Former governor Tommy Thompson seems to be stepping up is presidential campaign profile.
The former Governor will discuss his intentions to run for President later today in Madison. He was questioned about them on CNN Tuesday before a national audience and he's been in Iowa every week.
UW Political Scientist Charles Franklin says winning in Iowa has been a proven formula for success in the past as proven by Jimmy Carter in 1976. But Franklin points out the landscape has changed. A number of states have moved their primaries up to January and February now scheduled right after the Iowa Caucuses.
This, Franklin says, raises questions as to whether candidates such as Thompson have enough time to raise enough money and gain national recognition to benefit from a win in Iowa.
Franklin says with the campaigning and the comparisons starting so early there's plenty of time for the front runners to stumble especially the GOP where McCain, Giuliani and Romney all have issues for the party base.
And that may be the hole, Franklin says, candidates like Tommy Thompson need in order to break through.