Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

GOP Rivals Grasp at SC Straw Poll Glory - McCain 164 Rudy 162 Hunter 158 Brownback 85 Mitt 80
The State (South Carolina) ^ | 3/1/07 | Aaron Gould

Posted on 03/01/2007 4:22:47 PM PST by meg88

Presidential rivals grasp at straw-poll glory By AARON GOULD SHEININ asheinin@thestate.com

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani More photos Anonymous critics aim at Romney Spartanburg — Agnes Spong thinks she’s landed in political heaven. The lifelong Republican from Upstate New York retired to Spartanburg two years ago and quickly discovered she was among friends.

“I think it was just about the greatest thing in the world,” Spong said Monday at Wade’s Restaurant prior to a campaign appearance by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.

Spong is not alone in thinking this Upstate bastion of Republicanism is the greatest thing since Barry Goldwater.

Brownback and about a half-dozen other GOP presidential hopefuls are spending thousands of dollars and making countless campaign phone calls and personal visits to the county in advance of tonight’s straw poll vote.

The Spartanburg County Republican Party’s 93 precincts will meet to elect officers and county executive committee members. Then, participants will “vote” for their choice for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.

It’s a long way from primary day — but you wouldn’t know it.

“It’s been awful,” said Jimmy Moore, organizer at Westview A, one of the largest Republican precincts in the state.

“I have literally every single day gotten 10 calls from these people (candidates). It just gets annoying. If this is what’s happening a year out from the primary, what the heck is going to happen later?”

County party Chairman Rick Beltram said candidates are pouring money and energy into Spartanburg:

nþBrownback and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have sent thousands of direct-mail pieces to Republican voters.

nþFormer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is running TV ads and has done direct mail.

nþThose three, along with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., have visited the county in recent weeks.

CNN reported on the straw poll Wednesday. Beltram said Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” will broadcast straw-poll results live from county party headquarters tonight.

As Beltram explained the attention, his other phone line rang; it was The New York Times.

“The whole week, it’s been constant like this,” he said.

Why?

The answer depends on the campaign. For McCain, the S.C. front-runner, a good showing confirms his status. For Brownback, who’s on a different tier than McCain and Giuliani, it’s an opportunity to break through.

Moore agrees but says there is another reason: money. The winner gets to tell donors, “See, those Spartanburg County Republicans down in South Carolina love me, and that’s why you should give me money,” he said.

It also illustrates a candidate’s ability to win in a key county in a key state. George W. Bush won 58 percent of the vote in Spartanburg County in 2000. McCain had 36 percent. Bush won the state overall with 53 percent.

The GOP grip on the county is fierce. Gov. Mark Sanford took 61 percent of the county’s vote last year, up from 59 percent in 2002.

Even when Democrats win statewide, they typically lose Spartanburg. Democrat Jim Hodges defeated Republican incumbent Gov. David Beasley in 1998 but lost Spartanburg 48-52 percent. However, keeping the race close in Spartanburg also may be a key to Democratic success.

Jim Rex came as close as any Democrat, but still lost when he defeated Republican Karen Floyd for state education superintendent last year. Rex lost the county, where Floyd lives, by only about 200 votes.

The Spartanburg County Republican Party has been holding straw polls since 2001, Beltram said. The first one in late 2001 was for the 2002 gubernatorial primary. Then-Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler won — but not by much.

“Even though he won, people went back and said, ‘Wow, he’s vulnerable,’” Beltram said. Sure enough, Peeler was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the runoff to Sanford.

In late 2003, the straw poll for the U.S. Senate primary gave Greenville’s Jim DeMint a boost. DeMint won the straw poll, finished second in the primary then swamped Beasley in the runoff.

All the attention is exhausting but encouraging, Beltram said.

“When I was elected chairman in 1999, I told delegates my No. 1 goal was to make the relevance of (the) Spartanburg County party as high as I can take it. That’s what we’ve done.”

Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658.

WHY SPARTANBURG?

Tonight’s straw poll: The event has grabbed national media attention.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: duncanhunter; electionpresident; elections; giuliani; mccain; poll; romney; rudy; rudy2008; spartanburg
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 421-429 next last
To: Sunsong

A straw poll in one county is major news!

And only winning by 18 votes to a virtual unknown is really bad news for the wealthiest RINO in the race.


141 posted on 03/01/2007 8:29:04 PM PST by airborne (Elect an Airborne Ranger,Vietnam Veteran for President ! Duncan Hunter 2008!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: NinoFan
Rudy Lovers: The Rosie O'Donnell Wing of the Republican Party

Who is trying to be divisive?

142 posted on 03/01/2007 8:29:31 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 127 | View Replies]

To: calcowgirl

"Sean is fawning over Giuliani the same way he did Arnold."

Hannity is like a groupie. He gets "star struck".


143 posted on 03/01/2007 8:30:44 PM PST by upsdriver ((Hunter for Pres/ Ann Coulter Sec, of State))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Sunsong

Conservatives who support liberals are trying to be divisive, intentionally or no.


144 posted on 03/01/2007 8:31:35 PM PST by Ultra Sonic 007 (Vote for Duncan Hunter in 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 142 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007
Seriously, what happened?

Hey, a decent question(s). I don't know maybe those who think they speak for *true* conservatives don't know what they are talking about(s).

145 posted on 03/01/2007 8:32:02 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
Hi Jim! Don't ya just love it?? Now do you suppose the media will recognize that people apparently DO know who he is? Or some FReepers for that matter.

Fantastic news!
146 posted on 03/01/2007 8:32:33 PM PST by gidget7 (2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: RabidBartender

No that's being for Rudy so that he can beat Hillary(s).


147 posted on 03/01/2007 8:32:43 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 132 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007

Wow. He did good:')


148 posted on 03/01/2007 8:33:36 PM PST by CindyDawg (Duncan Hunter...shhhh you aren't supposed to know about him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 144 | View Replies]

To: NapkinUser
I have never liked Hannity. His interviewing abilities are limited.


Why can't someone like Glenn Beck take over the spot he has on afternoon radio?

I have started to become a fan of Glenn and his HN show. Great stuff.
149 posted on 03/01/2007 8:33:45 PM PST by JRochelle (SuperBowl MVP Peyton Manning is a Republican!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: airborne

I have never even read a Hunter thread let alone bashed the man. Sorry that you can't say the same about your behavior toward Rudy and his supporters.


150 posted on 03/01/2007 8:34:15 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: airborne

"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."


151 posted on 03/01/2007 8:35:55 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 141 | View Replies]

To: Sunsong

It's just contradictory to support someone who is so unabashedly opposed to conservative ideals.

True, he did win the straw poll by 13 votes (can't quite recall where it was said that he couldn't win there though...), he's had gobs of mainstream media attention? Duncan Hunter? Pure grassroots.


152 posted on 03/01/2007 8:36:52 PM PST by Ultra Sonic 007 (Vote for Duncan Hunter in 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 145 | View Replies]

To: JRochelle
I have never liked Hannity. His interviewing abilities are limited.

I'll NEVER get tired of it! I love it all: "Who said ___________?? ... WRONG _ it was YOUR GUY!" and "DO YOU AGREE, YES OR NO?" (insert mega sarcasm tag here)

153 posted on 03/01/2007 8:36:57 PM PST by cgk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 149 | View Replies]

To: Sunsong

"My view is that it is wiser to be for someone than against someone. I do hope that the Hunter folks can grasp that little bit of wisdom at some point."

We don't hate Rudy, sweetie. We love our country. And how can we let people know what Rudy stands for, if we don't bring out the truth about him?


154 posted on 03/01/2007 8:37:11 PM PST by Sun (Vote for Duncan Hunter in the primaries. See you there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007

That ought to scare the skirts off the rudybots for sure.People in the south will see through ole rudy as time goes by.looking for rudys numbers to start falling off.already happening to mc pain.


155 posted on 03/01/2007 8:37:16 PM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies]

To: Ultra Sonic 007

"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."


156 posted on 03/01/2007 8:37:21 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 152 | View Replies]

To: Sunsong

Rudy winning as the frontrunner is news but Hunter coming in second is bigger.

He beat 4 other guys who should have been ahead of him.


157 posted on 03/01/2007 8:37:36 PM PST by JRochelle (SuperBowl MVP Peyton Manning is a Republican!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: imahawk

Excuse me. Rudy won. That's only going to increase his momemtum.


158 posted on 03/01/2007 8:38:14 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 155 | View Replies]

To: My GOP

Oh yea, well Duncan hunter says he will build a border fence, within 6 months of being in office.


159 posted on 03/01/2007 8:39:19 PM PST by Trteamer ( (Eat Meat, Wear Fur, Own Guns, FReep Leftists, Drive an SUV, Drill A.N.W.R., Drill the Gulf, Vote)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: Sun
Rudy won! Did you miss that point?

I think there's plenty of hatred being spread around here. Do you really deny that?

160 posted on 03/01/2007 8:39:30 PM PST by Sunsong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 154 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 421-429 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson