Lindsey, the RINO’s crowded the Republican primary so you could win, now you are doing the same for Jeb Bush.
After his third venture into Iowa testing the waters for a presidential bid, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham is convinced he sees an opening for himself in the 2016 race.
“At the end of the day, I think there’s a pathway forward for a guy like me,” Graham, a 12-year U.S. senator known for pushing for stronger national defense, told The Des Moines Register in an interview Saturday. “Whether I finish first or 10th, at least I had a chance here.”
Asked which GOP competitors he considers most formidable, Graham, 59, mentioned former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio — in that order.
“Jeb starts in a good spot,” Graham said. “He comes from a well-known family. People like the Bushes. I like the Bushes. He’s going to have a lot of money. Scott Walker is your neighbor here, and he has been a very successful governor. He’s a fighter. People like that. Marco is a very young, charismatic Republican, a Cuban-American. But the game that’s created in Iowa is an interesting game. It’s an antidote to big money. … A guy like me has a chance out here.[…]
On Friday night, about 60 people, including a small contingent of Iowa press, crowded into a banquet room at a Des Moines restaurant to meet Graham. He had dinner with former Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn, his wife, Erin Strawn, and several state senators. On Saturday, he attended the Iowa National Guard Officers’ Association, meeting separately with top brass, then company grade officers, then enlisted members. He met with some well-known Linn County GOP activists privately, then did a meet-and-greet in the Iowa City area.
HT: Dan Riehl