Posted on 08/13/2011 4:06:05 PM PDT by therightliveswithus
Nonsense. This is an independent conservative site. Says so right on the homepage.
By the way, our party wouldn’t exist if the GOP was worth a bucket of warm spit. You might want to read up on the fate of the Whigs.
I read your post and thank you very much don’t appreciate being called a nitwit!
Too many conservatives felt the same way and “didn’t” vote!
That was my point. That’s how we got Obama!
Guess I didn’t make my point clearly but that doesn’t mean you get to call me names!
You haters keep spreading this kind of junk and we will have him for another 4years.
<I’m a little surprised to see Pawlenty make 3rd.
A “little”?! Over Cain??
Fortunately, given the straw poll’s history, none of this makes any difference.
Pawlenty is probably a nice guy, but a vote for him is a vote for Obama.
I had Bachmann/Paul coming in 1/2 or 2/1. Just walking around the event grounds today, it was clearly Paul and Bachmann who had the people there. They had the biggest tents/grounds reserved.
Pawlenty has a good organization, but couldn't get the peeps out to match the organization. Still over 2000 people is not bad, but doesn't match the organization.
Other things I noticed--previously Ron Paul supporters tended to be on the fringe of society. There were a few of those, but this time, you couldn't necessarily pick a Ron Paul supporter out of the crowd. His folks were just run of the mill middle class folks. A lot of other tents on the grounds today-various conservative groups, gun groups, wind, ethanol, and supporters of American energy, anti-abortion, AARP, and for some local R candidates.
It was just like a big fair, tents, music, food. Considering the 1000s of people, there was no littering, no obnoxious people ruining the fun. Everybody was really nice to each other, no matter the candidate they were supporting. Occasionally some chants breaking out, but that was the "meanest" thing any of the camps were doing to each other. I think everybody there knows who the bad guy is.
McCain didn’t win either the straw poll or the caucus in 2008, but he still became the nominee.
KInd of interesting, Ron Paul will probably get about the same amount of votes in the caucuses that he does in the straw poll.
I was there too. Very good analysis although I thought Tpaw would do better from what I saw in the crowd. You make a good point that Ron Paul supporters are starting to look a little more mainstream.
For the third time. I DID VOTE!
You must be right, it is meaningless. At least if you don’t know much of the history. It is not so much who wins the straw poll, it is who doesn’t win the straw poll.
Where’s the “like” button for your post? :)
Pawlenty is probably a nice guy, but a vote for him is a vote for Obama.
I think it was thumbs up that he was FARTHER AWAY from being president.
let’s go Bachmann , lets go Bachmann....2012 is yours to win..let’s go Bachmann.......
Sure glad I was not able to spend the summah working on this event. This is really the last chance for grass-roots folks to do something and 1 dedicated person to have some influence.
Pawlenty is the big loser. Bachmann now gets the opportunity to be in the spotlight as she get crushed next winter by the national process the way Huckabee did. If she did not win today, that opportunity would not be there for her.
Even NH primary and IA caucus are so professionalized, I vow never to get serious about this crap again. I feel bad for the folks who spent 60+ hours for the past 10 weeks on this crucial, but worthless, event ... and now will have a lifetime of letdown when they realize what a circus joke this was.
Santorum has a lift from this, but not enough to get him over 10% anywhere.
Anyone else glad they are too normal to go to IA for the summer and get exhausted over this important, meaningless event?
-cPete, who vows never to set foot in Cedar Rapids again.
Yeah, what’s up with Pawlenty getting third place?
He was a total horses pattootie in that debate!
Geesh.
8:}
Well, I never suggested it was useless. LOL Proof being Pawlenty deciding to drop out this morning.
And I’m aware enough of the history to know that until 1999 you didn’t even have to have legal residence in Iowa to vote. I consider the straw polls pretty unreliable prior to that (Pat Robertson, anybody?).
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.