The last GOP cattle call before the Iowa caucuses
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa is gearing up for a busy weekend --- Halloween, home football games for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones and the final weekend for the outdoor fall farmers markets. Amid the fall activity ten GOP presidential candidates are flooding into Des Moines Saturday for the party's first-ever Growth and Opportunity Party, which is also the last GOP cattle call in Iowa before Caucus day on Feb. 1, the nation's first voting contest.
As interest in the presidential race remains high coming off of the third presidential debate, and with the caucus under 100 days away, the Iowa Republican Party -- the event's host -- is casting it as opportunity for the candidates to pick up some momentum.
"The energy seems to have not ebbed at all. Honest to goodness, I have not seen even a dip in the energy that I am seeing and feeling out there in the state," exclaimed Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann.
The event is offering every Republican family-friendly fall activity that can possibly be worked into a political event: trick-or-treating from booth to booth, tractors and corn scattered throughout, and a haunted house filled with Democrats' spooky ideas.
Republicans have been invited to bring their families and dress kids in Halloween costumes (candidates, however, have not been encouraged to dress up).
Frontrunners Ben Carson and Donald Trump won't be around to hog all of the attention -- Carson will be fundraising in Tennessee, while Trump rallies in Virginia. Some Polk County Republicans say that this could provide an opportunity for candidates lower in the polls to gain new support. Kasich may also skip it, but the event has still attracted several candidates: Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Huckabee.
Craig Robinson, of the "Iowa Republican," sees this event as the venue for a Jeb Bush-Marco Rubio rematch after their noteworthy debate exchange over Rubio's Senate record Wednesday. Many saw Rubio as the winner then.
"This is an event where it is really important for Rubio to show some momentum. He should show, 'I am the candidate who is really on the move here,'" Robinson theorized. "So you are going to want to do something that symbolizes that you are running a robust campaign, rather than taking an easier route."
Yet there will be multiple distractions over the weekend -- not the least of which is the Iowa state football game just 35 miles away from the event. Some GOP football fans say they'll be catching the event's headlines in the newspapers or on their smartphones, instead of attending the event itself.
Matt Strawn, former Iowa GOP chairman, does not think other events should be an excuse for campaigns to take a back seat.
"All I hear are a lot of excuses. There are a lot of things going on the night of February first as well," explains Strawn. "The ticket price is $10 so I don't care how cash-strapped an organization are, you can't tell me you can't put 500 people in t-shirts for $10 a person. I can't think of a better opportunity for a campaign to either showcase its organizational hustle or test their organization."
Iowa Republicans see this as a way to compensate for the cancellation of the Straw Poll this summer. The Growth and Opportunity party -- though its name is more evocative of a 401K plan than a fun fall shindig -- is the first big Iowa GOP-hosted event since the Lincoln dinner back in May. Yet unlike the straw poll, in which a vote forced the campaigns to really flex their organizational muscle and turn out their supporters, there are fewer incentives for the candidates to rally the troops at this event.
Outside groups will be at the event, ready and waiting to be courted by the candidates. These groups include the partnership to fight chronic disease, Renewable Energy Group, Moms Rising, the One Campaign.
Some campaigns are committing more resources than others. The Bush, Rubio and Cruz campaigns all bought 75 tickets to give out to supporters and they are committed to show up for the event, even though it'll be a scramble for some. Jeb Bush is bringing wife, Columba, and daughter, Noelle. Rubio's campaign is setting up tailgate-themed booths. And Cruz -- along with Fiorina, Huckabee and Santorum -- will make a mad dash to get there from Rep. Steve King's annual pheasant hunt in the northern part of the state that they are also attending on Saturday.