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Alex Moe/NBC News
With Rick Santorum's visit to Jackson County, he becomes the first candidate to visit all of Iowa's 99 counties.
MAQUOKETA, Iowa -- Last evening, he finally did it. Rick Santorum became the first candidate in the 2012 presidential cycle to visit all 99 of Iowa’s counties.
“Senator Santorum, welcome to your 99th country,” a campaign aide said amongst cheers as the presidential hopeful walked into the room at Decker House.
The former Pennsylvania senator held a meet and greet here in Jackson County, marking a feat no other candidate in the race is even close to accomplishing.
“We crossed the finish line. I feel great. I've had such a wonderful time visiting all the counties here and seeing all the small towns and the town squares and the diners and you know just the wonderful fabric of Iowa,” Santorum, who made visiting every county in the state one of his campaign pledges, said. “It's been a great and energizing experience for me.”
Despite what a milestone this would be for any campaign, there was just one video camera, one still camera, and one local print reporter who attended the event. Santorum spoke and took questions from a crowd of roughly 20 in the first-in-the-nation caucus state while they munched on vegetables and meatballs provided at the event.
Embarking on this “whirlwind tour of Iowa” came from a tip from one longtime Iowa politician who is 12-0 when it comes to running successful campaigns.
“Gov. Terry Branstad said if you really want to win Iowa, you gotta get out and go to all 99 counties and meet people,” Santorum told the crowd. “He's had a pretty good track record of winning here in Iowa so we're trying to follow his advice and I think it will pay off in the end.”
Polling at just 5 percent in the latest Iowa Poll, this Jackson County event concluded another long day on the trail for Santorum who held five events earlier in Southeastern Iowa. Perhaps signifying the importance of the day for his campaign, the senator even wore a sports jacket over one of his typical blue button-down shirts, something he rarely does.
“I think that’s great because he is getting to the people so they know who he is and they recognize him and they have a feeling of being part of it,” Maquoketa resident Mary Hamnam told NBC News after the event. She is leaning towards supporting the former senator.
Santorum isn’t stopping with those 99 counties; he is already back on the stump holding three events in the Hawkeye State today and three on Friday.
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I can picture Rick standing before the camera's clutching his blue ribbon in one hand & corn dog trophy in the other with his arms raised high...
*Rocky theme music playing in the background*
If he's still polling at 5 percent AFTER visiting all the counties, I wonder what he would have been polling at if he hadn't done it.
And how much it cost him for that major league bump in the polls.
Money that could have been put to much better uses for people in Iowa.
Here's what I want to know --
Considering the now well-known Google definition of "Santorum"...is this REALLY the headline that MSNBC wants to go with?
"Santorum hits all of Iowa's counties"
Gross...just gross.
Let's see how he looks after visiting every county in the United States! He may be able to keep his 5%.
Isn't it true that all of the money wasted on campaigning could better serve alot of people in a myriad of ways. Santorum doesn't hold a monopoly on big ticket campaign spending that could be better used to feed, house, give medical attention to Americans.
CLEAN UP IN AISLE FIVE!!!
I live in Iowa, and if he visited all counties, he must have driven through my county really quickly. Probably speeding through to the next big city. I didn't see him or hear that he was even in the area. I wouldn't have gone, maybe held a sign on a street corner as he drove by. but darn it, i didn't hear of his visit.
I checked into a hotel one time, and Santorum was all over the sheets.
Santorum is a dweeb! PA's ole embarrassment should stay in Iowa
He's trying to accumulate frequent farmer miles.
I hope the good folks of Jackson County ask Santorum why he threw them under the bus and visited them last. Aren't they as good as the other counties :=).
How exciting for him...
Hey Jody, is Iowa feel a little holier these days since St. Santorum has blessed every county with his presence?
That wasn't holy water he was sprinkling all over those counties...
Little Ricky thinks this is going to make him more electable? I don't think so!
Well, Santorum might just have some stuff to use for the winter snowed-in slideshow if he took lots of pictures.
And, he'll be better in geography quizzes.
Hope he trots those out at some campaign rallies. Some folk have insomnia - he'll maybe get their votes if he makes them snore!
Santorum is the poster boy for the Sexual Frustration and E.D. Medical Journal.
So he left a little Santorum all over Iowa?
Santorum hits all of Iowa's counties. I never knew there could be so much santorum. I hope everyone had a good time. I hope every one took a shower! I guess the glazed look is in. I don't make the headlines but for who does Thank You!!!!!
Google santorum.com
I'm tired of hearing about all of the Republican candidates who will NOT be nominated.
Does anyone have any news about Romney?
Does anyone know Romney's current position on anything?
I did hear romney's position on something, but before I could write it down, he changed it.
Willow . . LOL!!
Did his campaign go international?
I'm not bowing to clowns like Santorums christian crack ideas...this man is ignorant
Didn't Ricky have a problem with dogs?
Cost him a Senate seat, I believe.
Santorum? Is he still in the race? Why? This moron has no more chance of being president than I do and I'm not running. he must be a masochist. People laugh at his lame debate efforts. Better he should try and find a real job. Walmart is hiring for the holidays.
Who the hell is Santorum????????????????
I guess it fell, don't bother.
Americans don't want to live in a theocracy, Santorum, so take your rigid ideas of morality and stuff them where the moon doesn't shine.
I had a friend that visited every major league baseball stadium, and he has a better chance of getting elected, (and had better stories too).
99 counties for a state with only 3 million people? Talk about government waste!
Santorum and Bachman really need to consider the good of the party and face reality. IT'S OVER FOR THEM.
Ray, better yet, They could form a third party. They could name it the "Party of God'. Then they could could enlist all the country's Christian fundamentalists under one banner. The Republicans and Democrats would then be free to debate real issues, effecting our country. The wing-nuts can have their own conventions and run candidates. Everyone will be satisfied.
R Bell--I second the motion!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
Heh, considering the meaning of the word santorum, that's going to be one huge biological mess to clean up! Oh the splatter!
Santorum couldn't win a sack race if he were the only one racing. Santorum needs to attend one of Bachamnn's husbands retreat. Any one that wants to see what a loser looks like get a picture of Santorum.
I think i saw asign, come on in and make five dollars,,,,allllllllll im worth.
Santorum hit all 99 counties? What'd he hit em' with, a rake?
More likely a vibrator to get that much santorum.
I hope that he had a nice trip. Unfortunately for him, the road through those 99 counties of the Corn Dog State doesn't necessarily lead to Washington, DC. He has no chance of winning the republican nomination, but he has certainly seen more of Iowa than most of us.
Twenty one posts and not one Santorum supporter has chimed in. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who supports him. He must have some redeeming qualities.
He isn't Michelle Bachmann??
Well, here's the Santorum supporter chiming in.
Rick Santorum is a good candidate for President. He's the only GOP candidate talking about issues other than the economy (foreign policy issues such as Iran, for instance), though that doesn't mean he isn't talking economy too. He has rolled out a number of policy plans on what to do to get the economy going, one of which is promoting manufacturing in the US, a traditional source of good paying jobs for our country.
As to his social issues...well, despite what everyone else here is saying, he is very clear and honest about his beliefs and never backs down. That's more than most politicians can say. You may not agree with his moral beliefs on marriage, family, and abortion, but he has just as much a right to his beliefs as you do. As do all of the people who agree with him on such matters, particularly abortion (the nation is still EVENLY divided on the issue, you know). Even if he doesn't win the nomination, he's a good VP candidate and a worthwhile candidate in general.
I am kind of tired of people with political views that are not liberal being derided continually for being conservative. Isn't that still a First Amendment right? I don't have to agree with you, and I can calmly discuss why I do not. Likewise for candidates, do they forfeit their rights to freedom of speech and religion because they are candidates? I personally do not believe in abortion, and I am grateful to live somewhere that allows me the religious freedom to hold that belief. That being said, I would expect that true separation of church and state means that the government does nothing, finances nothing in support of or in detraction of abortion. Our government should remain completely mute and put the issue back into the consciences and personal faith lives of individuals. That means that my tax dollars may not be used to either promote abortion, to provide abortion, nor can my tax dollars be used to take that choice away from another......So, I am honest about how I feel about it, and I guess that means I will never be president either....Oh, Well.....
Well spoken Sue. Even if we disagree about what the government's role is in regard to abortion, we can at least sit down and have an amiable, intelligent discussion on the matter, rather than yelling hatred and insults at one another. Maybe, then, we could actually get somewhere!
Santorum is definitely allowed his views on morality, family values, etc. however, I don't want to live by his morality standards!! He wants to change the world to fit his world view. He doesn't want what the majority wants, he wants what HE wants. There's a big difference there.
After the implosion of all the candudates on the repugnants leader board to date, Santorum is lying in wait like a snake in the grass. Who knows maybe he'll be the last candudate standing.
Well -- so far we've had Palin, then Huckabee, then Pawlenty, then Trump, then Bachmann, then Perry, the Cain as the teatard flavor of the month. So is it Santorum's turn this month??
ewwww...I hope they can clean up the santorum...its a very messy thing...