Iowa residents have had plenty of opportunities this summer to prepare for their role as leaders in choosing the nation’s preferred presidential candidates.

Students and other Ames voters have been no exception, with nearly every candidate stopping in Ames, Des Moines, and surrounding areas during the summer months.

From health care to Iraq to family values to poverty, many candidates have chosen key issues to define their platforms, working hard to gain recognition and support while making appearances at wineries, potlucks, fundraising events and more.

Jordan Navara, senior in political science and executive director of the ISU College Republicans, said the Republican candidates who have been spending the most time in Ames and surrounding areas have been those seeking support for the Aug. 11 straw poll in Ames.

The significance of this event has been marred due to the fact some candidates have chosen not to participate, including well-known contenders John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y.

Still, the straw poll, Navara said, is “the first real judge of the Republican campaign,” and contenders who gain momentum at the event “have the potential to move up to the first tier.”

Contenders Tommy Thompson, R-Wis.; Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.; Mitt Romney, R-Mass.; and Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., have been some of the most frequent visitors to Iowa, with Brownback paying particular attention to the Ames area.

Brownback has based his public image largely on his rural, conservative background, as well as his commitment to make abortion illegal.

Thompson has touted his experience improving welfare and is also focused on health care, and Tancredo has emphasized the need for stricter immigration policies, to name some of the key talking points among Republicans this summer.

Democratic candidates who have been the most frequent Iowa visitors have been Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., John Edwards, D-N.C., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Obama has focused heavily on the need for ending military involvement in Iraq, as well as having a hopeful outlook for the nation’s future. Edwards has made the fight against poverty a key issue in his campaign. Clinton has focused largely on health care and Iraq.

Of course, Iraq has been a key issue for candidates of both parties, with the final words of campaign speeches often devoted to the topic, and many voters attending the candidates’ events have often cited policy regarding Iraq as a key determiner of who they will ultimately support.

Tyler Platt, freshman in engineering and vice president of the ISU Democrats, said although it is important to look for candidates who communicate well while discussing the election season’s key talking points, he watches out for the candidates’ specific plans for important facets of the country.

“Question what [the candidates] are doing,” Platt said, encouraging other students to look for specifics when deciding who to vote for.

“Try to get some answers out of them,” he said.