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The Big Mystery in Iowa: Donald Trump’s Ground Game
National Journal ^ | 1/27/16 | S.V. Dáte

Posted on 01/28/2016 7:56:44 AM PST by don-o

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa Donald Trump's hopes of turning reality TV into reality could well be in the hands of Barb Matney.

She's 57, a lifelong resident of this central Iowa town, and a supporter of Trump's presidential bid who recently signed up on his web­site to volunteer for his campaign. Last Sunday evening, eight days before 2016 voting starts with the Iowa caucuses, she finally heard back.

"They called me the other night and said I'd be a precinct captain," she said as she stood in snow flurries waiting to enter a Trump rally. The job entails calling other potential Trump supporters in Marshall County to remind them to turn out Monday night at 7 p.m. Of course, to do that she needs names and phone numbers which, as of earlier this week, she still had not received.

"I've asked for a list, and there's only a few days left, so I hope it's soon," she said.

And therein lies the central mystery of the developerturned reality TVst ar's unorthodox campaign: Is precinct captain Matney's inability to get basic campaign data the exception? Or the rule? And, with a candidate who has relied on his ability to hijack "earned media" coverage with outrageous remarks, does it even matter? Even the experts admit they don't know.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 01/28/2016 7:56:44 AM PST by don-o
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To: don-o

Ground game...what ground game?


2 posted on 01/28/2016 7:57:58 AM PST by GodGunsGuts
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To: don-o

I have to say I know nothing about how the Iowa caucus is run but think that way to much importance is given to one state (sorry all you Iowans). Either have all state primaries on one day or split it into two or three days where the states are split equally and rotated every presidential election so that no one state becomes the end all be all for determining who the winners are.


3 posted on 01/28/2016 8:00:31 AM PST by MissH
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To: GodGunsGuts

the guy who ran Santorums’s Iowa ground game 4 years ago is running Trump’s.. don’t bet against it


4 posted on 01/28/2016 8:00:51 AM PST by Lib-Lickers 2
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To: Lib-Lickers 2

“the guy who ran Santorums’s Iowa ground game 4 years ago is running Trump’s.. don’t bet against it”

Was Barb Matney once Bob Matney?


5 posted on 01/28/2016 8:02:52 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (The Trump/Cruz war is a media generated war so the establishment can stay in power.)
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To: don-o

Trumpanzees are too stupid to find their caucus site on their own. /sarc


6 posted on 01/28/2016 8:07:28 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Falcon 105)
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To: Lib-Lickers 2
Since Trump draws a disproportionate amount of support from voters who are not political diehards, he will need a strong turnout to emerge victorious on February 1st. Based on past voting history and voters' stated intentions to attend this year's caucuses, the current poll estimates turnout will be approximately 170,000 voters, which would far surpass the 122,000 record GOP turnout from four years ago. Increasing the poll's turnout projection to 200,000 voters widens Trump's lead to 32% over 21% for Cruz, with Rubio at 16% and Carson at 9%. Decreasing the turnout projection to 130,000 voters, which would still be a record level, puts the race in a tie at 26% for Trump and 26% for Cruz, with Rubio at 15% and Carson at 12%.

Really, so in order to justify Trump's lead, somehow 50,000 more caucus attendees will have to show up and vote for Trump than have ever shown up before. Trump has 12 paid staffers in Iowa, led by Tana Goetz, a 48-year-old former runner up on “The Apprentice.” Wow, what raw horsepower.

One volunteer leader enlisted by Donald J. Trump to turn out Iowa voters has yet to knock on a single door or to make a phone call. Another is a "9/11 truther" with a website claiming that the Sept. 11 attacks were a government conspiracy. A third caucus precinct captain, who like the others attended a training session in West Des Moines last month, said the campaign's goal of having them each enlist 25 supporters was unrealistic.

Cruz has over 1,000 precinct chairs, a 240-plus person leadership team and over 5,000 volunteers in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties (all of which Cruz has pledged to visit before the caucuses, and it looks like he’ll make it happen). They’re led by seasoned professionals such as Jake Dagel, who was field director for Turning Point USA.

So, all this heat and light coming off the Trump campaign is based on people answering pollster questions on the phone.

http://theresurgent.com/trumps-lead-in-iowa-is-based-on-a-miracle/

7 posted on 01/28/2016 8:08:09 AM PST by GodGunsGuts
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To: Lib-Lickers 2

That and the fact Trump makes a point to be unpredictable. He doesn’t want his generals talking to the press. People still don’t understand that.


8 posted on 01/28/2016 8:11:33 AM PST by dynoman (Objectivity is the essence of intelligence. - Marilyn vos Savant)
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To: GodGunsGuts

people who live around me would not walk across the street to see Cruz but they would drive 50 miles to see Trump.. now you have to deal with that fact


9 posted on 01/28/2016 8:15:07 AM PST by Lib-Lickers 2
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To: Fresh Wind
Trumpanzees are too stupid to find their caucus site on their own. /sarc

Actually, the article asks does ground game even matter going up against Trump. If he steamrolls Iowa, and it is revealed he did not have much of a ground game, more "conventional" wisdom has been blowed up.

 photo blowedup.jpg

10 posted on 01/28/2016 8:18:59 AM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory. And He will NOT be mocked!)
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To: don-o

Establishment.......


11 posted on 01/28/2016 8:19:26 AM PST by stubernx98 (cranky, but reasonable)
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To: GodGunsGuts

“Trump has 12 paid staffers in Iowa, led by Tana Goetz, a 48-year-old former runner up on “The Apprentice.” Wow, what raw horsepower.”

LOL!


12 posted on 01/28/2016 8:29:26 AM PST by Beagle8U (Don't settle for Bill de Blasio's NYC 'values'.)
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To: MissH
I have to say I know nothing about how the Iowa caucus is run but think that way to much importance is given to one state

Lots of people agree with that and some steps have been taken - first Super Tuesday, now SEC primaries.

13 posted on 01/28/2016 8:29:49 AM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory. And He will NOT be mocked!)
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To: don-o

Playing the first two games of the season in 2012 Obama +6 states is not good.


14 posted on 01/28/2016 8:30:44 AM PST by nascarnation
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To: Lib-Lickers 2

Does he have voter records of those who supported Santorum?


15 posted on 01/28/2016 8:35:45 AM PST by grania
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To: don-o

This is where things get interesting, in spite of all the hyperventilating.

What will be the nature and volume of Trump supporters in Caucus living rooms?

So many variables that are unknown. Could be YUGE! Could be a whimper. Could force Anyone But Trump into Cruz’s hands. Could galvanize everyone for Trump.

Who knows?

Nobody.

What great political theater we are having.


16 posted on 01/28/2016 8:37:31 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Populism is what Populism does.)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Trump is NOT the Uniparty.

While I am a Cruz supporter and not in favor of Trump, the options were are, in this order:

Uniparty or Not?

Trump or Cruz?

The key to this election is the defeat of the Uniparty. Everything we hold dear as conservatives is attacked and undermined by the Uniparty. To ever defeat the Uniparty, we must first defeat them within the Republican Party.

Trump does that. It may be ugly. It may be populism. It may be unpredictable. Trump may gore our ox 50% of the time, and the other guy’s ox 50% of the time.

But the Uniparty is killing us 100% of the time.

So quit thinking Trump is the end of the world. He is a half-measure when we’ve currently got nothing.


17 posted on 01/28/2016 8:46:10 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Populism is what Populism does.)
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To: don-o

The message is, politics as usual or you’ll lose. Let’s hope they’re wrong otherwise we’ll be stuck with these “traditional” politicians forever.


18 posted on 01/28/2016 8:57:10 AM PST by Kenny (RED)
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To: GodGunsGuts
In the News/Activism forum, on a thread titled The Big Mystery in Iowa: Donald Trump's Ground Game, GodGunsGuts wrote:
Ground game...what ground game?

By all your FR posts, you have proven conclusively that DT has no path to winning the Iowa vote next Monday.

We are convinced by your multitude of anti-Trump and previous anti-Palin posts that TC, yours and my preferred candidate, HAS be the winner. It's decided.
19 posted on 01/28/2016 8:57:16 AM PST by Resettozero
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To: Resettozero

Yep, I think Ted Cruz is going to win...and possibly even by a large margin.

Ann Coulter and Sarah Palin = Vegetarian Red Meat Dispensers


20 posted on 01/28/2016 9:00:48 AM PST by GodGunsGuts
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