Giuliani 123 votes
Duncan Hunter 110 votes
John McCain 86 votes
Sam Brownback 68
Mitt Romney 59 votes
Mike Huckabee 18 votes
South Carolina Ping
Add me to the list. | Remove me from the list.
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.
You keep repeating that without answering my question. Let's reword that, shall we?
"The word here was that CLINTON would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
Reword it a bit, and it's not so nice.
His views and standpoints are contradictory to conservative ideology, are they not?
LOL!
ANSWER THE QUESTION! THATS NOT WHAT I ASKED!
It really is childish to repeat yourself over and over. Then you try to play the victim card in between your repeat posts. Come on, get some new material.
And seriously, let's not act like the board is split Hunter/Rudy. You know as well as I do that a lot of those who aren't supporting Rudy are going for Mitt or waiting for Newt.
That is nothing more than your opinion. To me the fact the Rudy won in SC where we were told he had no chance is the big news here.
You keep posting that (though I never saw the 'word'), but tonight's poll was one county in SC, not all of SC... (and that's been posted to you a couple times also.)
And if Romney and/or McCain drop out, there is no way that Giuliani will pick up a majority of those votes. They will go to Hunter, if he stays in.
Yay!!
Do you get it? I'm interested in your questions.
South Carolina Ping
Add me to the list. | Remove me from the list.
Hey Rudy won. He/She has told you what ? 10 times. (rolling eyes) He wasn't the winner though:')
"I think there's plenty of hatred being spread around here. Do you really deny that?"
As much by the Rudy side as by anyone else. I've had my religion questioned, my ethics questioned, etc. The difference is that I don't whine and act like an innocent victim. I'll defend myself, sure, but I won't act like I'm not debating fiercely.
Rudy supporters should feel free to come into Duncan Hunter threads anytime and tell us why he is not conservative and shouldn't get the votes of the conservative voters on this conservative website.
We don't have pro-Rudy or pro-Duncan threads on this website. We have threads about the candidates where we discuss their stands on the issues as they relate to conservatives. We are not 'tearing down' Rudy when we point out his positions on issues and our opininions of those positions.
"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
"Keep up the good work people! He's getting there!"
To do that well, this early, with absolutely no press?? I'd say sooooo!
Congratulations Rudy!
And if you can support a man who supports liberal values, good for you.
But don't expect me to, or for me to not speak out against policies I find objectionable.
Brownback really surprised me!
McCain should be in an all out panic about now.
"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
"When are you going to be honest about how divisive you are."
Same to you, bud. I don't play victim.
That...doesn't answer my question at all.
How does:
"The word here was that Rudy would NEVER make it in SC. He WON! That's the facts."
Answer:
"His viewpoints are contradictory to conservative values, are they not?"
Stop spinning. It's unbecoming.
Oh thank you for straightening out all of us.We cant help the fact we are just masses of the great unwashed. Man it must be really neat to be so,so smart.huh?
That's the message you give on every single post you make. You are extremely divisive - by choice.
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.