Posted on 07/21/2011 3:58:51 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Link only due to copyright issues: http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/07/21/scheffler-include-palin-perry-in-straw-poll/
Link to article; http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/07/21/scheffler-include-palin-perry-in-straw-poll/
I hardly think the nomination of anyone is going to hinge on this straw poll. Iowans think way way too highly of themselves. I’m not saying the caucuses are unimportant... but this straw poll... essentially meaningless.
IMHO, Bachmann will take votes from Palin. This is because a lot of people will think, well, Palin hasn’t even declared yet.
This will make Romney’s totals look larger.
I pretty much agree with that. All this does is allow some candidates whose campaigns are already terminally ill to stick around a little longer.
I don’t know. It made Huckabee a contender in ‘08. Ames will narrow down the field this time. If Pawlenty doesn’t perform well, he’s out. If Bachmann doesn’t crush, her momentum will be slowed. If Paul doesn’t do well, it will crush his supporters. If Palin or Perry show up well in the straw poll (15%+) without being in the race, then there will be more calls for both to enter the race.
Don't you have that backwards? If anything happens it will be that Palin may take votes from Bachmann. Bachmann is a declared candidate who is out there working for her votes. She can hardly be accused to taking votes from Palin.
Declare and then you can be included. That goes for Perry AND Palin.
I’d love to know what either of them are waiting for. Other than the enjoy the free media without having to campaign or spend any money.
What’s wrong with that? Sounds like a good plan to me, so long as Palin actually announces. If she doesn’t plan on running, she should have said so a long time ago. Perry, on the other, I think is legitimately not sure. There is nothing wrong with being unsure about whether to run considering that’s a pretty big decision and it doesn’t seem like he had thought about it before the last couple of months.
Aren't straw polls, by definition, meaningless?
I don’t think Perry has any compelling desire to be president. If he did, he has hidden it for a long time.
I think if he gets in, it will be because he’s been pushed and prodded into entering the race and he has probably needed to be shown he’ll have the financial backing to run successfully if he gets in.
As I’ve said before, I think he represents the best chance for uniting the party even though I have my reservations about how well he might do if he were to win the election. I have little doubt that, if he gets in, he’ll be one of the last ones standing for the nomination, if not the nominee himself. And he’ll be a strong opponent against Obama. He’s shown he can throw some punches on the campaign trail. He definitely won’t be a wimp like McCain or Dole.
All that said, he’s a pure Texan and I think he’d prefer to live inside a chemical plant in Port Arthur before he’d live in DC, but he’ll do it if he feels his country needs him to do it.
Palin can’t do anything until the statue of limitations in Alaska runs out - do believe it is the 26th or 27th.
2 candidates for “comprehensive immigration reform” No thanks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.