Which GOPer could skip Iowa?

[Likely Voter]

In the past some candidates on both sides have skipped Iowa, but went on to win the nomination, like John McCain in 08. So this year could any of the major GOP candidates skip Iowa, and if so, who?

[Brewer]

Chris Christie and possibly Jeb Bush.

[IceSpear]

Chris Christie and possibly Jeb Bush.

This, but I doubt either one will.

[Indy Texas]

They all ought to skip it after the mess Iowa made of things last year. They couldn't even get the winner correct until months later.

The national party ought to issue an ultimatum to them telling them to either switch to a standard primary or lose their "first in the nation" privilege.

[Cory]

Chris Christie and possibly Jeb Bush.

This, but I doubt either one will.

[BaconBacon96]

Chris Christie and possibly Jeb Bush.

I could see one or both of them doing it. It would clear up resources and allow them to focus on the more likely win.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

They all ought to skip it after the mess Iowa made of things last year. They couldn't even get the winner correct until months later.

The national party ought to issue an ultimatum to them telling them to either switch to a standard primary or lose their "first in the nation" privilege.

It was 3 weeks, not months. Get your facts straight.

[Mr. Morden]

They all ought to skip it after the mess Iowa made of things last year. They couldn't even get the winner correct until months later.

Last year?

[ShadowRocket]

Chris Christie and possibly Jeb Bush.

Agreed. NH is do-or-die for Christie so I expect him to eventually pull a page out of McCain's 2008 playbook and focus exclusively on there.

I think Jeb will make a play in the hopes that victory in Iowa can help him lock down the nomination quickly. 

[Indy Texas]

They all ought to skip it after the mess Iowa made of things last year. They couldn't even get the winner correct until months later.

The national party ought to issue an ultimatum to them telling them to either switch to a standard primary or lose their "first in the nation" privilege.

It was 3 weeks, not months. Get your facts straight.

They all ought to skip it after the mess Iowa made of things last year. They couldn't even get the winner correct until months later.

Last year?

By this of course I mean last time.

However long it was, it was totally unacceptable. I'm no fan of Rick Santorum but I'd argue he was unfairly robbed of the momentum he would have gotten had his win in Iowa been known when it was supposed to.

[Del Tachi]

When was the last time Iowa even mattered in a Republican nominating contest?

South Carolina is the kingmaker. 

[IceSpear]

South Carolina is the kingmaker. 

[Vosem]

Jeb Bush has a serious problem in that he doesn't seem able to win any early primary states until Florida, and Giuliani has already demonstrated that this is too late. Paul, who seems to be close-but-not-quite-there in both IA and NH, and strong in the west in spite of not being from there, looks a lot like Romney 2008.

[heatmaster]

None of them should, bull all of them will...another example of pandering!

[Suburbia]

Chris Christie, I suppose.

[King]

Winning Iowa is not important at all. In fact, NH is far more important. But in order to win NH, you have to stay relevant enough in the news from Iowa. Huntsman and Giuliani were written off as jokes by completely skipping out on IA and could not recover.

McCain would not have won New Hampshire if he hadn't finished in the Top 4 with 13% of the vote in Iowa. The Top 4 finishers are what newspapers and TV outlets publish on the headline and then the rest are listed in fine print. It let New Hampshire-ites know he was still seriously in the race and an alternative to Romney.

[TDAS04]

Christie

[heatmaster]

Still be better just to break the mold and ignore Iowa, but very candidates have the will or courage to do so, accordingly that's the reason why both parties are held hostage to the extreme elements in the delegate selection processes. Once Iowa became the Kingmaker in the nominating process, extremism won out.