Political insiders are buzzing about former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu’s attack on the Ames, Iowa Republican Straw Poll. Writing in the Boston Globe, Sununu calls the poll a “silly and meaningless event” that rarely produces a GOP nominee. “Ames has become the political equivalent of Lady Gaga,” Sununu writes. “‘I don’t care what you think — just pay attention to me, please!'”
“Patronizing silly political events only inflates the stature of the silly political event,” Sununu writes, ‘whether it involves wearing foolish hats, paying straw poll attendees, or — perish the thought — dancing in public.” Sununu concludes by saying that his own state is above such silliness. “New Hampshire hasn’t gone down the Ames road, nor should it,” he writes.
Sununu’s screed is not getting a happy reception in Iowa. “Bickering amongst leaders in the early primary and caucus states does nothing to accomplish [the goal of defeating President Obama],” says Iowa Republican Party chairman Matt Strawn. The “incredibly successful” straw poll, Strawn says, is a key part of helping the GOP win Iowa in 2012, no matter what people in New Hampshire might think.
Strawn says he visited New Hampshire earlier this summer to meet with state and local leaders, and the experience gave him “a deeper appreciation for how Granite Staters view their First in the Nation primary responsibilities.” Before lobbing more grenades at Iowa, Strawn suggests that New Hampshire political officials are welcome to visit Iowa. “Our door…is always open,” he writes.
Here is Strawn’s complete statement:
Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to travel to New Hampshire to meet with elected and political leaders to highlight the importance of the Iowa-New Hampshire relationship. It was a great experience that gave me a deeper appreciation for how Granite Staters view their First in the Nation primary responsibilities. I would encourage my Republican colleagues in New Hampshire to do the same as our door in Iowa is always open.
