COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — The people of Iowa have a near-unique opportunity to see presidential candidates up close. And the people who live near Iowa like to take a look, too. Go to events in the northern part of the state, and you’ll find plenty of people from Minnesota who’ve come down for a campaign rally. Go down south, and you’ll find Missourians who have come north. They’re great for filling up a room, but on the other hand, they can’t vote in the Iowa caucuses.
Marco Rubio got a first-hand feel for the problem when he began the Saturday before the Iowa caucuses by campaigning in the far western part of the state. Here in Council Bluffs, the Florida senator held a well-attended rally at a Hilton Garden Inn next to a casino, across the street from a Tyson Foods plant — and just across the Missouri River from Omaha.
People were happy to see Rubio. The only problem was, they weren’t from Iowa. After Rubio’s speech, I was looking for Iowans to talk with, and this is what I encountered:
All were from Nebraska, just across the river. Rubio treated everyone well; a voter is a voter. Unfortunately for his campaign, though, Nebraska doesn’t hold its Republican primary until May 10. But if Rubio makes it until then, he’ll have many fans.
Rubio is currently third in the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings.
