Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says it’s still too early for him to pick a favorite among the many possible presidential candidates making the rounds in Iowa. Grassley, a Republican, says he first needs to know where the candidates stand on the various issues, though he says, “only two or three of them are qualified to be president.”
Grassley says he’d try to determine if the candidates who could win the Iowa Caucuses could also go on and had the resources to win in states like New Hampshire, Florida, Nevada and South Carolina. He says, “It wouldn’t do me much good to back somebody that won in Iowa if they can’t carry on the campaign elesewhere.”
Grassley says he’ll likely make his decision in August or September –if– he decides to back one of the prospective candidates. With regard to Donald Trump’s interest in seeking the country’s top job, Grassley says if the billionaire/real estate mogul/reality TV star wants to run for president, he’ll need to spend more than a few days in Iowa.
He advises Trump not to give one or two speeches and then expect Iowans to support his effort. Grassley says he would have to campaign in a grassroots style if he expects to be taken seriously, meeting with the voters and talking candidly. Grassley says he found it a “surprise” to learn former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is laying the groundwork for a more informed presidential bid, traveling overseas to brush up on foreign policy issues.
Grassley says, “She may be more seriously considering than I thought because, quite frankly, she’s making so much money, (she’s) been lower-middle class in income all of her life and is making some good money now and thinking about her family and her future that I didn’t think she was going to be a candidate.”
Grassley said whether Republicans will support Palin as a viable presidential candidate depends on whether she proves herself and passes muster in front of Iowans and the rest of nation. The same, he says, applies to any other presidential hopeful.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic