Talking Points: Full steam ahead for campaign 2024; Iowa caucuses less than a week away
MINNEAPOLIS — Caucus and primary season kicks off in the race to the White House next week in Iowa.
The Iowa Republican caucuses are Jan. 15, and a few days later Minnesotans can begin early voting on Jan. 19 for our Super Tuesday primary.
In Talking Points, Esme Murphy looks ahead at the next two weeks that could shape the race going forward.
Former President Donald Trump has made the fewest campaign stops in Iowa of any Republican candidate, but you wouldn't know it from the polls.
An average of all the polls in Iowa show he has an unprecedented 36 point lead. The only thing that might slow him down is Monday's bitter subzero forecast.
Political analyst Larry Jacobs, politics professor at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs, reminded of a key factor with these caucuses.
"Key thing to remember in Iowa is you have to show up to cast your ballot," said Jacobs. "You've got to sit through basically a pretty long meeting, an hour, could be more than an hour."
After the Iowa caucuses, all eyes will shift to New Hampshire for their primary on Jan. 23.
But changes are already rocking the GOP lineup. On Wednesday, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropped out of the race.
This comes as two polls out this week show former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley surging. A CNN poll released Tuesday shows Haley within seven points of Trump.
Looking at Christie's support, just before he dropped out, this poll had him at 12 percent. Where will his supporters go? Surveys show as many as 2/3 could go to Haley.
Abou Amara, a Democratic strategist, says the key for Haley in this primary will be her staying power.
"The question for Nikki Haley is going to be does she have staying power beyond New Hampshire. New Hampshire has unique rules, where actually independents can participate in the Republican primary," said Amara.
But Amy Koch, a former state senator and Republican strategist, says this could be a sign of something bigger — voters may be tiring of Trump's hold no prisoners persona.
"It's just ugly and we don't need it. We can disagree and we don't need to be so ugly," said Koch.
Talking Points airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., live on CBS News Minnesota.
NOTE: Above is a preview of Talking Points presented on "The 4."