DES MOINES, Iowa — Saturday's Republican party fundraiser will be the biggest presidential "cattle call" in Iowa so far this election cycle, but the after-hours receptions may be where White House contenders secure activists' allegiances.
Eleven White House hopefuls — Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Donald Trump and Scott Walker — will get 10 minutes each to make their pitch to Iowa voters at Saturday night's Lincoln Dinner, a fundraiser for the Iowa GOP at the Iowa Events Center.
After the speeches upstairs, there will be receptions downstairs.
Iowans can free-flow between the contenders' hospitality rooms, mingling with the politicos of their choosing.
"Campaigning from the stage is not sufficient here. The true tests will come as people go room to room narrowing their choice," said Jonas Cutler, a West Des Moines Republican and secretary of the Polk County GOP.
