Branstad: Gingrich’s presidential campaign in “real trouble”

JOHNSTON – Gov. Terry Branstad said Friday he believes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 2012 presidential campaign is “in real trouble” given that his Iowa staff has resigned and he has made early missteps that have hurt him.

During today's taping of Iowa Public Television's “Iowa Press” show, the Iowa governor said it was too early to say whether Gingrich's chances of winning the GOP's 2012 presidential nomination is over, “but it doesn't look good.”

On Thursday, Gingrich's entire Iowa staff has resigned. The exodus was part of a larger defection of staff on the national campaign and in key states.

Craig Schoenfeld, who had been executive director of Gingrich's Iowa campaign, said Thursday that the former House speaker and top campaign aides had differences over how to approach the 2012 race.

As news spread of the staff defections, Gingrich sent out a statement Thursday afternoon, pledging to continue. “I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring,” he said. “The campaign begins anew Sunday in Los Angeles.

The former Georgia representative's May kickoff in Iowa got off to a rough start after he criticized House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's Medicare plan, calling it radical. He later apologized to Ryan.

After the Ryan flap, Gingrich and his wife, Callista, embarked on a cruise to the Greek Isles, while other suitors for the nomination continued to campaign.

That led to questions about whether he was committed to fully campaigning for the nomination.

“You do a cruise after the campaign's over,” Branstad said today.

Also, the Iowa governor said he did not think former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's decision to skip an Iowa GOP straw poll in Ames in August would not hurt his front-running status. He noted that Romney – who won the straw poll four years ago – still plans to participate in a GOP candidate debate and Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses early next year.

Branstad said the straw poll presents an opportunity for lesser-known candidates to raise their status. He said whoever wins the Ames straw poll could become the chief challenger to Romney in the 2012 caucuses. He noted that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee parlayed a surprise second-place finish in the 2007 straw poll into a victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.