See other (s)Elections Articles
Title: Ron Paul's campaign encouraged by fifth-place finish
Source:
The Raw Story
URL Source: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Iowa_ ... s_Republican_support_0811.html
Published: Aug 12, 2007
Author: Nick Juliano
Post Date: 2007-08-12 13:35:53 by robin
Keywords: None
Views: 301
Comments: 7
Romney wins straw poll, Ron Paul's campaign encouraged by fifth-place finish Saturday's vote was long-shot candidate Ron Paul's chance to show his anti-war and libertarian views had resonance beyond his committed core of online supporters. Paul's campaign made a concerted push for support in the weeks leading up to this weeks vote, through extra visits to the state from the candidate, and a cavalcade of television, radio and newspaper advertisements. Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsin, who attended the straw poll in Ames, Iowa, said Paul's supporters "won the visibility wars," and bloggers at National Review Online's The Corner noted the large number of anti-war Republicans who had come to support the Texas congressman. "The Ron Paul 'Peace Train' nearly drowned me out!!!" talk show host Laura Ingrham wrote at the Corner. "They emerged this afternoon from the corn fields, pumped up and ready to wage 'peace' in Iraq and throughout the world." Paul managed to quadruple his level of support in Saturday's non-binding, non-scientific straw poll with 9 percent of the delegates in Ames backing him, compared to about 2 percent of Iowa Republicans who have told pollsters Paul is their choice. That put him in fifth place among the Republicans competing, but Paul's campaign is encouraged by the result. "We are pleased and encouraged by the results. ... Our campaign has begun," Paul's campaign chairman Kent Snyder said in a statement posted on the candidate's Web site. Snyder listed three ingredients for success: the message of "freedom, peace and prosperity"; "the man: Ron Paul"; and Paul's committed supporters. Romney handily took the top spot in the poll with 31.6 percent support, as was expected because his top challengers decided not to participate in the vote. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee took a surprise second-place finish with 18 percent support. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback came in third, followed by Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, whose hard line against illegal immigration has energized some conservatives concerned about immigration policies. Romney's campaign spent thousands of dollars -- some estimate millions -- from its considerable campaign war chest to bus voters to Ames and pay their $35 entry fee to attend the straw poll, which serves as a fundraiser for Iowa's Republican Party. A Paul supporter circulated a flyer around Iowa and online encouraging those backing Paul to accept Romney's free bus rides to the straw poll. Paul's campaign denied any connection to the flyer. Other Paul supporters -- who also were unaffiliated with the campaign -- failed in their push to block the vote based on concerns over insecurities in the Diebold machines on which Republicans cast their votes, the Associated Press reported. The Paul supporters took their case to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, after being blocked by a lower court, but the appeals panel also refused to join an injunction against the vote, an attorney for the Iowa GOP, Matt McDermott, told the AP. The announcement of poll results was delayed because of a voting machine malfunction; about 4,500 ballots had to be re-run, Marc Ambinder reported on his blog at The Atlantic online. The Des Moines Register reported that the day's high humidity caused some ballots to stick together, necessitating the recounting. The straw poll in Iowa has served as a solid indicator of the eventual winner of the vote, although its results are not binding. Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and as-yet-unannounced candidate Fred Thompson all decided against actively participating in the straw poll, although their names still appeared on the ballot. Giuliani received 1.3 percent of the vote, McCain 0.7 percent and Thompson 1.4 percent. The straw poll does not always necessarily serve as kingmaker in the lead-up to January's presidential caucuses, but it is expected to winnow the field of nine Republicans. Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said he would drop out of the race without at least a second place finish; he came in sixth with 7.3 percent of the vote; the Register reports Thompson is expected to make a decision about whether to continue his campaign today or tomorrow. Paul has vowed not to drop out of the race before voters in early primary and caucus states begin casting ballots in January. Soon after Iowa's caucus, voters will head to the polls in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida before several large states combine for Feb. 5 primaries that are expected to play a decisive roll in the nominating contests. About 30,000 Republicans attended Saturday's vote, on the campus of Iowa State University. That's below the turnout of 38,000 in the last straw poll in 1999, which George W. Bush won. There were far fewer voters this year, as well; 14,302 ballots were cast, compared to nearly 24,000 in 1999. "That's a sign Republicans are not happy with their choices," Register columnist Yepsen wrote Sunday. "At least they aren't excited enough to brave the summer heat to vote for them." In addition to hearing speeches from each of the participating candidates, Iowa Republicans enjoyed barbecue and music in a festival-like atmosphere. Conservative interest groups -- such as the NRA and anti-abortion activists -- also were present at the straw poll. Iowa Democrats do not have a similar event to the GOP straw poll, believing the Republican event is more about raising money than picking a candidate. "They don't really mean anything," Iowa Democratic Chairman Scott Brennan told AP. "But they put on quite a show."
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romeny took the top spot in Saturday's Iowa Straw Poll, as was expected, and the poll also energized some lower-tier candidates.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 7.
#1. To: robin (#0)
Good an explanation as any.
They just haven't heard Ron Paul yet. Not surprising, MSM has ignored him.
IF Ron came in 5th, that means McCain, Rudy, and Fred were below him. Had they participated, where would he have stood? 8th? 9th? I find it hard to believe that Huckabee came in 2nd.......it doesn't pass the smell test to me. And about those machines. I can remember in my own house campaign when the machines broke down and I was ahead and when they restarted I was behind and never to regain the lead. The incumbent was such an embarassment, i.e., drugs and alcohol, that the liberal newspaper would not endorse her, and could not endorse conservative me. But I wasn't the only one, certainly not the first, and no doubt won't be the last. I do know for a fact we had a computer nerd at the 'presentation of the voting process' photo session with commissioners and elections officials before the election, and they wouldn't let him or anyone else anywhere close to the 'puters. Never got answers to questions presented about the software. And as he said, anyone with half a brain knows the software is a program that is set up to do certain things--or certain things with other things stuck in there! And that those 'other things' can be written in such a way as to change the tallies of the certain things. And for all their double running.......they're still using the same software to duplicate the results. {edit: Damn, I had meant to add something akin to, "isn't that sort of like letting the military generals conduct an investigation into Pat Tillman's death, or letting the police chief investigate the guys in his department accused of kickbacks?)
There are no replies to Comment # 7. End Trace Mode for Comment # 7.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest"That's a sign Republicans are not happy with their choices,"
#2. To: farmfriend (#1)
#7. To: robin (#2)
(Edited)
Replies to Comment # 7.