And Mitt Romney upped the ante, proclaiming he would win the state's seven electoral votes if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee.
Romney spoke to reporters in Pella, Iowa, after speaking at a company that manufactures agricultural, environmental and industrial equipment. In the back-and-forth with business people, Romney repeated his slams against the Obama administration: decrying its "job-killing" economic policies, saying he believes officials intend to have a government-run health care system, and blasting Democrats as being beholden to special interests like public worker unions.
In his exchange with reporters, Romney mentioned the president's upcoming bus tour.
"I hope that on his bus tour he actually takes the time to get off the bus and sit down with business people...and ask them whether the policies he's put in place over the last two and a half years have helped or hurt enterprise and jobs in America," Romney said.
The candidate then donned the hat of political punditry.
"I think you'll find that on policy after policy, that if he [Obama] does that he'll learn from the American people and from business people just what I do...that the president's policies have made it more difficult for enterprises to grow and thrive at a time when the economy was in trouble. And that's why I think this president is going to have a tough re-election bid."
Romney added: "Let me make this prediction: he won't carry Iowa in November 2012."
In 2008, then-Senator Obama won Iowa, beating GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain by nine-points in the state. Obama, then a senator from Illinois, also won Iowa's critical caucuses in January of that year.
Meanwhile, there's a question of whether or not Romney can make good on his prediction: of winning Iowa should he become the nominee.
While eating a pastry from Jaarsma Bakery in Pella, Iowa, Romney called The Press to share his thoughts on President Barack Obama’s visit to the Johnson Controls-Saft advanced battery factory in Holland.
“He must be concerned about Michigan,” said Romney, who is hoping his father, former Gov. George Romney, still has coattails when Michigan Republicans choose their presidential nominee next year.
“My prediction is that he won’t carry Michigan in 2012.”
Former Democratic congressional candidate Patrick Miles Jr. said no plans were laid nor promises made Thursday when he re-connected with his old Harvard Law School classmate, President Barack Obama, during a reception at the Johnson Controls-Saft plant.
After commiserating over the plight of Democratic candidates like himself last year, Miles said, Obama assured him “things will look much better next year.”
Miles, who lost to Republican Justin Amash by a 2-1 margin, said he will decide this fall whether to run again.
Holland Republican Pete Hoekstra’s bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Debbie Stabenow took a hit Thursday when state GOP party bigwigs Betsy DeVos, Spencer Abraham and Saul Anuzis endorsed Detroit charter school founder Clark Durant for the Republican nomination.
But by week’s end, Hoekstra could take heart in reports by Michigan Public Radio and Gongwer News Service that Gov. Rick Snyder is likely to back Hoekstra later this month.
Low turnout bemoaned
Moments after Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell congratulated 1st Ward Commissioner Walt Gutowski on his Aug. 2 re-election, commissioners lamented the lower-than-expected voter turnout of less than 9 percent.
Gutowski, who avoided a November runoff by capturing 52 percent of the vote, agreed it was disappointing. But, he quickly interjected, “the outcome was all right.
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