Former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the nation's polls, but "surprises have occurred" in Iowa's caucuses, because of the nature of the state's system, Joe Lieberman, a former Connecticut senator and founding co-chair of No Labels, the group working toward putting a centrist candidate on the presidential ballot, told Newsmax on Sunday.
"It's a question of who has the best organization," the former Connecticut senator commented on Newsmax's "Sunday Report," adding that he was "struck this past week" about how former President Donald Trump has been urging his supporters to participate in the caucuses, set for Jan. 15.
"I understand that Nikki Haley, with the support of the Koch organization, has a really good ground game," said Lieberman, but the "odds are great" that Trump will win the Iowa caucuses and go on to win the primary election in New Hampshire.
"But there could be surprises in both," he stressed. "Nikki Haley may surprise us in New Hampshire with the support of Gov. [Chris] Sununu."
Meanwhile, there may be some remaining Republican candidates who may drop out of the race after the Iowa caucuses.
"Chris Christie, of course, is under pressure to drop out before New Hampshire from the Haley supporters or anti-Trump supporters," said Lieberman. "Gov. [Ron] DeSantis is really focused on Iowa, and if for instance, Nikki Haley runs ahead of them, although not ahead of Trump in Iowa, I wouldn't be surprised if Gov. DeSantis concludes that he's got to end his campaign there. Then she goes on to New Hampshire, and perhaps South Carolina, as the major alternative to President Trump."
Meanwhile, Lieberman discussed a controversy involving Haley, after the former South Carolina governor came under fire last week when she appeared to dismiss Iowa voters after she told an audience that in the early voting states, "Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it... and then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That's what we do!"
"I think ultimately that's not going to matter," said Lieberman. "There's a lot of rivalry over the years between Iowa and New Hampshire, being the first in the nation caucus and the first in the nation primary. But ultimately, the voters in the Iowa caucuses are going to decide. Do they want Trump, DeSantis, or Haley to be their nominee? I think this stuff is, a favorite word of mine that I don't get to use, sort of a kerfuffle. It doesn't matter very much."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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