Fred: I need at least third in Iowa
Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 2:26 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy and Domenico Montanaro
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- For the first time, Thompson acknowledged he has to finish in the top three in Iowa in order to remain a viable candidate.
In an interview with the NBC Sioux City affiliate, Thompson was asked, "You still have some ground to cover here in Iowa; polls show you fourth. Come Jan. 3, will you be happy to be in the top three or do you have to win Iowa?"
“Neither,” Thompson said. “I probably don't have to win, but I have to do better than [fourth], and I'm planning on doing better than that. …We're about where we need to be right now. We haven't spent as much time out here. We didn't get in the race as early as some others, but we're going to make up for lost time.”
The latest polling in Iowa shows Thompson at 10% and in fourth place. This is down from 16% in his one-time second-place showing in late September, a couple of weeks after his official entry into the race.
Something has to give in the Hawkeye State. Romney has consistently polled atop the state, but second place has been a different story. Giuliani has been there; Thompson made it just that once; and, more recently, Huckabee sits in second. Giuliani and Thompson both say they need a top-three finish. If neither does, what will that mean for their bids? Will Giuliani be able to recover in Florida or Thompson in South Carolina? Either way, both would like the positive coverage third would give them as opposed to fourth.
Also, this morning, the week before Israeli and Palestinian leaders are scheduled to meet in Annapolis, Md., to discuss the future of their on-going conflict, Thompson talked about the summit before 100 people in a coffee shop here. He said there is not much reason for optimism.
"They're coming together in Annapolis shortly for a conference, between the Israelis and the Palestinians to see whether or not they can work out their differences," Thompson said in response to a question about what America's stance should be towards Israel. "But there's not reason for great optimism there to tell you the truth. This has been a longstanding thing. …These are tough, tough problems, and a part anyway, of the Palestinian Authorities are committed, apparently still, to the destruction of Israel.
"I think we need to stay involved. Obviously peace is to be greatly desired but we need to be realistic and understand that we can't impose a peace on any other sets of nations or would-be nations in that part of the world. Especially with regard to something that's been going on so long with such deep divisions."
