Posted on 07/13/2010 10:20:05 PM PDT by iowamark
AUDUBON, Iowa – Former Gov. Terry Branstad is hoping to see a good crop of 2012 GOP presidential hopefuls stumping for Iowa Republican candidates between now and November.
“I’m trying to encourage all of them to come in and help out,” said Branstad, who made that appeal to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich when he was in Iowa on Monday to conduct workshops designed to help prepare GOP candidates to succeed in their fall races. “I think it’s going to be a very big help to us this time.”
Branstad said he believes Republicans have a strong shot at sweeping this year’s races for Iowa statewide offices, regaining control of the Iowa House and making inroads in the Iowa Senate when voters go to the polls Nov. 2. Republicans significantly cut into Democrats’ edge in voter registrations during the primary election season, and Branstad is hopeful the upcoming mid-term election will be a banner year for GOP candidates up and down the ticket.
The former governor, who is seeking a fifth term after serving as Iowa’s chief executive from January 1983 to January 1999, already has benefitted from early interest in the 2012 GOP presidential sweepstakes, picking up primary endorsements from former Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Sarah Palin of Alaska and respective campaign contributions of $10,000 and $5,000 from two Republicans regarded as having 2012 aspirations.
Branstad said it’s too early to talk about whether he will endorse a 2012 candidate before Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential precinct caucuses, noting his first order of business is to get elected himself in his bid to make incumbent Democrat Chet Culver a one-term governor.
“I’m focused on this election, not the next one. We’ve got to focus on winning this election first before we think about what’s going to happen in 2012,” he said in an interview. “My general intention would be to welcome all the candidates to Iowa.”
Gingrich, Romney, Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty – who plans a three-day eastern Iowa swing later this month – former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have been among the possible 2012 presidential hopefuls that have visited Iowa since the last presidential campaign.
Asked Monday by an Audubon County delegate to the GOP state convention about the status of party unity following a tough primary battle with Sioux City Republican Bob Vander Plaats, Branstad said he has not met with his primary rival since the convention when delegates picked state Sen. Kim Reynolds, R-Osceola, over Vander Plaats as the 2010 lieutenant governor candidate. But he said he has met with Vander Plaats’ supporters who have indicated they will back the Branstad-Reynolds ticket.
“We need to encourage them to join the team and I think over time they will,” Branstad said.
Vander Plaats has not indicated whether he will endorse Branstad at some point before the Nov. 2 election and he has not ruled out an independent bid for governor, although he has said he would not undertake such a bid if he did not think he could win.
“We’re hoping that he’ll come around,” Branstad said.
Huck is committing political hara-kari if he does not convince Vander Plaats to endorse Branstad or does not endorse him on his own.
Texas needs to move its primary up,
December seems about right
http://iowaindependent.com/38955/roberts-puts-chances-of-vander-plaats-independent-run-at-50-50
Some think Vander Plants will run as an independent (no sore loser law in Iowa I guess). What a douche. Branstad ain’t gold, but Culver can’t be allowed to win with a plurality.
Vander Plaats plays spoiler, then he underminds his social conservative credibility. Having Culver around for another 4 years will deny Iowans the right to vote on gay marriage.
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