Iowans: Perry visit was ‘good first date’

WATERLOO — Iowa Republicans gathered at the Electric Park Ballroom, many getting their first glimpse of Rick Perry as a presidential candidate, had nothing bad to say about the Texas Governor, but also aren’t quite ready to advance the relationship.

“I’d say it was a good first date,” Blake Robinson of Waterloo told The Iowa Independent, “but I’m not ready yet to introduce him to my folks yet. I need to get a little more information from him first.”

Perry, who officially entered the 2012 race on Saturday in South Carolina, appeared at a Black Hawk County GOP fundraiser dinner alongside U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum.

Robinson, like many of those gathered to hear the speeches, has yet to make a decision as to whom he will support in the 2012 first-in-the-nation caucuses.

“I’ve long been a fan of Congresswoman Bachmann,” he said. “I view her as a true Iowan. I’m excited to hear more from her and see where she goes. And, Rick Santorum, I’m also a fan of his.

“To be brutally honest, I would take any of the candidates over the current President now.”

Steve and Dawn Roberts drove from Des Moines to hear the candidates, attendance at the event part of a wedding anniversary present from Dawn to Steve, who is a former Republican National Committeeman. This time around, the couple said, it looks like they might end up as part of a divided household, which each one supporting a different candidate because they are leaning in opposite directions.

“We just don’t know yet. This might be the first time in 47 years that we are with different candidates,” Dawn said.

When asked if there was anything heard at the Black Hawk County event that may have solidified their support, Steve said he wasn’t yet sure.

“I don’t know if anything tonight was solidifying, but Perry was impressive,” he said, noting that he also likes Bachmann and that it was the couple’s first time to see the Texas Governor in person.

“Actually, I came here not wanting to like him,” Dawn said, “but he was very impressive. I had heard he was very conservative and I’m more moderate.”

Brothers John and Lores Nichols of Waterloo were also impressed with the evening’s speakers. It was the first time John had seen either Perry or Bachmann, although Lores attended the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday and had gotten his first glimpse of many of the candidates there.

“I came tonight because I had learned that Rick Perry was going to be here, and I wanted to see what he had to offer. I was impressed,” Lores said, adding that he wants to hear more from the candidates about the ongoing situations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

If comparing his first-time view of Bachmann and Perry, John said, he would give a slightly better rating to Perry — although he’s not close to making up his mind for caucus support.

“I was really impressed with Perry,” John said. “As for Bachmann, it was about half-way through her remarks, when she really got fired up and going, that I found her impressive too. That was when she started speaking about Congress, what she’s going to do and what she stands for. Of course, Perry spoke a lot about his leadership in Texas.

“What I really didn’t hear from either one of them was exactly what they are going to do about jobs, and that’s a big thing. So, I’m still waiting to see what they say about how they are going to improve the economy and the jobs situation.”

As they headed toward their car, walking past the Bachmann campaign bus that was surrounded by members of the media, Lores turned and quietly added, “Actually, I think Bachmann would make a very fine vice president.”

Perry, who showed up early to the event and spent time visiting one-on-one with Iowans, and Bachmann, who stayed late for the same purpose, both went out of their way to connect the dots between themselves and the Hawkeye State. Bachmann, of course, repeatedly noted her Waterloo roots. Perry named off Iowa companies, and in general worked to create a perception that he was a product of rural America — a 4-H member and Eagle Scout.

A supporter said Bachmann had taken time to visit with an aunt who had recently entered a local nursing home, but her eventual entrance into the hall was less than stellar. Elvis Presley’s “Promised Land” played all the way through once after a local made her introduction, and toward the beginning of its second play, a canned “Hollywood” voice announced her again. The music track had almost ended its second play by the time Bachmann made it to the front of the ballroom and took the microphone.

While Iowans found Perry’s introductory-type remarks appropriate to his first visit as a candidate, several in the audience rolled their eyes when Bachmann began with similar this-is-who-I-am remarks, once again heavily laden with the fact that she is originally from Iowa and Waterloo specifically.

Both sang the praises of the tea party movement as well as U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who was in attendance at the event. During his sweep through the ballroom, which was marred by an over zealous media throng that kept him from moving as freely as it seemed he wanted to, Perry kissed the cheek of Mary Canfield, a local centenarian, who was later awarded an apple pie by Bachmann for being the oldest mother in attendance. The bit with the pie, which Bachmann had brought with her from the Machine Shed, was likely Bachmann’s largest applause moment of the night.

Perry’s handlers were patient, obviously hoping the media that had surrounded him when he entered the event hall would get their footage and move along. When that didn’t happen and several minutes had passed, staffers did step in, asking members of the press to move back some and give the Texan an opportunity to meet with locals.

Although he did not receive the crowds of media attention that the other two candidates did, Santorum also worked the room before the event began, mixing it up with locals — many of whom he greeted with first names. While Santorum continued to bill his campaign as “the little engine that could,” much of the tension he had displayed on the campaign trail in advance of the straw poll was gone. He appeared relaxed and as if he was honestly enjoying the evening and the company.

Bachmann’s handlers, which have long been a point of contention for the media, kept members of the press at bay as much as possible. The candidate hosted an availability several minutes after the event, but it was, as it often is, a staged and nearly scripted affair. Bachmann didn’t immediately come off the stage and meet directly with Iowans following the event. She mostly remained on stage, signing t-shirts and campaign signs that staff members passed to her.

Placing the media and campaign-styles aside, however, many Iowans leaving the event said that in general they’ve not yet heard what they need to hear from the candidates. They want specifics about the economy, job creation, government spending cuts and entitlement reforms — none of which have been overly forthcoming in this slow-brewing race.

“I do want more information,” said Robinson. “I want to hear what their plans are for cutting the national deficit and how they are going to get our economy back on track. I’ve not heard that yet.”