US President George W. Bush is following voting in Iowa Thursday that will help determine his successor but may not stay up late for final returns given his habit of an early bedtime, the White House said.
"What time do all the results start coming in? Because he goes to bed early," spokeswoman Dan Perino joked when asked by reporters about the president's view of the Iowa caucuses.
Bush is well-known for his preference for an early-to-bed routine.
The 2008 race to choose Bush's successor formally begins on Thursday with Republican and Democratic party caucuses in the Midwestern state of Iowa, the first of many nomination contests.
"Obviously it's a very exciting time for America as they look to all the choices that they have for who is running for president," Perino said.
Bush was watching the contest "as an observer" and as "somebody who is obviously very interested in politics," she said.
"But he's not spending a lot of time on that," Perino said, adding: "So we'll be watching with interest, but we're not dwelling on it."
Bush has declined to endorse any of his fellow Republicans vying for the party's nomination and his low approval ratings have meant the White House hopefuls have maintained a certain distance from the president.
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