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Rep. King predicts critical day for GOP presidential candidates
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02/10/12 09:08 AM ET
Influential Tea Party conservative Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said the speeches given by the GOP presidential candidates at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday will be critical in determining who returns to the campaign trail with momentum.
More than 10,000 die-hard conservatives are in Washington for CPAC, and will be casting votes in the convention’s straw poll shortly after.
“I would see it as a real opportunity to be out on the stage where you have reacting conservatives,” King said. “And if they can step out there and pour it out from their hearts and connect with this audience — I mean, sometimes you’ll catch that tone where you give the speech of your life. And if Romney can do that, he can gain some momentum here.”
King did not endorse a candidate before the first-in-the-nation caucuses in his home state, which Santorum went on to win by 34 votes over Romney.
But speaking Friday on CNN, King said Santorum had recaptured the momentum he had after his victory in the Hawkeye State back in January.
“I listened to the applause last night when they announced the speeches this morning,” he said. “It seemed to be relatively tepid for Romney, maybe a little bit more warm for Gingrich, and very strong for Rick Santorum.
“That’s what you either have to capitalize on or change, depending on which of those three candidates you are.”
For Romney, the speech will be a high-stakes opportunity to argue that he’s more than just the presumed front-runner, but rather a genuine conservative committed to Republican ideals.
Santorum will need to convince convention-goers that his socially conservative message can resonate outside of the party’s core.
“The straw poll ... today is going to be the reaction to the three presidential speeches that are given,” King concluded.
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