Marion, Iowa (CNN) - Projecting a newfound confidence on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Mitt Romney spoke enthusiastically Monday about his chances in the upcoming contest.
The GOP candidate encouraged an audience of roughly 400 Marion voters to caucus for him Tuesday, telling them: "we're gonna win this thing."
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"I need you tomorrow night. I need every single vote in this room and I need you to get another couple of other votes from your neighborhood and get them to caucus," he said. "I need a great showing here in Cedar Rapids. We're gonna win this thing with all of our passion and strength and do everything we can to get this campaign on the right track to go across the nation and to pick up other states and to get the ballots I need and the votes I need to become our nominee."
A campaign aide downplayed the remarks, and said Romney had been referring to winning the nomination, a frequent line in his speeches.
Romney has long been cautious about his chances in Iowa, remarking about the fluidity of the polls and saying he would be happy to merely do well.
On Sunday Romney told members of the media: "I don't know that you can look at a poll and project from that what's going to happen on caucus night."
In his Monday speech, Romney unveiled a harsh new line of attack on President Obama. The GOP candidate said the president and his allies were trying to turn America into an "entitlement society."
"They'll poison the very spirit of America and keep us from being one nation under God," he said. "I've watched a president who's become the great divider, the great complainer, the great excuse-giver, the great blamer. I want to have an America that comes together."
Also see:
Gingrich mulls strategy shift after Iowa
Leading Perry backers head to Iowa for final push
Bachmann: Polls not a good measure of support
Romney goes on offense
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When will the Tea Party learn that they have no say so who will be their nominee. The Board of Establishment of the GOP calls the shots and makes the pick. It's Mitt Romney turn, deal with it!
"They'll poison the very spirit of America and keep us from being one nation under God," he said. "I've watched a president who's become the great divider, the great complainer, the great excuse-giver, the great blamer. I want to have an America that comes together."
Hard to tell if Mitts is telling the truth about himself or talking about Obama,divider,blamer,excuse giver all sounds like a person that been a career politician that never gets elected, just like Romney.
You may win your caucus, but there remains the election to office. Here's where you leave the party.
Get ready for the egg all over his smug face.
I suspect with the Karl Rove slime and the Koch brothers money this old flip-flopper will win Iowa. The corporate money is flowing now (they're "people" too!) and the Super PACs (thanks to a Republican Supreme Court) are able to simply buy the elections. I'll bet those Supreme Court members are really proud of what's happened to the Judicial Branch.
I don't know that he will win Iowa, but it will be a long hard fight after New Hampshire. I hope that he spends a lot of money along with the other candidates. That long primary battle will hopefully have a lot of the candidate spending all the money that they have before the general election. That will make the re-election of Obama just that much easier.
I agree with Newt that Romney bought the election in Iowa. Now we know how politics works in America, you buy the press you win the election. What happen to democracy? One man. One vote? Rev. Brown of NOLA
The flip flop north-east management consultant will certainly win the GOP nomination, mainly because the other
candidates are totally unelectable.
Then he will go on to be destroyed by Obama in november.
Gov Mitt Romney , the next 45th President of United States of America.
Ron Paul is gonna stomp Romney.
The only thing you'll win Willard is new pair of magic underwear. The presidency is NOT for sale and neither are the American people. The more you take us for stupid the more we will REJECT you and your lies. After November we are going to give you plenty of time to go and hire illegals as you will be permanently RETIRED.
Ron Paul, Iowa is yours.
Romney probably will....Gingrich just has too many skeletons in his closet; but more importantly too many enemies within his own party – and (I)s probably wouldn't vote for him in the majority either, even if he did win the nomination.
Looks like Romney versus President Obama.
BHO2012
►Romney: 'We're going to win this thing'◄ and then I'll do a jig
Then I might even go to the barber and "do" my wig
Because I will win Iowa without even trying
While all of the other candidates are slowly dying
Romney will brag now because he believes he'll go all the way
But little does he knows, he has to convince the entire USA
With his flip-flopping lying ASH, he's not going too far
He'll be lucky if he gets pass NH when others raise the bar
All in all – Obama 2012 – that is where it will end!!
Spend your Big Pac money Mitt .
Make your sons secretary of defense !
Well, let’s wait and see. Romney will likely tell us the story about how to become a president who’s the great divider, the great complainer, the great excuse-giver, the great blamer.
Good luck to Romney and Americans!
Look at Romney’s demeanor when he is in front of a “crowed” of people. Every move says: yuck, hope I am going to be with my rich friends again soon to fulfill their wishes. These people stink – but I need their vote so I have to bear with it! Hopefully I do not catch a disease! One should change that so I would only have to deal with corporations – they are “MY people”! Well, soon…
In that picture Mittens looks like he's trying really hard to get a customer to sign off on buying that used car Mittens has been pushing.