Gingrich to Spend Much Time in Iowa

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich knows Iowa and Iowans know him, which could give the GOP presidential hopeful an advantage in the early caucus state. Still, Republican leaders in the state expect Gingrich to spend plenty of time in Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported Thursday.

He’ll follow the path of other successful Iowa caucus candidates. That means "dozens and dozens" of days in Iowa, said former Polk County Republican director Will Rogers, a longtime supporter and now an Iowa staff member for the Georgian Republican.

Gingrich will also most likely temper his approach as a presidential candidate.
He is likely to be more thoughtful and careful with his statements so they don't detract from the complex solutions he'll propose for such issues as the national debt and spending reductions, said Iowa House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Garner, who will be his state campaign chairwoman.

Upmeyer, who knows Gingrich well, describes him as "professorial" and "eggheadish" because of his love of policy.

"I absolutely think he has to frame it up pretty consciously without a doubt because you don't have endless time," Upmeyer said. "But you know what? Those ideas that kind of make him a little eggheadish are the things that people love."