Leadership Team - Many 08 Romney Backers Still On The Fence Iowa Caucuses

Many of Mitt Romney s key Iowa backers from four years ago have scattered or have so far declined to commit to support the potential presidential candidate, partly because he has campaigned so lightly here so far.

I m still very glad I supported him last time. I think he d make a terrific president, said Richard Schwarm, who was the paid co-chairman of Romney s Iowa campaign in 2008 but is neutral at the moment. My concern is he doesn t appear to be participating vigorously in Iowa, and that s his only real drawback for me.

Today, Romney makes his first visit to Iowa s presidential testing grounds this year. It s the third stop here in the last two years for the former Massachusetts governor, who said Thursday in New Hampshire that he expects to announce his candidacy next week.

Several Iowans who were gung-ho for Romney last election argue that given the current circumstances, he has few excuses for avoiding Iowa. They point out that his Iowa nemesis Mike Huckabee, who caught fire with religious conservatives here and shoved Romney to a second-place finish in the 2008 caucuses, has opted out of this year s race.

Candidates such as Haley Bar-bour, Mitch Daniels and John Thune, who might have stolen some of Romney s economy-focused supporters, are out, too, they noted, so Romney likely has the best chance of winning the Iowa straw poll in August and the first-in-the-nation caucuses in February.

I think there are a lot of folks who want to support him again, but it will be tough if he doesn t make an effort here, said Christopher Rants, who was on Romney s leadership team last time but is not committing to any candidate yet.

Romney said Thursday that Iowans can expect to see him frequently in the coming months.

I ll spend a good deal of time in Iowa for the very simple reason that they re first, he told reporters in Chicago. I know Iowa pretty well and I m going to get to see friends back in Iowa on a pretty regular basis. As this campaign goes forward, I expect to do my effort in virtually every state in the nation.

Meanwhile, the campaign is running a much leaner organization this year, relying more heavily on volunteers than paid staff and consultants, said David Kochel, who is one of Romney s top Iowa advisers again this cycle.

Members of his 2008 leadership team still assessing the field and not publicly committed to Romney include Doug Gross, Gentry Collins and Brent Siegrist.

Others have migrated to other campaigns. His former political director, Jill Latham, is now with Pennsylvania s Rick Santorum, while his former straw poll director, Nicole Schlinger, works for Minnesota s Tim Pawlenty.

But Brian Kennedy, a paid adviser in 2008, is sticking by his side, and is now on a new volunteer statewide steering committee to help Romney reach out to voters across Iowa.

State Sen. David Johnson, a chairman of Romney s 2008 Iowa faith and values steering committee, thinks Romney is the Republican in the current lineup most likely to beat Democratic President Barack Obama. But he thinks the list of candidates might grow.

So I m waiting, said Johnson, who lives in Ocheyedan.

Chad Airhart, a Dallas County Republican who supported Romney last time but is now committed to Pawlenty, said he doesn t want to say anything ill of another Republican. But he explained that he has heard many Iowans say they have a problem with Romney s Massachusetts health care plan and his evolving position on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Last time, some conservatives expressed discomfort with Romney s Mormon religion, but longtime supporter Laura Walth, a librarian from Des Moines, said she doesn t think Republicans will reject him this time because of his faith, given that Iowans last fall elected Matt Schultz, a Republican and a Mormon, to the secretary of state s office. Various other officeholders, including state Rep. Ralph Watts, R-Adel, and county-level officials in Dallas, Jefferson and Scott counties and elsewhere are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Several supporters said this race, with its greater emphasis on money issues, is an even better environment for Romney, with his experience as a business executive and budget-balancing governor, than last time.

State Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids, said: The reason I m still supportive is I believe he s the best candidate with the economy the way it is. I know that he has the business know-how and the necessary skills to turn around our economy.

Iowa Republicans said they know no eventual Republican nominee in recent history has won both Iowa and New Hampshire. Two won here (Bob Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000), and three won New Hampshire (Ronald Reagan in 1980, George H.W. Bush in 1988 and John McCain in 2008). But they think Romney could pull off a one-two punch and quickly seal his fate as the nominee. I think there was always an opening for him, and I think there s a great opening for him now, Schwarm said.

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