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Iowa journalists on state of presidential race

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    'Special Report' panel sounds off

  • Duration 6:16
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Welcome back to Newton Iowa where an uncle Nancy's coffee house and eatery and we want to welcome in our local panel of experts to get some.

Local perspective on the state of Iowa -- this presidential race Kay Henderson news director of radio Iowa.

Bottom Eshleman editor of Newton daily news and Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register think you'll be in here.

Bob let me start with you.

Here Newton here Jasper county.

This is a place where.

It's a swing county there are 99 counties in Iowa.

Tony are pretty reliable Republican 27 said to be reliable democratic and 52.

Swing counties Jasper county is one of those.

Why is it that way -- what's the big issue.

Paint jobs and economy are probably the biggest issue here we've pulled our.

Our readers -- daily news and that was the number one issue for about 46% of our readers.

And they.

You know obviously with the -- departure were.

You know concerned about finding good jobs again.

Maytag was a big part of this community left in 07 finally after pulling out.

Starting to pull out over years.

Was big union place and now.

Jobs are really the big issue.

-- actually we have had a good job done a good job of economic development time retaining some of those jobs but they don't pay as well.

And so there's a concern about.

Things such as the production tax credit for wind energy because we do you have to companies that are major employers.

That it.

Benefit directly from.

So maybe that's why we're here in the president and his team talk about that again and again Jennifer it is amazing to see how much time each campaign.

And the candidates.

And the vice president and Paul Ryan have spent in this State's six electoral votes.

In the numbers are staggering.

Yet eight trips here by President Obama so far this year six trips here by Mitt Romney so far this year.

And then if you combine Obama and the vice president and that First -- in the secondly it's eighteen trips so far this year.

And then with Paul Ryan and his parents -- with Mitt Romney and his people it's nine trips this year so.

It's they're definitely trying to send a message to -- that their -- important why do you think that is.

Well it I think it's a couple things it's there are very few states in the nation that are actually get a ball right now I think that's the biggest reason or another so few toss -- states and this one really has potential for either side both sides he would have to winning here.

And also for Obama he's made it very clear.

That he has a soft spot for Iowa this is one of his touch on states this is the state that launched him he feels a -- perfection for Iowa -- he's also competitive guy and he he doesn't want to lose the state.

That gave him his first chance.

And you all will be pulling soon -- we will be.

We won't give any details away K what's your sense of how this is stacking up here in Iowa mean them really can get a sense of polls there have been a lot of it.

But you get a sense about talking to people where do you think this stages.

I think it's that split down the metal and it reminds me a lot of 2004 and even 2000.

When this state was decided by just a few thousand votes in the general election.

When you talk to people.

What Democrats are really in their corner and Republicans are really in their court and their corner.

I think the key for both of these campaigns will be figuring out how to attract those independents that may be lean Republican and or maybe lean Democrat.

-- and Jasper caddie is an interesting I'm case in point for that because.

Jasper county is about 26 miles away from the center of the mowing and a lot of people who lived here.

-- so it's become sort of -- suburban oasis for people.

We don't wanna -- -- the big city if you well and raise their children and rural America and so those are voters that both campaigns are competing heavily for.

-- unemployment here six point 7% under the national.

Level but above the state of five point 3%.

You interestingly pointed to your polling over a month and said the deficit debt still plays pretty high.

With people here.

When we pulled our our readers we we asked them in groups of four specific.

What what they want -- to.

Focus on when they went to the -- in November.

And and we had jobs in the and the economy is number one national debt and us national spending is number two.

And they were both in.

Forties so.

Those are probably the two primary things that people are thinking about here is they go to the polls.

Am I going to be able to get a job and I can really keep a job Jennifer did.

What -- spending on ads.

And Iowa you can't turn on the television without seeing and that at some televisions stations and I'm -- radio.

It's just finance.

It it is and it -- -- what I wanted to -- about what Bob was saying at one reason why Obama's numbers are so soft.

And in Iowa is because you've got a lot of swing voters who in general just think that Obama didn't live up to the -- And that they think that.

You know there's not excited about voting for him this time and see you've got.

I'm a lot of swing voters in Iowa who are here you know maybe they don't think that Romney has made the case strongly enough yet for why he's better than Obama -- you've got a lot of people -- -- voters were saying.

You know they're they're ready to fire.

The president but they're not yet ready to hire Mitt Romney so it's kind of at a stalemate but yet so -- the ads -- just overwhelming it's it's everywhere.

Take you come down to the -- It could indeed and one of the after effects of the advertising here is that the congressional races and Iowa four of them have become very competitive.

Obviously it's reapportionment here and so these candidates for introducing themselves to new people.

But there has been -- facts and making Democrats go Democrats and Republicans go to home.

-- about Jennifer thank you so much very interest and will be back from Newton Iowa.

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