Giuliani Skipping Iowa Straw Poll

ABC News’ David Chalian Reports: Demonstrating that he believes his path to the GOP’s 2008 presidential nomination has more to do with piling up victories in the Jan. 29 Florida primary and the Super Duper Tuesday states on Feb. 5, 2008, Giuliani campaign manager Mike DuHaime announced Wednesday that the former New York mayor will not be competing in the key early organizational test known as the Iowa Straw Poll set for Aug. 11, 2007 in Ames, IA.

Even though the Giuliani campaign will not be investing campaign resources in providing its supporters with food, entertainment, transportation, and the $35 entrance fee required to participate in the Straw Poll, his name will likely still appear on the Straw Poll ballot because that decision is made by the Iowa Republican Party’s leadership and state central committee and not by the individual candidate.

While announcing that he would not invest resources in winning the Iowa Straw Poll, DuHaime said that the Giuliani campaign is taking the unusual step of announcing that it will invest resources in trying to win the January 2008 Iowa caucuses.

In the past, candidates who have not invested resources in the Straw Poll have tended to avoid investing resources in winning the Iowa caucuses.