Longtime Iowa Republican operative Doug Gross is still unaligned. He ran Mitt Romney's 2008 campaign in Iowa and is generally considered to be a pretty savvy insider. In a RPC article Gross says;
“He’s the one candidate who’s campaigning in Iowa right now who has a chance to be president of the United States,” Gross said of Perry. “Part of where I’m at is I want to give him a little time to see what kind of staying power he’s got. I mean a rollout is one thing. Being able to hang in there and handle it is another. But let’s not forget he was governor of Texas -- that’s a big state with a ravenous press -- for 10 years, so he’s got some ability.”
On Romney; If Romney is afraid to compete in Iowa -- a general election swing state in the critically important Midwest -- that would not bode well for him as a general election candidate in November 2012.
On Bachmann; Michele Bachmann -- who won the Ames Straw Poll but has been increasingly criticized for her celebrity-style campaigning here -- was in a far weaker position here than what has widely been perceived.
“The caucuses are all about seeing you, asking you questions, almost touching you, and she is unapproachable almost as a result of all of this, and that’s a big mistake,” Gross said. “I’ve always felt with Bachmann that her peak would be the straw poll and that she’d peak too early and go downhill. So far it looks like that might happen.”
Gross goes on to say he would make Perry the winner in Iowa unless Sarah Palin enters the race and that might change everything. He likes Perry but isn't ready to commit.
I read somewhere today that the Obama people hope it's Perry and that the man they really fear is Romney, because he can win.
ReplyDeleteHmm. If that is true then I wonder why the horrific attacks on Perry while Romney sort of sails along, untouched.
Hmm. They think we're stupid.
I could live with Perry. My first choice would be Sarah of course. Bachmann was promising her audience if she were elected gas would be $2 per gallon.
ReplyDeleteBachmann's kinda off the rails, IMHO, these days. I'm in Legal Insurrection's camp that since she and her people think it's cool to go after Palin (Ed Rollins in particular) a lot of respect is just flushed down the drain. Also there have been several reports of unwise handling by her body guards, although that Don Lemon incident was ridiculous. He needed to be told his place.
ReplyDeleteI like Perry.I think he shares some of the Palin qualities, in that he's not afraid to be politically incorrect and speak his mind. Lots of hooting from the Obama camp over that, but people are ready for it.