Ben Carson rising: Is nice making a comeback?

“There’s an organic, natural pocket of support in a state that is relatively fertile for outside candidates,” says Republican strategist Tim Albrecht. Carson is different from candidates like Bachmann and Cain, who enjoyed some time at the top of polls in 2010, in that “he has built a national brand and reputation,” Albrecht says. “But he’s got to prove he’s capable of putting together a machine to get all the way. “ 

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Carson’s campaign (which already went through turmoil and restructuring), says it’s building infrastructure in Iowa, slowly but surely. His managers are running a lean operation with four paid staffers on the ground there, but they do have campaign chairs in all 99 Iowa counties.

Carson hasn’t spent as much time in Iowa as some of his rivals, instead campaigning around the country. He drew roughly 12,000 people at a rally in Phoenix in mid-August, and last week, he campaigned in Colorado Springs, Colo.

But after the GOP debate, in which Carson, though quiet, was well received, he went straight to Iowa for a multi-city tour, drawing a few hundred at different stops. The campaign says Carson will return soon. As far as the ground game is concerned, Carson’s small team is focused on grassroots motivation. “Our supporters are evangelists for Ben: they’re going out, telling their neighbors, sharing his book and signing up to go caucus,” says Rhodes. “We want to grab them and give them a stake in the campaign.”

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