CNN Reports: Ron Paul To Take Weekend Off From Campaigning In Iowa Heading Back To Texas

[HOLLYWOOD]

TPM Talking Points Memo
Ron Paul to take weekend off from campaigning: tpm.ly/sEDXkG
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@LisaDCNN Lisa Desjardins
BREAKING: Ron Paul to take the weekend off from campaigning, spend New Year's w/ his wife in Texas, campaign tells CNN.
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Front runners take short break from Iowa this weekend
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ners-take-short-break-from-iowa-this-weekend/

Posted by
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser

Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - With four days to go until the caucuses, the two candidates at the top of the field are taking a short break from campaigning in the Hawkeye State.
After a stumping all day Friday in Iowa, Rep. Ron Paul heads home to Texas to spend New Year's weekend with his wife. The Paul campaign tells CNN the congressman, who's making this third bid for the White House, resumes campaigning in Iowa Monday morning.

Meanwhile, after an event in Iowa Friday morning, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes stops in New Hampshire Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, before returning to the Hawkeye State Saturday afternoon. He campaigns in Iowa all day Sunday. Romney is making his second bid for the Republican nomination.
Iowa's January 3 caucuses kick off the presidential primary and caucus season, with New Hampshire's January 10 primary coming second.

Romney and Paul are basically tied for the top spot in an NBC News-Marist poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus goers than came out Friday, and in a CNN/Time/ORC International poll here in the Hawkeye State that released on Wednesday.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @PSteinhauserCNN

 

[Havax]

I'm hoping internal polling shows us comfortably in the lead or something...

 

[bluesc]

Yeah. Romney is going to be in NH today and tomorrow morning, will be in Iowa tomorrow afternoon and all day Sunday. He is pushing hard.

 

[tbone717]

I'm hoping internal polling shows us comfortably in the lead or something...

Based on this, that would be my guess. You don't take time off when you are behind.

 

[Carehn]

Maybe he just needs a rest, but could it not hold off till after Iowa?

 

[Carehn]

I hope our boys in Iowa pick up the slack for him.

 

[Agorism]

Makes me think something is wrong.

 

[goldpants]

Hmm, that is usually a move of confidence.

 

[Badger Paul]

Is Rand coming into Iowa over the weekend to campaign?

 

[Original_Intent]

Sun Tzu would say that sometimes the best action to take is no action. Hopefully this is interpreted as confidence, not cockiness.

 

[netwalker]

It does seem to convey confidence, but what about campaigning like we're 10 points behind... always?

I hope this isn't a mistake in the long run.

 

[bbartlog]

Based on this, that would be my guess. You don't take time off when you are behind.

It's also possible that he needs to rest, and that unlike some other candidates he's built a good enough campaign organization that he can leave things in their capable hands for 48 hours. This affair is going to run through May - burning yourself out by trying to campaign all day, every day, is not a winning strategy (just look how Bachmann has driven herself to the edge of sanity ). Paul was a competitive runner in his youth, I think he knows something about pacing yourself appropriately for the length of the race.

 

[Chieppa1]

irrational over-reactions in 5....

 

[undergroundrr]

Excellent. He needs to be ready next week to rock NH. It will be the most intense week of his life.

 

[samsung1]

I don't understand why he couldn't have his family flown to Iowa for new years and then stay with him in Iowa through caucus night unless he doesn't think he will beat romney?

 

[low preference guy]

It's new years. Politics shouldn't get in the way of spending that time with whom you want and where you want to. What's the point of trying to improve the country if you aren't going to have a life? Good for Paul taking a rest. He isn't a sacrificial animal for the benefit of the rest of us.

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

Is Rand coming into Iowa over the weekend to campaign?

Rand should at least be there on Monday and Tuesday.

Makes me think something is wrong.

Hmm, well, there's one thing that bugs the heck out of me at all the coverage I have seen.

Ron and his cold, rubbing/wiping his nose with his fingers. He did it multiple times on the MSNBC Morning Joe Interview (No One offered him tissue) then the latest of the Veterans Salute Rally... He kept wiping/rubbing his nose and then shaking hands with everyone during the post speech photo op.

Can Someone in the Paul Campaign clean this up and provide RP a handkerchief when in public?

 

[specsaregood]

It's new years. Politics shouldn't get in the way of spending that time with whom you want and where you want to. What's the point of trying to improve the country if you aren't going to have a life? Good for Paul taking a rest. He isn't a sacrificial animal for the benefit of the rest of us.

Exactly, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[wgadget]

Pfft. This just shows that Ron Paul is a better family man than Romney or Mr. HolierThanThou. Ron has his priorities in order.

 

[Corey]

Could be a really smart move. If internal polls are showing a decent lead, the campaign may be trying to avoid the inevitable assault that will come over the weekend. Questions can be fielded by professional campaign managers, while Ron shows that he's a family man.