Mitt Romney Tells Today ‘I’m Not Predicting A Win’ In Iowa

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney — long seen as the “candidate to beat,” the one constant as his rivals take their turns rising and inevitably falling in the polls — is regarding the Iowa caucuses with just a smidge of trepidation. In a segment taped yesterday in Des Moines, Romney told the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie that he’s hoping for 25 percent of the vote, at best:

If I get 25 percent, if that turns out to be the case, that will most likely be the highest number, so winning is just fine. I’m not predicting a win. Maybe I get 20 percent, someone else gets 25 percent.

His aides were quick to note that Romney’s earlier decree that “we’re going to win this thing” was in reference to the nomination, and not to Iowa specifically.

RELATED: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell: The Rap On Iowa? ‘Too White, Too Evangelical, Too Rural’

As many have pointed out, Iowa is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sealing the nomination, and the state hasn’t exactly demonstrated a proven track record of electing presidents.

Romney also responded to recent comments made by rival candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, thanking Santorum for his previous support and commenting that he doesn’t quite know why former Speaker Gingrich is so “angry.”

RELATED: Newt Gingrich On Mitt Romney’s Attack Ads: ‘I Feel Romney-Boated’

Have a look at Romney’s comments, courtesy of NBC:

h/t Politico

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