Rod Boshart, CR Gazette –
DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad said Tuesday the critical role that Iowa will play in the 2012 presidential election outcome could send Iowans to the polls in record numbers next month.
Speaking at his weekly news conference Tuesday, Branstad said he believes undecided voters are now tuning into the tight race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney and he is encouraged by the momentum he sees with the GOP challenger.
“We’re one of the key battleground states,” the five-term GOP governor said. “I think that Iowa could be the deciding factor. I’m not going to say that we’re absolutely the deciding factors, but obviously we’re one of the critical battleground states and that’s why it’s so important for Iowans to take this seriously and why I hope that we’ll have an absolute record turnout.”
However, Brad Anderson, Obama for America Iowa state director, issued a memo refuting the GOP momentum claims, saying the campaign’s 67 offices in Iowa hundreds of experienced volunteer-led neighborhood teams are “ahead of where we were at this time against John McCain – and ahead of Mitt Romney” thanks in part to “unprecedented” early voting numbers. Anderson said Democrats have a lead of nearly 55,000 ballots cast and the margin is growing.
More evidence of how important the two presidential candidates consider Iowa’s six electoral votes in a tight race will be on display Wednesday when Obama campaigns in Davenport and Romney visits Cedar Rapids.
“I don’t know that we can say for sure that, ‘As Iowa goes, so goes the nation,’ but obviously both sides know how important this is,” Branstad told reporters Tuesday.
Branstad said he expects to see Republicans turn out “in big numbers” on Nov. 6 and he believes the undecided voters will break in Romney’s favor because historically that’s been the trend when an incumbent has had four years to make a case for re-election and has failed to make the sell. “If you’re below 50 percent, you’re in danger as an incumbent,” he noted.
The people that will vote for Pres. Obama are very informed and understand the issues very well. I can understand however why republicans can think Romney is the answer because he is for and against every issue there has been. Just pick a day and see where Mitten is that day. He has been complaining about Prtes Obama’s foreing policy for the past 4 years and suddenly Monday night he was for everything Pres. Obama is doing. People open your minds!! Mitten has given a specific on any issue he has talked about. It is trust me, I’ll let you know after the election. He talks about all the good he did while Gov. of Mass. If he was so good and the people liked him so well why only 1 term? And his talking about getting along with both sides…he used over 800 vetos in 4 years. This man will tell you anything you want to hear. He is a liar and a flipper. Why can’t you people see this. Open your eyes and minds.
Thats funny, we were just thinking the same thing about democrats.
I get so sick of hearing that the candidate must take Ohio in order to win the presidency. So why do the other states even bother to vote?
Increased voter turnout alone is not a good thing, we need increased voter involvement and education. There are too many that vote without understanding the issues or the candidates, they only vote based on hype or misperceptions.
This is what I have always said. People that vote straight party ticket are the problem. They are voting just because they belong to a party and a lot of times it is because that is what their parents belonged to. They don’t know the issues or the answers. I know people who were voting Democrat just because they always had and when it was finally pointed out to them the stuff Obama had done they changed their minds. The same thing apply’s to Republicans. Anyone who votes just for one party instead of for the person needs to go back to school because they didn’t learn anything the first time. That should stir them up.
I am afraid that too many people might fall for their lies and he gets reelected and then the brain washed people will not be the only ones that will get what they deserve, we will get what they deserve also.
From the INFO I have seen there are a lot of Democrats that are unhappy with the way things are and the way the look for the future. They are either not voting at all or are voting for Romney. Independents tend to be people who look at all the INFO available and then make a decision. I am one of those and am voting for Romney. I really don’t know why anyone who is a American would do anything else unless they have been brainwashed by the Obama/Biden lies. It is now coming out that they knew all the time what happened with our Ambassador in Libia and lied about it for political reasons. If you vote for the Great Lier in Chief you deserve what you will get.
Old flat tax himself – this is actually a tax increase for the lower wage earners of iowa – Thanks again Flathead !
What are you talking about? I didn’t see anything about taxes in this article.