Romney Still Has Chance in Iowa

Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney has put little focus on Iowa so far this year, visiting only three times. But he still has an opportunity to do well in the state’s caucuses, scheduled for Jan. 3, Politico reports.

Tim Pawlenty, who might have been a strong force in Iowa, dropped out of the race in August, and Rick Perry has fallen in the polls after a surge this summer.

Meanwhile, the socially conservative candidates who can attract votes in Iowa are dividing support among each other.

So that leaves Romney, despite his lack of attention to the state.

“The opportunity’s still there, because, frankly, nobody’s got a ground game,” former Iowa House Speaker Christopher Rants, who supported Romney in 2008, told Politico.

“I can’t figure out what they’re up to, because they have had a window. They could have come in three weeks ago and just knocked Perry out in Iowa. They chose not to,” Rants added.