JOHNSON CAMPAIGN: AMES STRAW POLL NOT WHAT WE ARE ABOUT

August 5, 2011, Manchester, NH -- The Gary Johnson for President campaign announced today that Governor Johnson will not be traveling to Iowa next week and will not participate in the Ames Straw Poll.

Announcing the decision, Ron Nielson, senior campaign advisor, said,  “Governor Johnson  is currently campaigning hard in New Hampshire.  Last week we doubled the size of our staff operation in the Granite State, and we are making a strategic decision to spend our resources and time doing retail politics in New Hampshire.  

"The Johnson campaign is not abandoning Iowa, as only last week Governor Johnson participated for his second year in RAGRRAI activities.  That, however, is a very different thing than participating in a straw poll, months before the caucuses.  The Ames Straw poll has much more to do with organizing bus loads of supporters than it does with ideas and solutions to our country's economic problems, or the even the electability of candidates.

“We certainly don’t begrudge the Iowa GOP for sponsoring what has become a very successful fundraising activity, but we simply cannot and will not buy into an event  that has been granted far more status in the nomination process than it should have.  Our campaign is about ideas and providing real solutions.   We are giving a voice to Republicans and Independents who aren’t satisfied with politics as usual, whether they are in Iowa, New Hampshire, California, or wherever.  Asking supporters in Iowa to buy tickets and show up for an event six months before the caucuses is just not a part of providing that voice – or our campaign.

“Governor Johnson is in New Hampshire meeting with voters, visiting workers and sharing his ideas for turning the country around.  That is, and will continue to be, his focus, and a pay-to-play straw poll is really not part of that agenda.”