[Jeff Fuller]

PING

[nowandlater]

If Rudy and McCain are too scared of a political fight, then what about other fights?

[MrEdd]

Rudy wants Iowa, McCain needs Iowa, Iowa wants and needs Romney!

But conservatives neither want neither want, nor need, any of the three.

[DangerDanger]

If Rudy’s and McCain’s respective campaigns are currently on life support, I guess ol’ Fred will be “pulling the plug” on them come July.

[NeoCaveman]

McCain campaign on life support?

I say, pull the plug.

[ex-snook]

"Giuliani/McCain Campaigns on "Life Support" .

Maybe Rudolph's campaign had a partial-birth abortion. McCain just attempted suicide.

[Badeye]

I still think its going to come down to Romney, Hunter and Fred Thompson, in no particular order.

McCain’s only ‘base’ was the mainstream media, who figured he’d lose easily to Gore in 2000. Thats no longer the case, the MSM claiming its a result of McCain’s position on Iraq, but I think it has more to do with they figure McCain can’t be used to influence GOP candidates as was done in 2000. Iraq just gives them ‘cover’ in short.

Guiliani can’t win outside of large urban centers with his position on guns, abortion, gay rights. Period. So he’s not viable even using the ‘big state’ strategy in my opinion.

We’ll see.

[HEY4QDEMS]

If Rudy want to be prez, he would do much better running as a DemocRAT.

If it walks like a duck,................

[Red_Devil 232]

Actually I could give a Cr*p! Why do we let one little “Bush League Poll” try to dictate who is the next President?

[Unmarked Package]

This was very helpful to me to become better informed about the great significance of the Ames Straw Poll to the GOP in Iowa and the Iowa Caucus Night. Thanks to Iowa resident and FReeper Jeff Fuller for these insights about Iowa politics.

((( MITT ROMNEY PING )))

• Send FReep Mail to Unmarked Package to get [ON] or [OFF] the Mitt Romney Ping List •

[DBrow]

“Romney’s campaign made the rockin’ mauneuver of reserving EVERY charter bus “

Guess you can do that if you have lots of money to throw around. Does he need 150 buses, or did he do it just to hamper his competitors?

Thanks for the ping, Jeff, I appreciate it!

[kevkrom]

Regarding Giuliani's decision, Laudner said, 'He was in, he was out, he was in, now he's out.

Sounds like Guiliani is treating Iowa like just another mistress.

[Liz]

Presidential ================= Post-menopausal.

[pissant]

Sorry. Mitt calling anyone a flip flopper is just too rich.

[WFTR]

I have felt that refusing to participate in the straw poll would be something of an insult to Iowa and would hurt a candidate's chances of winning Iowa in the general election. I'm not in Iowa, but that's just the impression that I've gotten from reading things about the straw poll and what others have said about it. Do you think that's accurate? If Rudy Giuliani doesn't participate in the straw poll but wins the nomination anyway, will his lack of participation make him weaker in Iowa in the general election?

In some ways, having Giuliani and McCain quit the straw poll could help narrow the race more quickly.

If Fred Thompson announces in July and has the chance to go to a straw poll where Mitt Romney is his only major competition, he has no excuse not to make some kind of effort at the straw poll. If he won, he'd deliver a huge blow against Mr. Romney. If he came in second with a comfortable margin over the "second-tier" candidates, he'd only be doing what was expected of him and wouldn't be hurt. He would also be helping himself by showing respect for Iowa. If he ended up coming in third behind Tommy Thompson, his campaign would be hurt badly. Even with only one month to organize, if he can't beat Tommy Thompson, the demand for a Fred Thompson candidacy isn't that strong.

If Fred Thompson delays his announcement long enough to have an excuse not to participate, then the straw poll could become a good test for the second-tier candidates. Tommy Thompson coming in second wouldn't persuade anyone that he's the strongest of the second tier, but if one of the other candidates came in second, he'd get a tremendous boost. If one of the second-tier candidates tried to make a good run in Iowa and didn't do well even with McCain and Giuliani out of the poll, he might realize that his campaign will not succeed and that he should leave the race.

Bill