Romney scaling back Iowa straw poll budget
Romney campaigned in Iowa on Saturday.
ALGONA, Iowa (CNN) - GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Saturday that he is cutting back on his budget for the Ames, Iowa, straw poll.
"We're not trying to overshoot dramatically," said the former Massachusetts governor. "Initially we planned to try to bring in a very large number of folks from across the state for the straw poll. We've cut back on our target from that standpoint to a level where we think we can win, but we're not trying to overwhelm anybody. But I think it's important to show our commitment to the straw poll process."
GOP presidential rivals John McCain and Rudy Giuliani have said they will not participate in the contest.
The Ames straw poll, held on August 11 this election cycle, is an unofficial test of the Republican candidates, typically used as a gauge that may or may not show how much support a candidate really has.
"It's not going to be as intense of an event as it would have been had the other frontrunners decided to participate."
Romney declined to mention any figures as to exactly how much they'd be scaling back.
- CNN Iowa producer Chris Welch
A straw poll or a caucus may be an historically interesting event, but it is largely irrelevant, except as a beauty contest and early photo op. A national primary makes much more sense, and super Tuesday in February is _de facto_ such an election.
national primaries don't make more sense in my opinoin, becuase it favors really rich well known candidates. it would be virtually impossible for anyone else ot break through. basically you narrow the pool of potentials to very few.
it is better to have early states who can really get down and dirty, see them in person, here their experience, and judge them on a more sophisticated level choose then all at once.
i don't like the idea of a national primary. but things look like they are headed in that direction.
The Romney's would make a "great" First Familiy.
Mitt is clearly the most qualified candidate running from either party. I believer he will be America's next President.
If Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney.
Sorry but the Romney's come off as a type of 'Stepford' family. I think they are all a little creepy. Also, just as Kerry did, Romney suffers from a case of the flip flops.
I wonder what the real reason is? Interesting that romney is scaling back, rudy and mccain not participating at all. They are afraid of the truth rearing its ugly head. I wonder who has the real support, not the PAC dollars? HMMMMMM, Who could it be. The fakes are so easy to spot! I am sick of these flip floppers, they stand on stage and flip and flop like a bunch of fish out of water. I am sick of being fed these liars! Vote real, vote constitution! I am not going to say his name. You all know who the real candidate s this time around!
I really dont understand the flip-flop arguement against Romney. And to compare it to John Kerry is even worse. John Kerry flip flopped his view in less than a year. Romney changed his political opinion on abortion from 13 years ago. And the record proves that he was personally always against abortion and his record as governor proves that he is willing to fight for conservative values including abortion. No to mention that Ronald Reagan did the same thing when he changed his view on abortion. I think people are really going to miss out on an amazing candidate if they dont really look into Romney and what he can do for the country.
As a registered independent the ONLY Republican I'd consider is Ron Paul!
Romney is a smooth talking, pretty boy, phoney....he makes me sick!
I see right through this guy!!
Look, Romney is a smart man who knows what to say and when to say it. He always knew he wanted to run for president. I think I first remember hearing about it after the Salt Lake Olympics. He says what he needs to in order to attain the office he is interested in. He once believed in a woman's right to choose, now he is absolutely anti-abortion. He once supported gay rights and now he wants to limit whatever rights gays have. When he was a little more liberal, he won the governorship of Massachusetts, a liberal state. Now that he has his eyes on the presidency, he needs to be a more conservative on social issues. Sounds like a flip flopper to me. He's as slimey a political as they come. People can see right through the facade and his campaign realizes it. He'll never be president. His father was a loser too. They saw right through him as well.
Word on the ground in Iowa is that Romney has started to attack Brownback, and that Brownback is starting to take all of Romney's support.
The flip flopper comments are based on slanted media spins that the reader never bothered to investigate further.
Romney has been consistent in these two things:
That he personally was against abortion, but that he was committed to uphold the law of the land (Mass) and what his constituents demanded of him, and when the road was clear to do otherwise, he went for it.
Despite whatever he did upteen years ago, his path has led him to this point – He is against abortion.
We all evolve and he is publicly stating what his intentions are. Take it or leave it. But the eons old, desperate attempt at proof of a flip flop is a worn-out cliche that is poorly applied.
Really? I don't think so. The more deeply we get into the election cycle the more those interesting little 'you tube' videos will pop up. People don't like even sensing that a candidate is a flip-flopper. People sense that about him and you can't beat video evidence.
Shawnie, not all people evolve, some have the same cast in stone thoughts that they did when they were brainwashed in college or in some union hall.
The flip flop tactic being used is payback for Kerry in 04, and even though I have written real slow they still can't grasp the difference between changing ones thought process over a vast period of years based on life experience (Romney)with changing ones mind in MID THOUGHT, MID-WEEK, MID-POLLING like Kerry did.
One of Churchills many "takes" on the subject:
He who is not a liberal in their 20's is heartless,
He who still is one in their 40's is an idiot.
And your head is in the sand Tom!
Willard 'Mitt' Romney needs South Carolina christians more than he needs Iowa and should not waste his money.
I am also voting for the constitution, but I will say his name. Ron Paul is the only candidate who answers all the questions directed towards him in a straight-forward manner. His answers are always consistent too. I hope the people in Iowa see this.
RON PAUL 2008!
I trust Iowans to be more intelligent and discerning about the candidates than the sold out media which continues to ignore the only TRUE conservative in the field, Ron Paul. To deny his voice is to deny conservatism as a whole. The rest of these war profiteers (Giuliani, McCain) and neo-cons (Romney, Giuliani, MCcain) might as well be running for the pro-war Democrats (Hillary and Obama, regardless of what they say in public...remember, they are owned and don't deny it). Wake up, Iowa and thank you. We, here in Texas, are right behind you AND prepared to take the Texas Straw Poll which begins Aug 31st. Dr. Paul WILL be our next president or God help us all from these corporate puppets.