we are live on the campus of the iowa university. home of the iowa straw poll.his is the political center of the universe and a big day for congresswoman michelle bachmann. we'll let you tell her why and what it means. the iowa strawberry is misunderstood by lots of people who may not realize it is important for iowa. the people of iowa serve as a filter for the filter for the candidates who want to be president. when you come to iowa. you don't get to jump out of the bus and make a speech and never answer tough questions . the questions you get. the toughest one will not come from the reporters that come all over the world to. other than they're not star struck. they have met dem- democrats and republicans and independents. do they understand what it is like to be a farmer whose seed is in the ground . oner fist he will get the cost of the seed. unemployed truck driver and factory worker who hasn't had a job in 73 weeks. that's who the people of iowa will present themselves to be and the candidate had better be able to answer the question and a person who will

it is a -- we're bipartisan when it comes to iowa. iowa fight songs and iowa state.java joe's here in downtown iowa, a great caffeinated watering hole for me every four years when i'm here, exceeding expectations is the name of the game on saturday. pit pinning down the candidates on where they expect to place is not exactly a cakewalk. a little montage on that. >> do you think you'll finish in the top three? >> i think we'll do well. we vice president put a number on it. >> in the top three, that's what i hope to do and i expect to do it. but, you know, we don't know exactly. nobody knows. >> we're not spending any money at ames. i'll get whatever votes i get. >> straw poll, had that experience, learned from it. we'll try to get the nomination this time. >> i've got msnbc contributor chris cillizza, tand jackie cu kucini kucinich. jackie, let me start with you. america's newspaper, you're here. is the debate tonight going to be the front page? is that what everybody will wake up to tomorrow or no? >> that's above my pay grade. it is what i would like to wake up to t

they seemed more focused on the message of iowa, iowa, iowa. was on iowa roots less than it was about anything else. >> if you go back to her first ad, chuck, and her announcement, even, late june in waterloo, everything has been about iowa. she's a native. it is aimed at the heart of the state, the sort of native-girl done good. it was very effective. look, she also is very much in the moment. she's an outspoken tea party leader at a moment when fiscal issues are really reigning supreme. this debt vote and the debate ahead of the debt vote worked great for her. the timing was fantastic. don't forget, the straw poll is dominated by cultural conservatived. conservatives. she had a lot of home schoolers and pastors waiting in the line for her today. that was the key to victory. >> mike murphy, your thoughts on rick perry. >> last year rick perry came from 20 votes behind in the republican race in texas to destroi kaley hutchinson. he's a barracuda in republican primaries and a tornado. she has a connection to the state with a tea party message, b

when you come to iowa.ou don't get to jump out of the bus and make a speech and never answer tough questions . the questions you get. the toughest one will not come from the reporters that come all over the world to. other than they're not star struck. they have met dem- democrats and republicans and independents. do they understand what it is like to be a farmer whose seed is in the ground . oner fist he will get the cost of the seed. unemployed truck driver and factory worker who hasn't had a job in 73 weeks. that's who the people of iowa will present themselves to be and the candidate had better be able to answer the question and a person who will not come answer the questions is got no reason to be president of the united states. joining me is bret baeir. was today's activities in the straw poll surprise or was it what you had seen shaping up. one congresswoman bachmann proves her organizational chops today. pulling off the win is a big win in a place like iowa . two, i heard a story that she at one poi

, iowa. one of the candidates speaking today is ron paul. our live coverage gets under way, all day here on c-span with six candidates speaking, nine names on the ballot. some of the headlines, it post," full-ington court press. there will also be a line to fill in the name that is not there. joining us live from inside the hilton coliseum is the chair of the iowa republican party, met strong. thank you for being with us. >> happy to be here. realigns flowing into the doors -- we have lines flowing into the doors. it looks like a great day to be in iowa. >> what is the straw poll? what is the price of the admission? who is attending today and who is not? >> there will be nine names on the ballot, all have announced president. six of them will be here today. i like to describe the straw poll as a county fair meet a rock concert meats and national political convention. in the tent space there will be barbecues coming games for the kids, speeches from the candidates, and inside, we will have an

fascinating to see what's going to happen in iowa. the final takeover of the party of lincoln by all that he opposed. that's hardball now. the last w >>> the republican candidates debated in iowa and are worried about rick. 's next move. >> i was leading on the issue of not increasing the debt ceiling. >> is she unqualified, or just beating him in the polls? >> you were the front runner missing in action. you were in the witness protection program. >> i wish you put aside the got you questions. >> i will try not to ring the bell that much. >> creating a sense of urgency. >> when are you going to wrap up? it's time for me to talk. >> you can get in through a divided congress. >> well -- >> the record of texas speaks for itself. >> i have the calmness in my heart. >> we're back with a late addition of the blast word tonight. the top eight declared republican presidential candidates participated in a presidential debate in iowa, the last debate before saturday's ames straw poll. not in attendance was a rick perry, whose spokesman said to

and he did it in scattered showers and not in iowa. how might that impact the straw poll and for that matter the entire g.o.p. lineup of candidates? >> you might see perry make appearance in iowa in the farm of a write in candidate. the fact that he made the announcement at the time he did, i think it's raising eyebrows. i think they'll feel slighted. today is supposed to be about all things iowa and i think they might be a little miffed that rick perry made his announcement from south carolina today. it takes a little bit of the wind out of the iowa sales and the fact that he made the announcement where he did. it says something, too. south carolina is going to be very significant state for republican candidates. and that's not saying for sure that he's writing off iowa. there's a lot of time between now and january when the iowa caucuses actually happen. >> how right you are. >> kelly: and i want to get to you before we run out of time here because we know when you're talking about iowa and the fact there might be animosity there amo

and i think it's got legs beyond iowa.t i'm saying she's going to win the nomination, but i think if she does well in the straw poll and then potentially does well in the caucuses, she's going to be around in this race for a while and she's going to drive either romney or perry or whomever crazy. >> we are going to have to wrap up there. thank you all for your time. chuck, we are all going to be watching the daily rundown tomorrow for your clips and highlights. >> you got it, buddy. >>> coming up, texas governor rick perry decides it's high time the republican presidential primary had a gun-toting, cowboy boot-wearing candidate. his spokesman will announce when he will announce. >>> and sarah palin figures she can make one more plea before the presidential campaign leaves her behind. ♪ [ male announcer ] you never know when a moment might turn into something more. and when it does men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically

iowa first?"n iowa, retail politics are e name of the game. candidates cannot hide behind advertisements. we know that meeting the candidates personally,aving the urage to ask them tough questions is the best way to measure their mettle and their character. we donated our time to help the candidates. we welcome them into our homes. we share our stores, hopes, and fears, and establish a bond that goes beyond any election. it is the bond of america working side by side to make our country a better place. then, on a cold winter's night, we'd venture out to support those candidates who want to build america and who we have placed our trust. they continue the process until one is to clear the next president of the united states. however, the process is not the only things that iowa is first in. iowa is the leader in renewable energy. iowa's capital city ranks as number 1 in the nation for young professionals and number 1 in the best places for business and careers. number one richest metro in the unite

. >> bret: welcome back to ames, iowa. that is stevens auditorium behind me, the site of the debate thursday night where the republican presidential candidates will be involved in this live televised debate here on fox news. it's thursday, 9:00 p.m. eastern time. iowa has been very good to the next guest in 2008. former alaska governor mike huckabee won the iowa caucuses. now he is playing a very different role in this year's iowa straw poll. that of entertainer, not candidate. he also, of course, hosts a weekend show on this network. governor huckabee joins us live from little rock. >> good to be with you, bret. i look forward to get back to iowa and i understand it's nice weather so we have a lot to look toward to and politics with the straw poll. >> bret: governor, it's great already. you can feel the excitement here. listen, you not running this year. but there is a new fox news poll out, just today. 3% of respondents to our fox news poll volunteered your name as their choice for president. more support than tim pawlen

fascinating to see what's going to happen in iowa. the final takeover of the party of lincoln by all that he opposed. that's hardball now. the last word with lawrence o'donnell starts right now. >>> the first big week of the presidential campaign so david axelrod joins us to discuss the re-election strategy. >> you came here to listen to people. >> i came here to speak. >> mitt romney emerges from the mittness protection program. and now we know why he was hiding. >> mitt romney giving as good as he got. >> heckler taking it to mitt romney. >> hold on a second, i'm not going to raise taxes, that's my answer. >> you see mitt romney starting to engage a little bit. >> corporations are people, my friend. corporations are people, my friend, human beings, my friend. >> rick perry removes all doubt. perry's in. >> one of our darkest hours. >> sarah palin rushes to iowa. >> never fear, america, sarah palin has come. >> predictably sarah palin is back. >>tops of cameras and sarah palin showing up. that's so strange. >> heart land fights. >> t

iowa is competitive territory. >> on the marquee campaign issue of jobs, iowa unemployment is 6%, lower average of 9.1%. the state lost over 21,000 manufacturerring job since the 2008 election. that economic unease was a factor in the 2010 gubernatorial race. >> i defeated incumbent governor, something that hasn't happened in iowa since 1962. >> how is it going, iowa? >> plus, it will be impossible to rep kate the obama -- replicate obama-thon put on for iowans in the first run. >> iowa was spoiled in 2007 leading up to the caucuses they basically had all obama, all the time. >> president obama will be back in iowa tuesday as part of the bus trip to talk rural economics. officially it is not campaign event. the re-election campaign has the luxury of time. >> the election is not today. is it unsettled? it is. but every re-election is unsettled. >> she also says that iowa today is a purple state, evenly divided between republicans and democrats. that's very different from the crows of how blue iowa was after the white house race of 2008. a lot has changed. bret? >> bret: steve brown, 00 y

straw poll on the campus of the iowa state university in ames, iowa.names on the ballot, six speakers. probably at about 6:15 p.m. eastern thomas of the voting continues for another 50 minutes. in order to participate in today's straw poll, you need to be 18 years of age or older and you need to be an iowa residents. it is unclear how many people have attended so far, and we will get an exact number of the attendees. this is the scene inside the hilton coliseum and we have the cameras outside the u.s. sense of what it is like for this festival atmosphere as the iowa state fair continues 40 miles away in the greater the morning. . -- des moines area. the numbers are on your screen. we will get more of your phone calls. first up, from california. go ahead, please. while we watch the scene outside, we will get the calls lined up and we will be with you in another minute or two. >> live coverage on c-span. the first call is from california. go ahead, please. caller: two comments. it looks like the new republican talking points on jobs has to do with offsho

people in iowa are excited. the republicans are registering voter which we heard in a report which they really need we want to put this in red. >> richard, you've been around for a little while. you've seen a little more than a few of these iowa straw polls in the past. what does your gut tell you, by the end of the next, not necessarily three or four hours, but maybe the next three or four weeks post this. as we see some of the fund-raising and how it works out? how many of these candidates on the ballot right now might be gone? >> we should start by saying that this is ridiculously an undemocratic process, right? the supreme court outlawed a poll tax here. you have to pay $30 to be able to participate. so with that premise, and even though that makes a point about people finishing in the top two, there's no great correlation between people winning the straw poll and becoming the party nominee. that all said, yes, chris, i think your point suggests the answer which is there will be people who are you now living

out of state groups like grow pack and jobs for iowa pac are flooding the iowa airwaves telling you tovote rick perry at the ames straw poll. we they think they can buy your vote with their unlimited superpac money. >> but americans for a better tomorrow tomorrow ask what about our unlimited superpac money. we want you to vote for rick perry too. but not their rick perry, our rick perry. on august 13th write in rick perry, that's perry with an as q as for america, with an "a" for iowa,-- that's right. (cheers and applause) i'll join you. i'll join you. folks, i want every one in the iowa nation to go to the ames straw poll this saturday, going to be a beautiful day. there's food, there's booze. and write in rick perry with an "a" why "a" because there's no "e" in team. and this evening-- (laughter) >> and this evening at 1700 hours we struck again with our second ad in the greater des moines metropolitan area. jimmy? >> iowa, a land of good people who can make up their own minds. but outside groups like jobs for iowa superpac are trying to pander to iowans with pro perry ads featuring

confusing to iowa voters? really? we're not talking about the dip [bleep] over in nebraska this is iowa. (laughter) (applause) and be like, excuse me, excuse me. but unlike woi, i believe that iowa voters can understand even a complex message like go to the ames straw poll, write in perry, spell it with an "a" or did i lose you woi. should i have the boys from who news 13 explain it to you. and listen to how they end. please let me know if you have any more questions. yeah, just one more. what the [bleep]! with an "a" i am mad! (applause) i am how manying mad. but of course i'm not mad at the news team. amanda and rachel, top-notch. of course john walters giving you the latest on sports and brad edwards manning the weather center, no! i'm talking about woi management. you had our ad for two days, gentlemen. hell, you had my money for six days. and one hour, one hour before taping you suddenly said hey, it might be too confusing for your viewers. really? both of them? i happen to know, i happen to know you haven't won

the site of the iowa fair.ig week it continues tomorrow with a critical straw poll that will help set the stage for the up coming primary season. joining me with his insight into tomorrow's big event your governor the great governor of the state of iowa, governor grand standard is here. [ cheering and applause [ >>> the food here i have never had better food. >> you bet. >> sean: thank god mrs. obama is not here to tell me what i can and cannot eat. >> you will work it off. >> sean: how do you fry butter? >> i don't know. >> sean: did have a tried twinkie and porkchop on a stick, so i'm getting there. look, iowa is always going to be first. that's just the way it is going to be. >> we are working hard to keep that it way iowans care deeply about this process. iowans ask the tough questions. we had the debate last night. eight people out competing of course the straw poll tomorrow. this is where it started. if people want to be president of the united states they need to come out here, meet real people aefpbl to

straw poll in ames, iowa.: day care can be expensive. so to save some money, i found one that uses robots instead of real people. 'cuz robots work for free. robot 1:good morning... robot 1:...female child. sfx: modem dial-up noise woman: flaws? yeah, um, maybe. anncr: there's an easier way to save. anncr: get online. go to geico.com. get a quote. >> the results in the iowa straw poll. the music is getting loud. i don't know what that means, but it is. let's bring in our panel once again. steve hayes and national correspondant for the post and we welcome kay henderson news director of radio iowa. kay, you are the local here. what do you think about today's turn out and the feeling on the ground. >> i did. i think it is going to eclipse last time around which was easy to do. i don't think we will be rivaling the turn out in 1999 when george bush and steve forbes put on a show here. but there was a lot of enthusiasm . i talked to voters going in to cast their ballots. they had made up their mind in the past week.

she was born in iowa and was raised in iowa. i guess you can't blame her for bringing that up repeatedly to this all-iowa crowd. you have to be a sit seven iowa, resident of iowa, to vote in the straw poll today. but keith and susan, her style is so different from anyone else we have seen so far. are we seeing the differences between a lot about style at this stage of the game? not that much about substance? >> i think that's what is concerning a lot of people about her, frankly, the substance. when they see some of the substance, they are even more concerned. she's really -- she has to offer up real ideas and i mean, a great speech. she gets votes in a straw poll. but she really needs to offer up more. i think like we said earlier with perry coming in, he is overshadowing everything. when you compare that speech to perry's today, there is no contest. >> it is interesting because when -- there was all this buzz about whether or not sarah palin would get into the -- the mantra of every democratic strategist i ever had at this des

that they've got there in iowa.oes say is as we've seen in recent history, the winner of the straw poll may or may not necessarily be the nominee of the party. the straw poll is, as har s already been indicated. that's one advantage tim pawlenty has. it's all about getting your vote to that poll today, and getting that vote counted. the other dynamic that's going to be interesting here, as you just reported was, you know, this is open up to everybody. democrats, independents -- not just republicans. so there's a lot of interplay here of interests, if you will, of the citizens in iowa. as long as you're a citizen of iowa and you come to this poll, you can vote. and that's going to have a very interesting impact, i think beyond the organizational structure that the state party in the campaigns put in place. you know, third wheel there, that you don't know how it's going to roll. >> but michael, doesn't that concern you. and is there any studies? any analysis that shows democrats go out there and vote for the wildest a

on the state of iowa. i mean, if you have a special edition of mitchell reports and the daily rundown and media from all over the country there focused on the political action in the republican party, democrats don't want to be completely out of that story. david axelrod, debbie wasserman-schultz, and especially mitt romney, the republican frontrunner, to make sure that the democratic arguments aren't lost. when we get to the fall of 2012, iowa is going to be a swing state. barack obama carried it in 2008. he very much wants to carry it next time. >> okay. john harwood, many thanks. see you again. >> okay. >>> casey anthony thought she was a free woman after being acquitted last month of murdering her daughter. now she's being forced to return to florida to report for probation. nbc's carrie sanders has the latest for us. a very good morning to you. is this a surprise really aring, or we sore knew something like this might happen? >> i think it was a possibility always that casey anthony would be ordered o

that is iowa.use] and all across iowa, i have seen a marvelous appreciation for a marriage, as one man and one woman. [cheers and applause] you showed the world when you did not retain those three justices in your last election. [cheers and applause] and as president of the united states, i will only appoint justices who followed the constitution and do not legislate from the bench. [cheers and applause] this is important. it is fundamental. it is foundational because the family is the foundation of a unit of this country. with the family, we are everything. without the family, how do we survive? we need the family to go forward. now -- [cheers and applause] people say, and that is unrealistic. it is absolutely essential that we maintain the family. i thank god for family. my parents were married here in waterloo, iowa. my parents, unfortunately in later years, divorced. i was raised by a single mother. we went to below poverty overnight, but my mother said it will not always be that way. it is goi

we're in ames, iowa, right now. i was born in waterloo, iowa. i'm heading up there to say thank you to everyone who instilled my early values in me, and that began at our church. my parents took us to church every week. we went to a lutheran church, first lutheran waterloo, and they prayed with us at night. we prayed before we had mealtime. they've really instilled wonderful values in us, and i recognize that i'm not perfect and that i need god in my life, and that's really helped me to set my course. >> god has guided your decisions in life. would god guide your decisions that you would make as president of the united states? >> well, as president of the united states, i would pray. i would pray and ask the lord for guidance. that's what presidents have done throughout history. george washington did, abraham lincoln did -- >> but you said "god called me to run for congress," god has said certain things about, you know, going to law school, about pursuing other decisions in your life. there's a difference between god as a sense of comfort and sa

the bum steer from iowa. iowa is first but rarely picks the republican candidate. [captioning made possible by nbc universal] chris: welcome to the show. with us today, our panel. first up, it was a week when you didn't need polls to show you that barack obama's way down by a serious loss of confidence after that downgrade of the u.s. with markets crashing. the president, no impact on traders or investors when he tried to project strength with the force of his words. the polls out this week have his approval numbers in the low 40's and that drop in confidence comes at the moment when the republican race is finally under way. their nomination is truly worth having. howard, the president had a terrible week with what we called a bungee-jumping congress, it's a great time for republicans, here they come. >> chris, barack obama is a boxing fan. to use a boxing analogy, he's been stunned and is standing there in the middle of the ring waiting for someone to stalk him. in the polls, republicans have never liked him but independents did and his base was strong with them.

ames, iowa. hope to talk to you soon. stay tuned for all the straw poll results that are coming in. special installment of special report live at ames, starts at the top of the hour. that is all right here on the fox news channel. >> heather: texas governor rick perry, making it official. you watched it live on fox, formally announcing his candidacy for president at the red state conference in south carolina. that is where we find jonathan. the governor did not mince words when it came to his criticism of president obama, did he? >> reporter: he said page 1 of sound economic policy involve issuing pink slips to residents of white house and received cheers from the crowd. he criticized the obama administration for relying to heavily on central planning for the economy. the obama campaign responded to perry's speech. it accused his policies of carbon copies of washington republicans. >> heather: so what solutions did he offer? not just criticisms, we want to know what he would do. >> reporter: that

nowhere near aim, iowa.e're talking about rick perry's announcement that he will seek the republican nomination for president. does he stand a real chance at actually getting there? well i always worry about what's in the food that i put on my children's plate. that's why we use all-white meat, breading that is whole grain with omega-3 and no preservatives. it is my goal to make the highest quality, best-tasting nugget on the market. i want consumers to go, "dang, that's a good nugget." a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. >>> and welcome back to ames where we are in the arena waiting for th

he is not in iowa today. he is visiting new hampshire and south carolina where he will officially kick off his race. what we do expect in terms of the energy and the enthusiasm, ron paul who has more signs in this auditorium than anyone. i saw one of his volunteers putting signs outside about 5:30 this morning, and, of course, the nearby minnesota resident governor tim pawlenty and congresswoman michelle bachmann. they are expected to do well here today. it's hard to know what the results will look like when the day is over and what it will mean for those campaigns, but everyone will be reading those tea leaves and trying to decide what it says about the race going forward. alex. >> and that includes you, so we'll get more info from you down the road. thank you so. , kelly o'donnell. >>> the iowa straw poll has grown from a fundraiser into a major test of campaign strength. it's only been around since 1979, and it's only held when the incumbent is not a republican, which means there have only ever been five s

christie vilsack is iowa's former first lady.eve king the incumbent republican. >> i am. >> democrats are also being vilified as well as republicans. beth parties in all the polls. how do you run for congress when people are fed up with washington, this debt ceiling debate has dragged the whole constitution of congress down? >> i think that people in washington might take a lesson from the people in the small towns in iowa. when you live in a small town as i have my entire life, you have to get along. you teach people's childrens. you sit next to them in church, you come together in the same room. in my hometown there are two u.s. highways that intersect and people come to those that intersection and there's no stoplight. you have to stop and look people in the eye. i think that we need to lower our voices and raise our sights. i want to run as a problem solver. someone who knows how to get into a room and collaborate. i think that's how you run. people are -- they may be fed up with washington. they want people to get into a roo

gop presidential contenders scramble to take the top prize in iowa. the key question, who will survive past this weekend to fight another day? >>> party crashers rick perry and sarah palin stirring lots of buzz. what kind of impact will they have on the gop race moving forward? >>> sign of the times. thousands wait in line for hours for a free service and more will be standing in line today. what does this tell us about our economy? >>> the saga continues. a new twist for casey anthony. will she be forced to head back to florida soon? >>> good morning to all of you. i'm alex witt. welcome to msnbc saturday. a huge day in politics to share with you. the first big test of the 2012 presidential campaign. the drama playing out in iowa right now with the ames straw poll just hours away. it's make or break by a for some republican presidential hopefuls. straw poll success is vital for candidacies of tim pawlenty and michele bachmann who spent last night in full campaign mode. >> we get to make that promise and send a message to washington, d.c. so loud that

that is iowa. and all across iowa, i have seen a marvelous appreciation for a marriage, as one man and one woman. [cheers and applause] you showed the world when you did not retain those three justices in your last election. [cheers and applause] and as president of the united states, i will only appoint justices who followed the constitution and do not legislate from the bench. [cheers and applause] this is important. it is fundamental. it is foundational because the family is the foundation of a unit of this country. with the family, we are everything. without the family, how do we survive? we need the family to go forward. now -- [cheers and applause] people say, and that is unrealistic. it is absolutely essential that we maintain the family. i thank god for family. my parents were married here in waterloo, iowa. my parents, unfortunately in later years, divorced. i was raised by a single mother. we went to below poverty overnight, but my mother said it will not always be that way. it is going t

. ♪ live from ames, iowa on the campus of iowa state university and the site of the republican presidentialebate. i am bret baeur. we are three hours away from a debate that could separate the gop concontinueders from the pretenders. i will take you on a tour in the stevens auditorium and catch wup iwans to see if their opinions have changed on the candidates and the contentous political environment and how the debate will factor in the straw poll. we start with the coming war of words and the search for the killer sound bite and scripted ab-libs. karl cameron is here with what we can expect. >> it is the consequential debate and day on the campaign trail. the best way to rehearse and prepare is interact with the voterss and one of the candidates had a heck of a rehearsal today. national front runner mitt romney felt the heat before he got on the debate stage. badgered by a democrat group. iowa citizens for improvement on entitlement. >> hold on a second. hold on a second. heckling and then romney forceful >> are you ready for my answer. i am not going to raise taxes. that's my answer . if

he's in iowa soon.s delivering a message saying i'm trying, i'm trying, i'm trying and i need help from congress to create jobs and he's the candidate that promised to change washington and getting it to work he's telling people that one of the problems is this -- >> but what i want everybody to understand here, the problem is that we don't have answers. the problem is that folks are playing political games. >> i don't think there's any question, jess, that there are political games on both sides. the president means there are republicans getting in the way. i just have this question and maybe it's a lousy theory, but how hard is it, how steep is the hill for a guy whose message was elect me and i'll fix washington to be out in the country saying send me back to washington and i'll fix washington? >> reporter: i think it's incredibly steep not just because washington is so gridlocked but also because the economic picture is so grim and people do tend to vote with their pocketbooks. but it's not in the v

does he risk alienating folk in iowa? >> he has time to come to iowa. as a said earlier, we encourage everyone to participate in the iowa straw poll. it is great for the candidates and early test for them to test the organizational skills and see where they need to improve or do things different. there is time before the caucus and we understand if he get in he will spend time in iowa and we have encouraged him to do that. >> given what is happen negligent economy and anger that voters are feeling. do you think they will stay home instead of voting? >> guest: no. this is the line up to go in and cast their vote and i have stood in line with them . i have been pleasantly surprised at the number of people. i have them this is your first time to participate in the iowa straw poll, and gosh, i would say 35 or 40 percent this is the first time they had participated in a straw poll. i think just the opposite. i think what you are going to see is an engaged electorate that is determined to change the direction of the nation and they are going to have their voi

iowa, 6%.y better than the national average and in his home state of illinois, well, they are right up there, 9.2%, so that's pretty much in keeping with where the rest of the nation is so better picture most of the nation, but this area is important for another reason for the president. these are midwestern states. the president overwhelmingly won in 2008. only missouri is a state he lost. he's not visiting it, but these are states he's got to hold if he wants to win re-election and take a lack at how he's doing in the area. minnesota, that state where he said back in 2008 i'm going to be the democratic nominee, famously did that fist bump with mrs. obama during the campaign. still doing well, there 52% approval, but in iowa, early voting state that launched him to the white house, below 50% approval and his home state of illinois, he's still doing well, but what you're not seeing are the states he's skipping. michigan, has to win there. 45% approval, despite the auto bailout he gave to their

iowa. >> you can't come to iowa without him.a time, how many winners of the ames straw poll have gone on to win the iowa caucuses, did you know? >> some. >> some is a good answer. people not in my kitchen is another answer. the answer is three. george w. bush in 1979. bob tole, a tie in 1995 and george w. bush in 1999. pat robertson and mitt romney both won the straw poll but lost the caucuses. >>> when we come back, the expectation ames. iowa legend mr. made-right sandwich himself david, right here at java joes. we're yaching "the daily rundown" on msnbc. my contacts are so annoying. they're itchy, dry and uncomfortable. i can't wait to take 'em out, throw 'em away and never see them again. [ male announcer ] know the feeling? get the contacts you've got to see to believe. acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses with hydraclear® plus technology, keeping your eyes exceptionally comfortable all day long. it feels like it disappeared on my eye. [ male announcer ] discover why it's the brand eye doctors trust most for comfort. if you ha

two good diplomats in iowa tonight.reciate your time. >> it's an iowa night. >> i'm the former chairman, too. >> i'm sure one of you will be secretary of state if a republican wins the next election. gentlemen, appreciate your time tonight. >>> you can check the 401(k) tonight. it will look better than last night. >>> there's a prominent democrat keeping a close eye on the those republicans out in iowa. 2012 strategist, david axelrod right here with his take on the gop and the jobs debate. [ female announcer ] can your pancake mix do this? ♪ ♪ unleash the hidden power of bisquick. you've been stuck in the garage, while my sneezing and my itchy eyes took refuge from the dust in here and the pollen outside. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my worst allergy symptoms. it's the brand allergists recommend most. ♪ lily and i are back on the road again. where we belong. with zyrtec®, i can love the air®. what makes us number one in motorcycle insurance? we love bikes. we love riders. and most of

in iowa for the g.o.p.o address not only iowa, but the nation. >> here is rick santorum. >> i want the people the first cut narrowing the field and selecting president to get a chance to look me in the eye to kick my shins and the tires and to hear from me exactly my vision for this country and answer your question. today is an opportunity, ladies and gentlemen, to strike a blow for the people of the heartland. this is a heartland xan, not just about wall street, but about all the issues you care about from national security you heard me talk about on thursday night, to moral and cultural issues, yes, to getting this economy going and even that, look at the plan i put forward, it's about the heartland. it's about energy independence and resources in iowa, pennsylvania, alaska and off show to create an energy security for this country that's desperately needed. [applause] i grew up in a little steel town outside of pittsburgh, pennsylvania. my grandfather when he came here, grew up in a little town outside o

bush won both the iowa straw poll and the iowa caucuses. in 2007, mitt romney came in first in the straw poll, but came in second in the caucuses and ultimately dropping out of the republican race in 2008. he is now at it again, campaigning in iowa, but not officially organizing at the straw poll on friday. >> we got the republican tax cuts. where is the meat? >> would you mean? >> where's the meat of this thing. we got them the ultimate tax jobs. where are the jobs? why, after we give them tax cuts, are the jobs still falling off? a friend of mine said "where's the beef?" thank you very much. >> mitt romney is working the crowds at the iowa state fair in des moines. >> what do you recommend your? >> chicken strips. >> hi, girls. how are you? good. it is good to see you, guys. i am running for president. how're you doing? is business good? they are delicious. who wants some ribbon fries over there? is this for me? but luck to you. thank you. i think i am walking your customers so i will get out of your way. >> i just saw governor huntsman.

she really has lit a fire here in iowa. >> well, she's going to be formidable in iowa. i would expect that she'll win the straw poll today. if she doesn't, it's -- it might sthaug she has some organizational problems because she's got the enthusiasm going in iowa. whether that translates to the rest of the country or not, very questionable. i think perry's entrance into the race hurts bachmann because there are a lot of republicans, very conservative republicans, who also want a winner and don't see bachmann as being able to beat barack obama as easily as rick perry could. >> jonathan alter, great to see you. thank you very much for joining us. >> thank. >> see you later. >>> straight ahead, her polls are the gold standard in iowa. ann selzer will show us how things might shake out in the straw poll. >>> all the folks attending here in ames have about 15 minutes left to vote before officials start tabulating the votes. that's why the stadium is pretty empty. they're all outside. i'm joined by pollster ann selzer who does all the great polling in iowa. ann has always bee

voting is now officially open at the iowa straw poll. it's a make or break day for the field of republican presidential hopefuls. the stakes could not be higher for michele bachmann and tim pawlenty. those two were busy working the crowds last night. >> we need to make that promise and send a message to washington, d.c. so loud that barack obama can't possibly miss the sound that we leave tomorrow in ames, iowa. that we are taking our country back. >> voting is from 10:00 to 4:00. swing by any time of the day. we would love to have you. it will make a big difference tor the outcome of the thing tomorrow. mark murray, joining me live from ames. good morning to you. >> good morning, alex. >> do you get a buzz or amoan men tum coalescing around one particular candidate? >> michele bachmann has had the buzz. she's had the buzz since she got in the race in the middle of june. the question is whether she has the organization to back up that buzz. the that's what we'll find out in the straw poll results later this afternoon or early this evenin