The short message from Iowa was: Tim who? Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul were 152 votes apart. Each of them got more than twice as many votes as Tim Pawlenty even though he spent more money in Iowa than Bachmann and Paul combined.
The challenge for Pawlenty is that he is too timid to survive the bare knuckle brawlers running the Obama campaign. Fortunately, the GOP primary voters know it.
The deeper message was that the right candidates were not on the ballot.
Rick Perry wasn't even a candidate and wasn't even listed on the ballot, yet he got more votes than Mitt Romney.
Perry had a great announcement speech in South Carolina today. First, he hammered Obama with Obama's own words and deeds. Second, the speech was very focused on the economy and jobs. Third, the speech was very upbeat about America's potential. I was surprised to see how Reaganesque it was. People will respond to this. I did.
My view is that the nomination is going to come down to Romney versus Perry. In the end Ron Paul will be the only other candidate standing, but he won't get the nomination.
I really like Michelle Bachmann. She is smart, articulate and unafraid to speak her mind. I would happily vote for her if she won the nomination. I don't believe that she will win. She is also unlikely to be an anyone's VP selection because she is too independent, as is Ron Paul.
South Carolina Governor Nicky Haley had a lot of good things to say about Perry today. She could wind up on his ticket if he wins the nomination.
Given the GOP's history of nominating the next in line, I still think that Romney will win the nomination. However, the situation is a little different today because the average person is more involved, so we'll see.
Let's hope that the GOP nominates someone who not only can beat Obama, but also will have the courage to stand up to the special interests and make the changes necessary to put America on the right track.
