Hayes: Romney in Iowa

Indianola, Iowa
For ten minutes Thursday morning, Lanae Price was a media star. Moments earlier, the homemaker from Winterset, Iowa - a forty-minute drive from the Indianola Country Club - told former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney that she worried about how "so many American politicians cannot relate to the problems of average Americans," like gas prices. It seemed like a gotcha question, given Romney's privileged upbringing and personal wealth.

And Romney didn't handle it well. He spoke of the origins of his plan to revamp the health care system in Massachusetts. It all started, he explained, when his friend, Tom Stemberg, dropped by to tell him he should try to insure all of the uninsured in the state. Stemberg was the founder and former CEO of Staples, Inc., probably not the average American Lanae Price had in mind.

Romney explained that at Stemberg's urging, he put together a group of advisers to discuss his options. Romney ticked off their credentials: A professor from M.I.T., an investment banker, the head of a consulting firm, and a friend Romney had made running the 2002 Olympics. All impressive, of course, but not exactly average Americans. If anything, Romney's answer made him seem more out of touch.

After the session, nine journalists gathered around Ms. Price and peppered her with questions. Price, 37, was wearing a "Mitt Romney for President" sticker on her lavender winter coat. Reporters wanted to know what she thought about Romney's answer. Price acknowledged that Romney did not exactly speak to her concerns, but said that's okay. "I don't see any other candidate that I see who understands the concerns of average Americans." She said she considered voting for Rudy Giuliani, but has problems with his views on social issues, and likes some of the things Mike Huckabee says, but not enough to support him.

So what does she find appealing about Mitt Romney? She thinks he's competent and can get things accomplished. Plus, she likes the fact that he has a background in business. A reporter asked if she plans to support him on January 3. She does.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad answer after all.