USA: U.S. Republican candidates work to solidify support in Iowa before Thursday's caucus

Record ID: 345891

  • Title: USA: U.S. Republican candidates work to solidify support in Iowa before Thursday's caucus
  • Date: 2nd January 2008
  • Summary: ( BN06)DES MOINES, IOWA (JANUARY 1, 2008) (REUTERS - ACCCESS ALL) MIKE HUCKABEE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, GREETING SUPPORTERS SUPPORTERS CHANTING SLOGANS IN SUPPORT OF HUCKABEE MIKE HUCKABEE INTRODUCED TO CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE HUCKABEE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "People would come up and say: I've never been to a caucus before, but I'm going for the first time in my life because I want you to be the next president of the United States." CROWD APPLAUDING WIDE OF AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE HUCKABEE, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "I'm not asking you to elect me to the ruling class; you are the ruling class. I'm asking you to elect me to the serving class. I wish to serve as your president and will proudly do so if you'll be there for me on Thursday night. God bless you." CROWD
  • Embargoed: 17th January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7QHZQZ1DM92C3CKT8SKL85RE
  • Story Text: The first day of the year is hardly a holiday for presidential candidates in Iowa, who spend it crisscrossing the state to drum up support before the first big test of the presidential nominating race.
    With two days left in a tight Iowa race, former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee leads the latest Caucus poll by the Des Moines Register.
    On Tuesday (January 1), he met supporters and even played he bass guitar with a band with hopes of bolstering voter support before Thursday's caucuses.
    Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, widened his lead over Romney among Republicans to 29 percent to 25 percent. Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who has been on the attack against Huckabee, slipped two points overnight.
    Romney remained optimistic, telling supporters he planned on "getting the gold or the silver" in Iowa.
    Romney criticised Huckabee's handling of an attack ad against him.

    "I don't think it's going to fool the people of Iowa. His approach to the campaign has been anything but positive and I don't think people will think it as having been a positive approach. If you look at his comments over the last several weeks, you look at his ad and his way of putting it into the public marketplace, I think that has made it pretty clear."
    Huckabee said he did not regret Monday's news conference in which he announced he would not run a television ad critical of Romney -- then showed it to reporters, ensuring its accusations got a wide airing.
    Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, told a crown in Des Moines on Tuesday, "I wish to serve as your president and will proudly do so if you'll be there for me on Thursday night."
    Iowa is the first test in the state-by-state fight to choose candidates for the November presidential election, and about 7 percent of Democrats and 6 percent of Republicans remain undecided after months of heavy campaigning.
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