DES MOINES — Tonight the Iowa Republican party is set to hold its annual Reagan dinner here in Des Moines. It’s a big deal for the party, and it’s a big deal for candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination. Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry will all be on hand to speak. Mitt Romney, who has deliberately downplayed Iowa in his 2012 strategy, will not attend, although his son Josh will be there to maintain a Romney presence.
The only other major candidate who will not be in Des Moines Friday night is Herman Cain. The current frontrunner’s decision to skip the Reagan dinner has left GOP insiders and ordinary voters baffled and disappointed. “He needs to get to Iowa, and he needs to get to Iowa quick,” says one well-connected insider. At various events around the state, voters have said they don’t understand why Cain has spent the past week in Washington DC, mounting a disorganized defense against sexual harassment allegations, when he could have been in Iowa campaigning before friendly crowds.
Cain did not have any events on his public schedule Thursday. On Friday, he has one event, a 1:00 p.m. speech at the conservative Defending the American Dream Summit in Washington. (Romney will also speak at that event, put on by Americans for Prosperity.) On Saturday, Cain will go to Texas for a Tea Party event and a one-on-one debate with Gingrich.
All that time, Cain will not be meeting Iowa voters and will not be answering their questions. In conversations with dozens of voters in the last few days, many expressed support of Cain, but many also wanted to hear personally from the candidate about the harassment accusation. “People need to vet the candidate and kick the tires and see him in person,” says the party insider, “and that need has only been heightened by these allegations.”
Cain was last in Iowa for an October 22 speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition. (He also attended Iowa and Iowa State football games.) At that time, he was doing damage control after a series of remarks on abortion that left some voters questioning his pro-life bona fides. He’s next expected in Iowa on November 19. If that is indeed the first time he returns, it will mark a 28-day gap between appearances in Iowa — time Cain spent in Alabama, Texas, Washington DC, and other places that don’t have early caucuses or primaries.
Asked why Cain is not in Iowa for the Reagan dinner, Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon said, “Mr. Cain had committed some time ago to delivering major policy speeches this week at AEI and the National Press Club, as well as receiving foreign policy briefs from the world’s foremost experts, including Dr. Henry Kissinger and other notable figures.” Gordon added that “Iowa is clearly important to us, and Mr. Cain was delighted to attend both Iowa and Iowa State football games two weekends ago.” Gordon said Cain is happy with his campaign’s “tremendous grass roots effort” in Iowa and “looks forward to returning very soon.”
By any estimation, Cain needs to do well in the Iowa caucuses. Republicans here believe he is pressing his luck if he thinks he can do that without spending a significant amount of time here between now and January 3.
