in advertising. we ll just keep going forward. that, of course, was newt gingrich speaking in new hampshire today. and the speaker is right, the iowa race is a mess. attack ads against gingrich and his opponents have helped create an environment in iowa where less than two weeks till the caucuses, republicans still have yet to coalesce around a candidate. they are still searching for that principled republican who possesses that certain something, that huckabee that captures the imagination of the median iowa caucusgoer. now, last month, iowans thought they had found that candidate in herman cain. that s right. in early november, herman cain led the field with 25% support. then, of course, iowans and the rest of us found out that he liked to hit on women who were not his wife, and he also didn t know which one gadhafi is. so iowans gave newt gingrich a spin. in late november he surged to the top of the polls in iowa. then iowans learned he profited from freddie mac, and they remember
we ll just keep going forward. that, of course, was newt gingrich speaking in new hampshire today. and the speaker is right, the iowa race is a mess. attack ads against gingrich and his opponents have helped create an environment in iowa where less than two weeks till the caucuses, republicans still have yet to coalesce around a candidate. they are still searching for that principled republican who possesses that certain something, that huckabee that captures the imagination of the median iowa caucusgoer. now, last month, iowans thought they had found that candidate in herman cain. that s right. in early november, herman cain led the field with 25% support. then, of course, iowans and the rest of us found out that he liked to hit on women who were not his wife, and he also didn t know which one gadhafi is. so iowans gave newt gingrich a spin. in late november he surged to the top of the polls in iowa. then iowans learned he profited from freddie mac, and they remembered that the hous
reporter: the laughter in the studio and in the filing center were clearly audible. gingrich was easily at ease in this environment. it was an opportunity for the others to make up ground. i don t necessarily think they got there. i can t wait for thursday s debate. i want to ask about the local reaction about mitt romney s $10,000 not something we can do is the media playing that as they in iowa? reporter: it is playing badly everywhere. a political columnist for the des moines register tweeted after that that a $10,000 wager is not something a likely caucusgoer would do even on a sure thing. democrats have pounced all over it. saying romney s wager shows him out of touch with the middle class and the middle class is what both sides are courting. those are the voters that
well, in fact, the social conservative leadership in this state is meeting today to see if they can coalesce behind one candidate. i see. which is what they did with huckabee four years ago. and you re right. there is no huckabee on the stage now. that movement is chopped up among a variety of candidates. nobody has been able to pull together to be the alternative to mitt romney. i think it s very telling. not every republican caucusgoer is a social conservative. and, in fact, there s a substantial number who are not. that s potential for romney to harness that support. how many people in your caucuses are strategic voters? i m not sure i ve ever met one. by that i meet somebody, a man or woman, who goes in democrat or republican, who goes into the voting booth who says, i m not going to vote the person i like but i m going to vote the person i think can win. oh, i think there are a lot of them who are, chris. i think you saw that, again, on the democratic side in 2004 with
out there. well, in fact, the social conservative leadership in this state is meeting today to see if they can coalesce behind one candidate. i see. which is what they did with huckabee four years ago. and you re right. there is no huckabee on the stage now. that movement is chopped up among a variety of candidates. nobody has been able to pull together to be the alternative to mitt romney. i think it s very telling. not every republican caucusgoer is a social conservative. and, in fact, there s a substantial number who are not. that s potential for romney to harness that support. how many people in your caucuses are strategic voters? i m not sure i ve ever met one. by that i meet somebody, a man or woman, who goes in democrat or republican, who goes into the voting booth who says, i m not going to vote the person i like but i m going to vote the person i think can win. oh, i think there are a lot of them who are, chris.