After Iowa, Republicans Face a New Landscape
While Gov. Rick Perry of Texas had hoped to turn the contest into a two-man duel with Mitt Romney, he starts by facing Representative Michele Bachmann, whose <a href="http://www.trading666.com/lv-handbags-lv-A-quality-handbags-f2-3-c3-9.html"><strong>wholesale lv handbags online from china </strong></a> weekend victory in the Iowa straw poll reordered the top tier of candidates. On the second day of his announcement tour, Mr. Perry sent a subtle message: making his first Iowa appearance in her hometown, but not taking her on directly. While Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. Perry and Mr. Romney each have emphasized cutting attacks on Mr. Obama, they now face the need to begin drawing distinctions with one another and set up what could be a long and hard-edged campaign for the party’s nomination. Their pitches often overlap, with Mr. Perry and Mr. Romney presenting themselves as job creators, while Mr. Perry and Mrs. Bachmann appeal to social conservatives. The contrasts are becoming increasingly clear as the slow-to-start campaign accelerates and candidates prepare to participate in three debates next month alone. Mr. Obama is also stepping up his campaign. He will begin a three-day bus tour of the Midwest on Monday with appearances in Minnesota and Iowa, swooping into a region that is vital to his re-election to make a case that he has stabilized the economy and has the right prescriptions for continued improvement. But as Republican optimism rises at the possibility of defeating Mr. Obama, a new air of urgency has gripped the nomination fight, with early strategies beginning to take shape. Mrs. Bachmann is counting on a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses early in the new year. Mr. Romney is investing heavily in New Hampshire. Mr. Perry said he <a href="http://www.trading666.com/T-shirt-polo-men-t-shirt-f2-61-c3-89.html"><strong>wholesale fashion polo men t-shirt online from china </strong></a> would not focus on a narrow strategy and pledged to compete in all corners of the country by emphasizing economic issues and his record of promoting job creation over the past decade in Texas. “At the end of the day,” Mr. Perry told supporters here, “getting America working again is what the bulk of the people really care about.” Mr. Romney appeared at a private fund-raiser in Nantucket, Mass., on Sunday and held no public campaign events. But in New Hampshire on Monday, aides said, he will continue his focus on the president and criticize his bus tour, avoiding becoming dragged into the back-and-forth of the Republican nominating contest until <a href="http://www.trading666.com/others-t1-29.html"><strong>wholesale cheap newport cigarettes outlet</strong></a> he has to. Mrs. Bachmann, whose straw poll victory led Mr. Pawlenty to drop out of the race and solidified her role as a leading contender here in Iowa, is seeking to expand her appeal and win over voters who admire her passion but remain unsure of her level of experience. She appeared on all five Sunday morning talk shows, peppered with questions about her opposition to raising the debt ceiling, her views about gays and lesbians and the role that faith would play in a Bachmann administration. “All of these kind of questions aren’t what people are concerned about right now,” Mrs. Bachmann said on the NBC program “Meet the Press.” But pressed on the issues, she said, “I think my views are clear.” Mr. Pawlenty’s abrupt departure from the race, after finishing a distant third in the straw poll, created one of the most significant ripples yet in the Republican nominating fight. While he struggled to generate the enthusiasm of Mrs. Bachmann’s backers, he had a core group of loyal fund-raisers and supporters from Iowa to Florida that rival campaigns immediately started to pursue. He said that he had no immediate plans to endorse another candidate. Ray Washburne, a Dallas businessman and a top bundler for Mr. Pawlenty, said he received telephone calls from Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry on Sunday morning not long after Mr. Pawlenty announced his intention to leave the race. Both campaigns were aggressively pursuing political operatives, contributors and rank-and-file supporters. “When the girlfriend breaks up with you,” Mr. Washburne said, “you’re not ready to start dating just yet.” Mrs. Bachmann’s candidacy, which has rapidly gained visibility and credibility since she joined the race two months ago, has tapped into a sense of anger and frustration that voters have with Washington. Her engaging speaking style, personal connection with voters and appeal to conservative activists contributed to her victory at the straw poll <a href="http://metaverse.stanford.edu/live-video-stream#comment-17028"><strong>Shaunavon Hospital hires temp staff</strong></a> on Saturday.
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