MR: Well, first of all, the places where I’ve spent my time—like I am today in Iowa City, Jackson County, and in Jones County—these are the places where the first primaries and caucuses are held, and the polls here are very encouraging. The New Hampshire poll, for instance, two weeks ago that Zogby put out, had me tied for first place.

The poll that the University of Iowa did just last week has us all in a statistical dead heat for first place, so I’m doing well in the early primary states, which are the ones that count to get the momentum going.

And, of course, I’m not a household name. Not at this point. Win a couple of these primaries, and I become a household name pretty darn quickly. But early on, of course the names people will know, and will acknowledge in the polls, are the names that have become famous from the past. And I anticipate becoming famous by virtue of my message. It’s a message that is catching on across the states that have spread it, and I expect that more and more people in this country will come to my camp and I’m gonna win this thing.

MKH: I’ve been reading this week about your ability to tap new donors. Now, that’s something that always gets politicos talking. Hillary and Obama were the ones who were supposed to tap new donors and new constituencies, and yet you’ve come out as a bit of surprise in your ability to do it. Tell me about how that happens.

MR: Well, we’re really pleased with the message that I’ve been able to carry to people throughout the country. We got fundraising from all 50 states in the country. I’ve gone after young people. I’ve gone after some old folks, like myself, that is. I just turned 60. I’ve gone after our veterans, and we’re bringing people into my camp that are really allowing me to get the kind of support I need to win these primaries.

MKH: I work in the blogosphere where a lot of have noticed your campaign’s pretty considerable online savvy. In particular, I remember you’re doing a podcast with Instapundit and videotaping it for YouTube at the same time. It really sent an early message that you “get” the new media, which is not all that common among Republicans. What’s your strategy?

MR: Traditionally, everyone has assumed that the way to build support in a political sense is to cotton to the mainstream media. But the truth is, if you want to get support among young voters, increasingly, they don’t get the newspaper. They get their news from the Internet, from the web.

And, as a result, a major part of my effort is to make sure we’re communicating with young people, that we’re getting our message across to people who get their information in new and more up-to-date manners. And so, yeah, we have a very active effort. My son Tagg is one of those who plays a leading role to make sure we’re up-to-date with what we’re doing and we’re gonna continue to get our message out through the Internet. I spend a lot of time with folks that are bloggers and webcasters, and I want to make sure that we’re connecting to all Americans, not just the people who read the New York Times.

MKH: Now, in the past, McCain has suggested he’d have blogger conference calls as president. What would be the role of bloggers in a Romney administration. Conference calls, White House press passes. We’re always curious about things like that.

MR: The truth is that I haven’t spent enough time to lay out a media strategy yet for what I would do if I were president. But clearly, it’s important for a president and important for a political party and an administration to communicate with the people of the nation. And, there’s a lot of folks that just don’t get newspapers anymore, don’t watch the TV evening news, and their information comes from the Internet, from blogs and from other webcasts. And, we’re gonna have to find the very best way to communicate with those that are getting the message out.

MKH: I’m sure you’ve got a lot of experience having to find alternative media, since your hometown MSM is the Boston Globe.

No question about that. And, fortunately, the world of alternative media has really come alive in the last few years. I mean, I have five sons. I don’t think any one of them gets the newspaper. Every single one of them gets their information from the web. That being the case, it’s critical to me—I recognize that in my campaign strategy, and if I’m lucky enough to become president, in my presidential plans—to be able to communicate to those folks who get their news in the new media.

MKH: Have any horror stories, worst moments with the MSM?

MR: You know, I’m sure I do. There’s probably more than one, but I’ve never liked people who engage in too much whining, so I’ll skip telling you about the worst that’s happened.

MKH: One last quick one for you. Who has the best hair? You, Sanjaya, or John Edwards?

MR: Well, that’s quite a grouping. I’ll tell you one thing. I don’t spend $400 to get mind cut, so it’s not a comparison I’d like to make. I’d just like to keep as much of it as I can.”