Column: Guiliani, McCain both about to be edged out of race
Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani have both dropped out of the August straw vote in Iowa. The straw vote is essentially a test of a candidate's early strength. It's non-binding so it doesn't really count -- but it is an important gauge in determining how well they are situated going into the January caucus.
By opting not to participate in the straw vote, McCain and Guiliani are effectively handing the contest to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who will be participating in the early contest. And that is significant for a couple of reasons.
The first is money. The straw vote requires a strong field organization and that takes money. Romney has it, McCain doesn't, and Guiliani apparently isn't interested in spending that much at this point.
The second reason is the potential that can be gained by a strong showing in the straw vote. There are still a lot of Republicans out there who are not overly excited by any of the top three contenders. Depending on how strong a showing Romney makes in the contest, some of those undecideds might be inclined to take a closer look at his candidacy. Not to mention some of the Iowa Republicans who might take issue with McCain and Guiliani's decision not to play, and decide maybe Romney is the guy they'll back come January.
However, one can expect both the McCain and Guiliani camps will dismiss the results by claiming the only reason Romney did as well as he did was because they opted not to play, thus it won't be a "fair" representation of how the January caucus vote will play out later. More...
Candidates that show up will definitely be seen better in the eyes of many Iowans.
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