FIRST PERSON | STORY CITY, Iowa — The game of political musical chairs that is the Iowa caucus finally came to a head Tuesday night.
For months on end, the top three spots in the Iowa Republican presidential polls changed faster than the Iowa winter weather, with Mitt Romney being the only candidate to consistently rank as a top-tier candidate.
As an Iowa resident, I have to say I am a bit relieved the caucus is finally over. While we in Iowa take great pride in holding the nation’s first major presidential test, it is a tiring affair. For weeks on end, our mail boxes have been filled with mostly negative flyers, our airways inundated with political ads and our coffee shops and restaurants populated with politicians hoping to one day become the leader of the free world.
That being said, here is this Iowan’s take on the caucus outcomes:
The Big Winner
Three weeks ago, many were questioning why Rick Santorum still had his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination. After Tuesday night, that question was answered resoundingly. While many conservatives in Iowa are impressed with Santorum’s social conservative stances, he faces many hurdles to come. For starters, the former Pennsylvania senator has focused almost all of his time and finances in the state of Iowa. With such a short window between Iowa and the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, it remains to be seen if Santorum has the infrastructure in place to contend on a national level.
Good Showings
It was a solid evening for both Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Most Iowa voters have extreme views on Paul and some of his political stances. Many whole heartedly agree with his desire and record for pushing for a balanced budget and his discipline on federal spending. However, his extreme views on foreign policy and national defense leave many uneasy about the prospects of a President Paul.
Romney’s Tuesday night results were probably the least surprising of all the major candidates in the field. To Iowans, the consistent national frontrunner comes across as a candidate that walks, talks and looks presidential. But Romney supporters lack the passion and fervor that the Paul and Santorum camps bring. Still, with strong finances and a solid political engine in place, Romney will be the clear-cut favorite to win the nomination.
On Life Support
At various points in 2011, Michele Bachman, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry all held leads in the Iowa polls. I believe there are several reasons why the three fell into the second tier of contenders. In regard to Bachman, a lack of experience was probably the biggest stumbling block for the Minnesota representative. Perry suffered from a series of high-profile debate gaffes that left many feeling that he was not polished and presidential enough to lead the nation. For Gingrich, an aggressive negative ad campaign against the former Speaker did great damage to his standing and many Republican Iowa voters viewed him as the least conservative candidate.
Mr. Irrelevant
The biggest surprise of the night would have been if Jon Huntsman didn’t finish in last place. The former U.S. ambassador to China never caught on with Iowans — and for good reason. Huntsman largely ignored the state, both in personal visits and in campaign advertising. A poor showing in New Hampshire will certainly be the end of a campaign that has yet to really get off the ground.