.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Pella – Eating a Dutch letter stuffed with thick almond paste, Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, smile and shake a few more hands of well-wishers after an “Ask Mitt Anything” meeting here.

Tall, slim and urbane with a full head of well-coiffed hair and wearing custom-made suits, the former Massachusetts governor strikes the pose of a superhero or a retro Hollywood leading man – more Cary Grant than Brad Pitt.

Spending more face time and money in Iowa than any of his Republican presidential rivals, Romney has made a mark on the campaign season leading to the Iowa caucuses.

With a conservative message, a businesslike approach to governance and successful efforts to mute concerns over his Mormon religion and charges of flip-flopping, Romney headed into the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames as the Iowa leader in a crowded and fluid field of GOP presidential contenders.

“The American family has always been and will always be the source of American strength,” said Romney.

During every stump speech, Romney compares himself to another former governor and popular president, Ronald Reagan. He received enthusiastic applause here from farmers, teachers and parents like Dana Sadler, who brought her two children and husband to Romney’s Pella meeting.

“We’ll caucus for Mitt. By far, he’s the best candidate,” she said. “I’m Dutch Reformed, so values are important, and that’s why I like him. The other candidates don’t have the leadership capacity Mitt has. He’s got vitality.”

As Romney has positioned himself as the candidate with American family values – he is the only top-tier GOP presidential hopeful who hasn’t been divorced, maintains a close relationship with all of his five adult children and is an active church member – Iowa has become Mitt Country.

In the first of our exclusive one-on-one interviews with Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, we asked Gov. Romney questions submitted by Business Record readers, Central Iowans and our staff:

J. Barry Griswell, CEO of Principal Financial Group Inc., wanted to know how Romney intended to repair the immigration system without doing economic damage and expedite a new solution through a divided Congress.

Romney: “We welcome immigration. Immigration is good for America. There are three key issues that need to be in place: Secure the border; have an employment verification system; and those who come here illegally should not be given a special pathway – a special advantage to become permanent residents and citizens – and that’s what was wrong with the last bill [in Congress].”

Lynn Horak, retiring CEO of Wells Fargo Bank’s Iowa operations, asked how Romney would restore confidence in the direction of the country, a question that dovetailed with another submitted by Griswell on how to restore civility to public discourse.

Romney: “By keeping our discussions on issues to the issue itself and not the personality on the other side. As governor, I worked hard to avoid making personal attacks on my opposition leadership. I may have violated that rule once or twice, but I tried to maintain a level of respect and dignity associated with their office and mine. … There’s almost nothing I did as governor that didn’t have a partnership role together with the Democratic Legislature.”

Steve Zumbach, attorney and community leader, was interested in how Romney would restore a balanced federal budget.

Romney: “Washington is fundamentally broken. Washington is unable to get many of the problems on our doorstep solved, and it’s finally time for us to finally have leadership in Washington that has private experience getting the job done. I think I’m the only person running for president with a lifelong career in the private sector; learning how to change organizations, learning how to make them more efficient and more effective.”

Rick Clark, Des Moines city manager, asked what process Romney uses to make a decision while governing.

Romney answered Clark’s question during his Pella appearance: “As a businessman, I make a decision based on the best information and data available. I surround myself with the brightest people and listen to their views, and then I make a decision based on our values, objectives, and priorities.”

The view of crunching the numbers and intellectually assessing the pros and cons of a decision in a more businesslike way could leave some cold. Not all issues are a matter of dollars and cents.

Though some have criticized the current president for “making too many important decisions from his gut” and not paying close enough attention to the details of governance, Romney may swing too far to the other side in his bid to win his party’s presidential nomination.

To that end, the Romney campaign hired Alex Gage as a senior consultant. Gage is a pioneer in “microtargeting.” Microtargeting deconstructs a likely voter’s political DNA, allowing the campaign to focus on voter clusters based on likes, dislikes, income, habits and activities. The campaign then focuses on capturing similar voters in other states or districts. It has been successful.

In a heavily Democratic liberal state, Gage’s microtargeting helped Romney capture the Massachusetts governor’s office.

Words such as accountability, benchmarks and data often slip into Romney’s speeches while stumping at a country hoedown picnic where everyone else is wearing either shorts or blue jeans. In those situations, Romney can appear too much like a city slicker, sometimes overstating his accomplishments or sounding stiff and cold and even rambling.

He can launch into highbrow phrases, which remind supporters that he attended elite schools like the Cranbrook School and Harvard University, as he promises to impose no new taxes, appoint strict constructionist Supreme Court justices, restore a balanced budget and support President Bush’s troop surge in Iraq.

When he seems to be losing the audience in a swirl of “Mitt-talk” that can even lead to a number of embarrassing gaffes, Ann Romney rises from her front-row seat, takes the microphone and recaptures the audience with her homespun warmth.

“I’ve known Mitt ever since he was 18, and I know his heart,” she said here. “We’ve raised five sons together. He’s a good father and husband. Whenever there was a crisis, he was so terrific. He has good judgment, and I just believe he’s the best person for the job.”

With her youthful good looks, easy charm and long days on the campaign trail with her husband, you’d never guess that Ann Romney has multiple sclerosis. She’s managing the disease, still riding horses competitively, but admits to tiring more easily than before MS struck in 1998.

Like Elizabeth Edwards, who is battling cancer again and has garnered the affection of Iowa audiences while stumping for her Democratic presidential candidate husband John, Ann Romney is a popular figure with the 200- to 300-person crowds gathering to hear Gov. Romney’s vision for America.

Ann is one of her husband’s greatest campaign assets – a constant reminder that the Romneys are a picture-perfect American family, unlike New York City’s former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, or actor, lobbyist and former Sen. Fred Thompson, all of whom have been divorced.

The religion question continues to dog the Romney campaign, though he deftly responds to concerns raised with an answer that is nearly always followed by polite applause:

“I’m a Christian, and I believe in the Bible. I believe that Jesus Christ is my savior. We are all children of the same maker. And while there may be differences in doctrine with my faith and others, the values that we share are common: the values of caring for our brothers and sisters.”

The 60-year-old Romney has launched a formidable campaign in Iowa. He is the only top-tier candidate heavily invested in the Iowa Straw Poll. He was expected to win there and in the January caucuses – if the race remains the same for the next six months.

But a lot can happen in six months.

Riding high in the national polls, Fred Thompson has yet to officially declare his candidacy, though he’s running all the same – but will he campaign in Iowa?

Republican candidates Giuliani, McCain and the lower-tier contenders continue to stump the state seeking support and hoping to overtake the red-hot racehorse called Mitt Romney … and family.