But for Trump's braggadocio, and a few polls, the story of Iowa would have been Trump's remarkable second place finish. A seasoned candidate and staff would have spun this like a dreidel. Trump trades in his wife every ten years for a newer model, seldom attends church, and has only recently reversed his pro-choice position. Trump believes Corinthians was the leather in the ill fated Chrysler Cordoba. The GOP Iowa caucus electorate is 60% evangelicals.
Elbow grease beat chest thumping. Iowa caucus goers expect to be wooed. Trump never gave them a first date. Cruz visited all 99 counties, brought in field staff and more than 12,000 volunteers. Trump's giant rallies are too public for the love affair Iowans demand. The multi-state primaries to come are better suited to Trump's tarmac campaign. Wholesale will soon replace retail politics.
Iowa's caveat for Trump is what we pointed out in early August, http://phoodphotospolitics.blogspot.com/2015/08/trumps-money-problem.html. Trump is a penny pincher living in a gold plated palace. Free media has hidden, and perhaps excused, his limited air game. But only his cheapness explains the lack of ground game. Against all odds, Trump might have won Iowa with a high end, well financed, field staff training and deploying an army of volunteers. Trump deployed a few rent a cops against the Cruz militia.
Going forward the question is whether his big mouth, and fat ego will ever be matched by a large wallet.
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