Expert calls Monday debate a coming out party for John McCain in Iowa

Monday night may be a “coming out” party of sorts for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. The Arizona Senator has NOT campaigned in Iowa, but on Monday will join the five other G-O-P candidates for a debate in Des Moines. Iowa State University political science professor Dianne Bystrom will watch the debate at home. She says this will be a good look at all the candidates.Bystrom says it is a bit early to be having such a high-stakes campaign event. She says people in Iowa and New Hampshire are probably paying more attention than those in other states.Bystrom says a good performance in Monday’s debate may not be that significant in preparations for the Caucuses. She says the caucuses are still built on local groundwork and getting voters out to participate.Bystrom is sending 20 Iowa State students to attend the debate and she’ll check in with them afterwards to see what it was like to be in the room with the candidates. Over two-thousand people will be in the audience.