Eight votes separate the top two in GOP Iowa Caucuses
Posted By RichC on January 4, 2012
Not that it matters much, but Gov Mitt Romney and Rep Rick Santorum were the two top vote getters in Iowa on Tuesday night as it took until the wee hours of the morning before a winner could be declared – Romney by 8 votes. The 24.55% vs 24.54% split barely made up the majority of votes in what came down to a four or maybe five horse race in Iowa: Romney, Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry. As the press conferences wrapped up, many believe the GOP 
is realistically down to the top 4 finishers … and of those one is not electable as a Republican (Paul).
As the campaigns head to New Hampshire where Gov Romney holds a 2 to 1 lead over the nearest competitor, serious campaigners focus on the South Carolina and Florida primaries where most likely the Republican will decide who will run against President Obama.
What is interesting is that the Republican party currently has different candidates. With Romney most see someone with personal morals, convictions and respected business credentials, but a less that conservative political track record. Santorum also has conducted his personal and family life with integrity, but lacks the business and economic resume of Romney. Speaker Gingrich, who many boast as the “smartest man in the room,” slips a notch or two when dissecting his personal life and volumes of lectures, writing and years of political negotiating. Still he is the most formidable campaigner and debater of the bunch … something that many expect may be needed when going up against the billion dollar campaign war-chest the Obama campaign has amassed.
For the pragmatist, I think Romney is the guy … for the ideologue, they may just have to hold their nose or may do what the Republican establishment fear and say home.
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