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U.S. NEWSMonday 4 January 2016
A year of political pregame gives way to a sprint into Iowa
THOMAS BEAUMONT in favor of free media and
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) a few rallies a week before
— The race for the White
House starts this week in largely adoring crowds.
earnest, as voters begin to
tune in and the candidates The unknown for Trump: Are
try to win them over during
a four-week sprint to the the thousands of people
leadoff Iowa caucuses.
For all the attention who pack the bleachers
showered on Iowa and
other early voting states at his rallies likely voters, or
in the past year by
candidates, their unpaid merely fans entertained by
volunteers and high-dollar
admakers — and, yes, his show?
journalists, too — the truth
is that what happened in Neither Cruz nor Trump will
2015 was only the pregame
show. win the nomination with a
“The race is still fluid,” said
Beth Myers, who managed victory in Iowa, but caucus-
2012 Republican nominee
Mitt Romney’s campaign goers probably will deliver
and supports former Florida
Gov. Jeb Bush in 2016. a verdict on whether
“There’s still a twist or two
in this primary story that we several Republican
don’t know yet.”
Where to begin? candidates continue on
It’s easier to start with the
Democrats. to New Hampshire. Count
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a
Vermont independent, former Pennsylvania Sen.
hopes an upset in Iowa
and a victory in the New Rick Santorum, who won
Hampshire primary a week
later will dent the apparent the caucuses in 2012,
inevitability of front-runner
Hillary Clinton. Wins in and former Arkansas
the first two states for the
former first lady, New York Gov. Mike Huckabee,
senator and secretary of
state would all but cement the 2008 caucus winner,
her place atop her party’s
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas discusses his platform for change during in that group. Maybe
a campaign stop in Oklahoma City. The race for the White House starts this week in earnest, as
voters begin to tune in and the candidates try to win them over during a four-week sprint to the retired neurosurgeon Ben
leadoff Iowa caucuses.
Carson, too. Carson was
(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
an early favorite in Iowa
among evangelical and
tea party conservatives,
ticket. campaign apparatus and complete consolidation but he enters January
There is no such clarity in the will kick off his month with a of the evangelical wing
Republican race. Despite tried-and-true bus tour — six to snuff the life from the without several members
shedding five candidates days, 28 cities — of Iowa’s others,” said Phil Musser,
before New Year’s Day, this most fertile ground for a Republican consultant of his senior staff. They quit
contest is an unpredictable Republicans. Candidates who is not affiliated with
mix of a dozen hopefuls often try to recruit a political any campaign. last week and questioned
with vastly different visions leader to stand for them in While Cruz has edged
for the party and the each of Iowa’s 99 counties. ahead in preference polls his readiness for the White
country. Cruz has also sought a of Iowa voters in recent
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is atop pastor in each to do the weeks, nationally, he still House on their way out.
the pack in Iowa, home same, working to corner trails the unquestioned
to the leadoff caucuses the market on evangelicals political star of 2015: Those with more traditional
on Feb. 1 which begin the who make up a significant Donald Trump.
state-by-state nominating part of the Republican The billionaire real-estate political experience will
contests. Cruz spent 2015 caucuses. mogul has so far forgone
quietly building a traditional “For Cruz, it’s about the the grind-it-out approach spend the month trying to
bridge the gap between
the anger and frustration
that’s powered Trump’s
rise and the Republican
establishment, which
desperately wants to win
after eight years out of the
White House.q
Trump brushes off militant recruiting video citing his words
WASHINGTON (AP) — Don- aire real estate mogul told dence that that group, also the problem. And we have said the U.S. is at war with
ald Trump won’t be dis- CBS’ “Face the Nation” in known as ISIS, had done so. to solve that problem.” terrorists, not Islam. “The
suaded from saying what an interview taped Friday. Trump told “Fox & Friends” The video, broadly seeking terrorists want us to act like
he thinks simply because “And now, big parts of the the emergence since then the support of blacks and we’re at war with Islam,”
Islamic extremists use his world are saying, Trump is of the al-Shabab video Muslims in the U.S., contains he said. “That’s how they
words to recruit Muslims to really right, doesn’t change the fact a clip of Trump proposing recruit people.
their cause. at least identifying what’s she was wrong: “It wasn’t the “total and complete
The Republican presiden- going on. And we have to ISIS and it wasn’t made at shutdown of Muslims enter- That’s how they stir up
tial contender brushed off solve it. But you’re not go- the time, and she lied.” ing the United States,” an grievances.”
the appearance of an Afri- ing to solve the problem Trump told CBS that Dem- idea rebuffed by his rivals Asked about the video on
can Islamic militant group’s unless you identify it.” ocrats don’t want to talk in both parties. Al-Shabab CNN’s “State of the Union,”
video to recruit Americans The 51-minute video is by about Islamic radicalism, is fighting the internation- Republican presidential
that shows him calling for al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s East but he won’t shy away from ally backed Somali gov- contender Carly Fiorina
Muslims to be banned from Africa affiliate, and showed it for the sake of depriving ernment and has carried criticized its content and
coming to the U.S. On Sun- up Friday on Twitter. extremists of fodder for their out many guerrilla attacks misidentified the source of
day TV news shows, Trump Hillary Clinton claimed in recruitment. there and in neighboring the propaganda as the Is-
said it’s no surprise Ameri- the last Democratic presi- “What am I going to do?” African countries contrib- lamic State group.
ca’s enemies would exploit dential debate that anoth- he asked. “I have to say uting troops to the effort to “I find it pretty rich that this
comments of a presidential er extremist group, the Is- what I have to say. stabilize security. ISIS propaganda tape talks
front-runner like himself. lamic State, has been using And you know what I have Ben Rhodes, a deputy na- about the cruelty of the
“The world is talking about video of Trump in its propa- to say? There’s a problem. tional security adviser in West,” she said, given that
what I’ve said,” the billion- ganda. But she had no evi- We have to find out what is the Obama administration, group’s brutality.q
