The Final Stretch

An AP piece, published on Fox, calls this very last Iowa debate "the final stretch." But how final is it? There have been three turnovers in the leading number one position: from Perry, to Cain and now to Gingrich. And every since his tax plan came into some serious scrutiny, even Gingrich is, slowly but surely, lose his position, as well. So what better way to describe this than "the final stretch?" Who knows who's going to win the nomination. If Gingrich's support deteriorates at the rate its going right now, I wouldn't be surprised if Romney's last-minute sprint would cast him the nomination.

But sure enough, there is more to consider.
"...candidates are hitting the ground in a mad dash to meet and greet voters before their minds are made up and they tune politics out. "

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/16/gop-candidates-enter-final-iowa-stretch-after-tense-debate/#ixzz1girWFflr
This would be true, but since when was it ever about "politics." (An all too common Republican degradation of proper political terminology - ISSUES not "politics"). These sort of primaries are never about the politics but about the personalities. The question comes down to: who is more Republican. Why else did Perry, Cain and now Gingrich slip? They weren't Republican enough. Perry was too liberal in his handling of Texas's DREAM Act: he was for it. Cain - well, he was a child-molester. And Gingrich is a big government type of guy. (An image, propelled by Glenn Beck, that has been sitting with Republicans all over the country and no doubt degrading Gingrich's already disgusting track record).

With the last pre-caucus debate in the rearview, the Republican presidential candidates are hitting the ground in a mad dash to meet and greet voters before their minds are made up and they tune politics out.

So, yes, its a final stretch but it is also almost over. The "lower-tier" candidates have no chance and, as history shows, the only candidate that has a chance to "win" - besides Gingrich - is Romney. Again, if a big government advocate and a Mormon are topping the Republican charts, how in God's name can this be about "politics?"

Here's the article:

The Fox News debate Thursday night in western Iowa was a critical opportunity for the candidates to make their closing arguments on a host of issues ranging from foreign policy to the economy to sheer electability. The next two and a half weeks will be about the personal touch, as the candidates pack their schedules in Iowa and beyond with visits to every pizza parlor and diner they can find.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/16/gop-candidates-enter-final-iowa-stretch-after-tense-debate/#ixzz1giuiz0co
The second-tier candidates are making a big push. As Texas Gov. Rick Perry set out on a statewide Iowa bus tour, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann followed an aggressive performance at Thursday night's debate with an aggressive schedule of stops at restaurants and coffee shops across western Iowa.
The leaders of the pack, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, have the leeway to look a bit be

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/16/gop-candidates-enter-final-iowa-stretch-after-tense-debate/#ixzz1giueMG9r