woman in the White House? Or maybe this is all some heavenly effort to keep the after-work working-class voters away from the polls so Hillary loses part of her base. Regardless, when tornadoes descend on the town that shares your last name in your home state, it's not a good start to the night.

Another tornado connection: In the 1996 classic Twister, the male lead is played by Bill Paxton. Coincidence? Only if you think it was random that tornadoes touched down in Clinton.

Karma Watch: Hillary's Ice Storm

Introducing "Karma Watch," an occasional series examining the karmic ups and downs of the presidential candidates. Journalists aren't in the business of reading tea leaves, but sometimes it's hard not to notice patterns ...

On Friday, a man claiming to have a bomb strapped to his chest took several Clinton campaign workers hostage in Rochester, N.H.

On Saturday, ice storms ripped through the Northern U.S., forcing Hillary to phone in to an event in Iowa where she was supposed to appear.

On Sunday, a Des Moines Register poll showed Clinton trailing Obama in Iowa by three points--the first time Obama has taken the lead there. The senator from New York has since stepped up her attacks on the newly strengthened challenger.

On Monday, the Clinton campaign's press charter plane filled with smoke on the tarmac in Mason City, Iowa. Clinton was on her way to an event at Buddy Holly Place, where the musician last played before his fatal plane crash.