Agorism
12-21-2011, 07:58 AM
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view.bg?articleid=1390091
EXETER, N.H. — A suddenly surging Ron Paul boasted yesterday that he’s counting on a victory in Iowa to vault him past GOP front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich and into the winner’s circle in this state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
“I’m on the verge of saying it’s in the bag,” the Texas congressman told the Herald, referring to the Granite State’s Jan. 10 primary. “Iowa has something big to do with it. If we win or get a close second we can build our credibility. There’s this thing that’s very real in politics called momentum.”
Paul has come out on top in two recent polls in Iowa even as the front-running Gingrich has faded amid a flurry of attack ads. The libertarian politician, who has a solid base of supporters but has remained an outsider with the party establishment, also insisted he’s more than just a spoiler in the tumultuous Republican race.
“If you run to win and you win, who are you spoiling?” Paul said during a stop at the Early Bird Cafe in Plaistow.
“When you run to win and you win, that’s supposed to be exciting and not a negative term,” he added, brushing off the idea that an Iowa caucus win might hurt the overall chances of a candidate perceived to be more electable.
Yet Paul, an isolationist who has ruffled GOP feathers by saying that American troops shouldn’t intervene in foreign wars, admitted even he is a little surprised at his most recent rise in polls. A Real Clear Politics average places him third in New Hampshire. He moved to the top spot in Iowa with 23 percent in a Public Policy Poll this weekend and continues to climb.
In that survey, former Bay State Gov. Romney came in second with 20 percent, followed by Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker, with 14 percent.
The topsy-turvy GOP primary has thrust several candidates into the front-runner spot since last summer, starting with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), then Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Godfather’s pizza CEO Herman Cain, and most recently Gingrich.
But don’t call Paul just the latest Republican flavor of the month.
“I’m the one least likely to be that,” he said. “Our growth has been very, very steady, and our supporters are the most determined and most firm votes.
“I guess we’ll have proof of that in a few weeks.”
Paul said that the timing of his rise, which comes two weeks before the Iowa caucus, may be the key to his success.
“That’s the reason we have a better chance of maintaining this,” Paul said. “There’s no one person that has dominated the field, and that’s a reflection that voters aren’t hearing a true answer from other candidates.”
Paul also dismissed scuttlebutt that he’d run as a third-party candidate, saying his goal is to win the Republican nomination.
I personally think Romney's lead is too large there and we need some negative ads, but we'll see I guess. I'd also note that no GOP nominee has ever won both of them. NH tends to be reactionary to whatever Iowa does. Example: If Dole wins Iowa, they jump behind Buchanan to try to stop him.
EXETER, N.H. — A suddenly surging Ron Paul boasted yesterday that he’s counting on a victory in Iowa to vault him past GOP front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich and into the winner’s circle in this state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
“I’m on the verge of saying it’s in the bag,” the Texas congressman told the Herald, referring to the Granite State’s Jan. 10 primary. “Iowa has something big to do with it. If we win or get a close second we can build our credibility. There’s this thing that’s very real in politics called momentum.”
Paul has come out on top in two recent polls in Iowa even as the front-running Gingrich has faded amid a flurry of attack ads. The libertarian politician, who has a solid base of supporters but has remained an outsider with the party establishment, also insisted he’s more than just a spoiler in the tumultuous Republican race.
“If you run to win and you win, who are you spoiling?” Paul said during a stop at the Early Bird Cafe in Plaistow.
“When you run to win and you win, that’s supposed to be exciting and not a negative term,” he added, brushing off the idea that an Iowa caucus win might hurt the overall chances of a candidate perceived to be more electable.
Yet Paul, an isolationist who has ruffled GOP feathers by saying that American troops shouldn’t intervene in foreign wars, admitted even he is a little surprised at his most recent rise in polls. A Real Clear Politics average places him third in New Hampshire. He moved to the top spot in Iowa with 23 percent in a Public Policy Poll this weekend and continues to climb.
In that survey, former Bay State Gov. Romney came in second with 20 percent, followed by Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker, with 14 percent.
The topsy-turvy GOP primary has thrust several candidates into the front-runner spot since last summer, starting with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), then Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Godfather’s pizza CEO Herman Cain, and most recently Gingrich.
But don’t call Paul just the latest Republican flavor of the month.
“I’m the one least likely to be that,” he said. “Our growth has been very, very steady, and our supporters are the most determined and most firm votes.
“I guess we’ll have proof of that in a few weeks.”
Paul said that the timing of his rise, which comes two weeks before the Iowa caucus, may be the key to his success.
“That’s the reason we have a better chance of maintaining this,” Paul said. “There’s no one person that has dominated the field, and that’s a reflection that voters aren’t hearing a true answer from other candidates.”
Paul also dismissed scuttlebutt that he’d run as a third-party candidate, saying his goal is to win the Republican nomination.
I personally think Romney's lead is too large there and we need some negative ads, but we'll see I guess. I'd also note that no GOP nominee has ever won both of them. NH tends to be reactionary to whatever Iowa does. Example: If Dole wins Iowa, they jump behind Buchanan to try to stop him.