McCain Says He Won’t Compete in Iowa
DES MOINES — Republican presidential candidate John McCain formalized his decision to bypass Iowa, notifying GOP leaders Tuesday that he’ll travel to the state for two campaign debates but won’t compete in the Jan. 24 caucuses.
The senator from Arizona said he made the decision because “the compressed nature of the primary schedule” makes it impossible for candidates without unlimited resources to compete everywhere.
Instead, McCain will concentrate his efforts on New Hampshire’s leadoff primary and an early test in South Carolina. McCain confirmed plans to travel to Iowa for debates Dec. 13 and Jan. 15.
Iowa residents attending the caucuses will still be free to declare their preference for McCain, but his formally announcing that he won’t compete effectively lowers the expectation of how well he’ll do. McCain has been climbing in the polls in New Hampshire but nationally still lags behind Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the front-runner for the Republican nomination.
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