Iowans are preparing for Christmas and preparing to be the center of the political universe on Jan. 3.
Tara and I hosted a reporter from Agence France-Presse in our home yesterday as she asked us questions about being a bi-partisan couple active in the Iowa caucus process. When we posted about her visit on Facebook, our politically active friends commented that they'd been filmed by news crews from places like Belgium and Germany. Tara was filmed by an Italian news crew leading her precinct caucus in 2008.
As the Republican in the family, I am getting plenty of mailers each day meant to explain the greatness of a particular candidate compared to the evil of another. Television and radio ads reinforce these themes.
Candidates who desperately need to finish in the coveted top-three in Iowa are engaging in retail politics through a time-honored tradition: the bus tour. Newt Gingrich has also announced a barnstorming tour, as he becomes the latest front-runner to fade after being the focus of opponent attacks.
Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are likely to finish within the top three, so the big story on Jan. 3 will be the third candidate. Either Gingrich will hold on to a top tier finish and move forward--or Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, or Rick Santorum will revive their campaigns.
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