Over the weekend, many of the Republican presidential contenders gathered in Iowa for Sen. Joni Ernst's inaugural Roast and Ride. The event—a play on retired Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry—attracted as many Republican presidential hopefuls as Harkin's did for Democrats, if not more.
Sen. Lindsey Graham—who formally announced his presidential campaign June 1—used the event to introduce himself to Iowa Republicans, and show that he is more than just a war-hungry hawk.
In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Graham reasserted his support for U.S. ground troops to combat ISIS, while simultaneously trying to convey a more compassionate side to his conservatism.
Bash asked about Graham's recent message to voters who are worn out by war: "Don't vote for me."
"You are basically promising that troops are going to go into that region," Bash said on Sunday.
"Absolutely. I promise you that," Graham said. "I don't know how you defend the nation without some of our forces going back to Iraq to help the Iraqi army. This is our war, too. I'm not going to outsource our national security to a bunch of armies that don't know how to fight. How do you deal with Syria without forming an army in the region, and how do they win without us?"