Politics: The Cain Mutiny

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Politics The Cain Mutiny Can Herman Cain win Iowa without campaigning hard there? Iowans hope not. By John Dickerson Posted Friday, Oct 21, 2011, at 11:27 PM ET DES MOINES—Herman Cain has captured lightning in a bottle. That's the political cliché for the blast of popularity he's experiencing. But in Iowa, a state that has traditionally rewarded well-organized campaigns, the question is whether Cain is all lightning and no bottle. His supporters and political consultants are trying to get him to spend time and energy in the state, but he has a different plan. "He really doesn't have much of an organization," says Jeffrey Jorgensen, the chairman of the Pottawattamie County Republican Party who supports Cain and calls him the "Anti-Obama." "Since Ames, he has disappeared and has not been back." Jorgensen says he's been having conversations with the campaign "to get Herman back here, but for whatever reason he hasn't been back." If Cain does well in Iowa, it could upend the entire premise of the caucus process: In order to win in Iowa, candidates must spend time in the state wooing the famously coddled voters with personal appearances and vast organizations. There is a lot of head-scratching going on among the Republican political class over Cain's reluctance to come pick up the support that appears to be his for the taking. He is very popular in the state, a finding confirmed by a University of Iowa poll that shows him with 37 percent support, 10 points ahead of Romney. Doing well in Iowa would offer a strong kickoff for his campaign against his better-funded rivals Romney and Rick Perry ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Saletan: Bachmann Thinks Our Military Was in Iraq Not To Liberate It but To Own It The President of ASU on Rick Scott's Stupid Idea To Cut Funding for Liberal Arts Education My Seven Beliefs About Tim Tebow: 1) He Is Not a Viable NFL Quarterback ...	Advertisement
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