Posted on 01/10/2016 10:17:36 PM PST by Red Steel
Nobody expects Chris Christie to win Iowa, but he does have an ace card up his sleeve: The tacit support of longtime moderate Gov. Terry Branstad, whose vast political network remains the state's most coveted human resource.
Christie's goal in Iowa, according to multiple people familiar with his plans, is to do better than expected by taking votes away from Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio -- his chief competitors in the Republican primary's crowded establishment lane. Beating Bush and giving a scare to Rubio, the thinking inside his orbit goes, would give the New Jersey governor a head of steam going into New Hampshire, a do-or-die state for Christie.
His ability to leverage Branstad's network, with its hundreds of officials and supporters built over the governor's decades at the pinnacle of Iowa politics, is crucial to those hopes.
The wooing of Branstad began when Christie chaired the Republican Governors Association, a perch he used to funnel money and other help to his Iowa colleague. During the 2014 election cycle, the RGA poured $2.3 million into Iowa through media and direct contributions to boost Branstad.
"Christie's worked the state for a long time and punched tickets -- particularly on the establishment side -- for a long time," said Doug Gross, a former chief of staff to Branstad. "So he's in a position on the establishment side to take advantage of that."
Branstad, in light of his role as the Iowa GOP's elder statesman, has vowed to stay neutral in the Feb. 1 caucuses. But those close to him say he's being encouraged to at least consider picking a candidate before then, and that the Iowa governor has made it clear there are two candidates he won't choose: Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. Branstad's son Eric has been leading efforts to portray Cruz as insufficiently reliable on ethanol, the lifeblood of Iowa's agricultural economy.
Thus far it's been slow going for Christie, with Iowa's deeply conservative electorate more drawn to Cruz, Trump, and - though less and less - Ben Carson. The New Jersey governor has opted for intimate-style town halls over trying to match the big rallies of his competitors, but he's banking that enough voters will come his way to vault him into third or fourth place.
"I just saw a poll recently that said two thirds of Iowa voters either haven't made up their minds yet or will change their minds," Christie said at a recent town hall in Waukee, Iowa. "That means that there is a lot of time to be done here. A lot of time."
His strategy has been to stock his Iowa campaign team with Branstad staffers and cultivate his fellow governor with regular phone calls, according to aides close to both men. The two met a few weeks ago, a spokesman for Branstad confirmed, calling them "good friends." (Though the spokesman, Ben Hammes, stressed that the governor has met with most of the 2016 GOP candidates in his office and "talks to a lot of them often.")
On his campaign team, Christie counts four top staffers with close ties to Branstad, as well as one of the Iowa governor's top donors, Bruce Ratsetter. Christie's Iowa chairman, Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, has close ties to Branstad as well. Phil Valenzianio, Christie's Iowa state director, served on Branstad's re-election campaign and Jake Ketzner, a senior adviser in Christie's Iowa operation, was Branstad's campaign manager. Jeff Boeyink, another Iowa senior adviser, was Branstad's chief of staff. Branstad's daughter-in-law Adrianne is on the Christie campaign's leadership team.
I just received this great photo of Donald Trump Jr. with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad- who is now the longest serving Governor in U.S. history! CONGRATULATIONS Gov. Branstad!
Don was in Appanoose County, Iowa hunting with friends this past week and then stayed through the weekend for the Governor’s Annual Hunt in support of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Don attended the same event two years ago. He has made so many amazing friends and loves going back to Iowa to finish off deer season with them all.
Have a great Sunday! I LOVE the hats you are all wearing out there. Thank you!
I thought Branstad was for Cruz and definitely not a Trump guy.
I would love to see Christie get more votes than Rubio and Bush but not more than 15% or so total.
Hand out pictures of yourself hugging Obama and give out free donuts.
Where would you get the idea Branstad was for Cruz?
His first choice was probably Walker, and is now trying to resurrect Christie. He and his machine are not fans of Jeb or Rubio.
As Governor of Iowa, always under attack for being ‘first’, he’s not going to try to alienate too many candidates. Branstad does not have the visceral objection to Trump that other RINOs have, but also doesn’t consider Trump a top choice.
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