Ron DeSantis has placed all his chips on the Iowa Caucuses coming up in a couple of weeks. On Wednesday, Reuters reported, “the Florida governor began a breakneck stretch of campaign events in the run-up to Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucuses, which will offer the first signal of whether Republican voter preferences match public polling that shows former President Donald Trump as the party’s runaway frontrunner.
No candidate has staked more on a strong result in Iowa than DeSantis: He visited all 99 counties in the state, fiercely courted its socially conservative voters and secured the backing of its governor.
Associates of DeSantis say he needs at least a second-place finish in Iowa, and a poor showing there would likely doom his bid.”
Watching a recent Nikki Haley rally in New Hampshire must have made the Florida governor smile. The Hill described the event:
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley told a group of New Hampshire voters Wednesday that she trusts them to “correct” the results of the Iowa caucuses later this month.
“We have an opportunity to get this right. And I know we’ll get it right, and I trust you. I trust every single one of you. You know how to do this. You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it,” she said at a campaign event in New Hampshire.
“And then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That’s what we do,” she added.
The crowd cheered Haley’s remarks, which come less than two weeks from the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses — and just days before her debate with fellow Republican contender Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Iowa on Jan. 10.
Unreal.
Nikki Haley belittles Iowa caucus goers — claiming their decisions will need to be corrected by New Hampshire voters.
"You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it…and then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home." pic.twitter.com/CCRUOHt0Qp
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) January 4, 2024
Although former President Donald Trump is invited, DeSantis and Haley will soon square off, alone, in a debate in Iowa.
“CNN announced Tuesday that only Haley, DeSantis and former President Donald Trump have qualified. But Trump, who has skipped the earlier four debates, is opting instead for a FOX News town hall in Iowa at the same time that night, FOX announced Tuesday.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who both participated in the last debate in December, did not meet CNN’s qualification thresholds. Neither did former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson,” according to CBS News.
