Pure Horserace: Mitt's Media Blitz
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has had no problem raising money — over $20 million in the first quarter of this year — but polls still show him a distant third in the race for the Republican nomination, and some surveys even show him behind non-candidate Fred Thompson.
Plus, observers continue to raise doubts about whether Romney, a Mormon, can win over GOP primary voters, particularly evangelical Christians.
What's a candidate to do? Romney's already started airing TV ads, but in the next few days it's going to be free media that could raise the public's awareness of the former Massachusetts governor and allow him to address questions about his faith, Iraq and his recent rightward shift on issues like abortion, gay rights and gun control.
Romney will be the focus of a segment on this Sunday's installment of 60 Minutes. In an interview with senior correspondent Mike Wallace, Romney takes the Bush administration to task for its handling of the Iraq war. "I think the administration made a number of errors," Romney says. "I don't think we were adequately prepared for what occurred. I don't think we did enough planning. I don't think we considered the various downsides and risks."
He also addresses the touchy subject of his church's endorsement of polygamy in the 19th century, saying that his great-great-grandfather took on more than one wife, but that he "can't imagine anything more awful than polygamy."
Romney's face also dominates the cover of this week's edition of Time magazine, which says he could be "a fresh face, a miracle-worker résumé and a big dollop of charisma" that Republicans need at a time their electoral prospects look especially dim. While essentially a profile, the story is also no puff-piece, discussing Romney's recent decisions to oppose abortion rights and gay marriage.
Still, the TV and magazine coverage is going to help the public see him as more than just a well-coifed Mormon presidential candidate. And that may be exactly what Romney needs right now. — David Miller
Adding A Feminine Touch: Democrat Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, hasn't been seen often on the campaign trail except for a handful of appearances, but that could all change now that she's stepping down from her position as a Chicago hospital executive, a move reported in today's Washington Post. She's also on the front page of USA Today, discussing her role as a candidate's wife and mother of two children.
Michelle Obama has been campaigning for her husband in New Hampshire this week, and her decision to leave her day job suggests she'll play a greater role in the campaign. The move could help Obama's campaign appeal more to women voters and also help blunt an advantage held by the other top two Democrats in the race — Hillary Clinton has made her gender a key component of her campaign, while John Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, is on the trail as often as her husband and very popular with Democratic voters. — David Miller
Don't Walk On The Grassley? If you're a presidential candidate looking to woo Iowa caucus goers, is it really a good idea to pick a fight with a popular four-term U.S. Senator from the opposing party — even if it is over an issue like the Iraq war? Smart politics or not, Barack Obama isn't backing down from his small spat with GOP Sen. Charles Grassley.
Stumping in the state last Sunday, Obama was discussing his support for the Democratic Iraq funding bill, vetoed by President Bush because it included a timeline for withdrawal of U.S. troops. As he has done many times before, Obama noted that Senate Dems need 16 GOP votes to override the president's veto power. But this time, he singled out Grassley.
Iowa's senior senator didn't take kindly to that, saying such talk was "not senatorial and if you can't be senatorial, how can you be presidential?"
Thursday, Obama wasn't backing down, saying that the issue "isn't personal," according to The Associated Press. "This isn't about Washington etiquette, it's about bringing our troops home," Obama said. "This is how real change happens in America. This isn't symbolic, this is real." That kind of talk is sure to appeal to anti-war Democrats in the state but it will be interesting to see how it plays with more polite Midwestern sensibilities if the spat continues.
— Vaughn Ververs
Let's Go Racin', Boys! In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham tried to reach out to Southern and rural voters by paying to put his name on one of the vehicles racing in the NASCAR truck series. Graham's campaign never really got out of the pits but political professionals continue to think of ways to attract support from fans of the popular sport.
So it's no surprise that candidates are starting out early. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee will be making the rounds this weekend at the Dodge Avenger 500 race in Darlington, S.C., in advance of the presidential debate there next week. Not to be outdone, John McCain is slated to serve as the official starter for the Coca-Cola 600 race in Concord, N.C., over Memorial Day weekend.
Who gets more bang for their buck in these two appearances? Well, Huckabee gets to court some crucial South Carolina voters but McCain will be on TV waving the green flag for a race on a holiday weekend. Advantage McCain.
— Vaughn Ververs
Tancredo's Farm Aid: Republican Tom Tancredo is often dismissed as a one-issue candidate thanks to his hardline stance against illegal immigration. But he may have shown some political acumen in picking the man to run his Iowa campaign, going with someone who can easily bring Tancredo's conservative message on a spectrum of issues to Iowa's farmers — because he is one of them.
Bill Salier, profiled recently in the Rocky Mountain News, is a corn, soybean and hog farmer from Nora Springs. In 2002, he challenged a moderate Republican congressman in a U.S. Senate primary and, despite no political experience and being outspent 10 to 1, almost pulled off the upset by winning 41 percent of the vote. Now he's well known among the conservatives who will make up a large chunk of those participating in caucuses next January.
Tancredo is still a long-shot, but with supporters like Salier, he might make some significant inroads. — David Miller
Not All Republicans Love Fox News: Tancredo is often put into the third-tier of Republican hopefuls, but believe it or not, there's another tier below that and it's occupied by one man: Illinois businessman and former radio host John Cox, who has sued Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party for not inviting him to a planned May 15 debate. A judge declined a request on Friday to stop the debate, according to the Associated Press.
Cox, who was actually the first Republican to officially enter the race, claims that Fox News and the South Carolina GOP made it impossible for him to qualify for the debate because the survey used to determine who was eligible did not include his name. According to debate rules, candidates must reach at least 1 percent in the survey to participate.
Cox has been campaigning in Iowa and points to his recent performance in a series of county straw polls as proof of his popularity. Apparently, though, that popularity doesn't extend to pollsters. — David Miller
By David Miller and Vaughn Ververs