Iowa is the first stop for Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson after Thursday night’s FOX News debate. Carson says he’s gotten a “phenomenal” response to his performance. “I think we got our message out, looking at you know what’s happened with Facebook and Twitter and you look at the social media,” Carson says. “Obviously the message got out in a very, very substantial way.”

Carson says the debate has helped him connect with voters on social media. His campaign staff told reporters he’s gotten around 24-thousand new Twitter followers since the end of the debate when he delivered an “off-the-cuff” closing statement that mentioned his surgical career. “You know, a debate stage? You’re not going to really get to know the person that well. Six minutes? I don’t think so,” he says. “When I finally got some questions, it went well.”

Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson

Carson will be in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines today (Saturday), for what his campaign has called “Family Festivals” featuring food and entertainment from a Christian musician. “Well, we didn’t have the strawpoll, and that normally would attract a lot of families, so this is the substitute,” Carson says. The Iowa G-O-P’s Straw Poll would have been held this Saturday in Boone, but it was cancelled after none of the candidates agreed to participate. Carson has begun airing campaign ads in Iowa.

On Sunday morning he’ll speak at a church in Osceola, and on Sunday afternoon he’ll hold another “Family Festival” outdoors in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa)