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.
I agree about Duncan Hunter. I thought about Rudy as you did 3 weeks ago. I had hopes that he would recant his pro-abortion views and moderate them by announcing in favor of a moderate pro-life, rape/incest/life of mother position.
Instead he went to SCarolina and blantantly affirmed that he is pro-choice. While I appreciate his candor, that insistence on his part in participating in the murder of babies is something I simply cannot support. I have maintained all along that I will not support a pro-death candidate in the primary or the general.
At this point, it looks like I will vote for Hunter in the primary. The general will pose an interesting dilemma for me, because I will insist on voting, but I'll never vote for a pro-death candidate.
"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." You know no such thing. When Mitt and Newt come out and endorse Rudy in a few months then what are you going to say? "...waiting for Newt" is that like Waiting for Godot?
How can you claim that one of the most visible Republicans who has raised more money for Republicans (including VERY conservative ones) than anyone but the President who has campaigned to enthusiastic crowds THROUGHOUT the nation for candidates (including VERY conservative ones) is "hijacking" HIS party?
He produced 100 times the votes for the GOP through his efforts than Hunter yet you have to resort to deception and false claims that he is a hijacker. Despicable.
According to the FReepers on this thread who live in that area, this contention is not so, but I've never noticed a deflated fantasy deterring you.
Dream on. :)
Rudy will tank later for the same reason McCain is tanking now - his past will catch up with him.
I hope I'm wrong, but I disagree.
Duncan did a great job, now it's on to the CPAC poll this weekend!
You act like this was the primary. That's still 11 months off.
But Rudy leads Hilly by 10 points in New Jersey!
Great visual, but how did Duncan 'slay the three headed RINO' by finishing second to Rudy? :)
There is not a word of truth in your post. Any one reading these threads can easily see where the fanaticism is. Even a blind man can see that.
Yay! He did great! The left wing media has been pushing liberal Rudy for months, too!
Yepper. Same here. It looks like we'll be doing the same.
At least be honest about this. These results are good news for both Giuliani and Hunter. The former has been declared a sure loser in the South yet wins the most conservative area of the South. No supporter of his has claimed he would have a wipeout victory personally I figured 25-35% to be the limit in such a contest.
Hunter did very well and I am happy to see that but lets not go overboard with the implications. He couldn't win in an area which would be ideal for his chances. He has been helped but so has Rudy. And the rest of the country is MUCH less conservative, MUCH less.
But congratulations to Hunter for doing well.
"And Hunter DID win an AZ straw poll as well." Could you link this I haven't heard about it?
I believe the statements at the top of the thread.
Actually this shows that we are IN the primaries NOW. Every contest, straw poll, finger in the wind will get coverage. Hell you should send out a press release showing the results of the FReeper Straw poll it has as much significance as this one maybe more.
But make no mistake the fight is ongoing.
New Jersey has supposedly been in play the last few elections for senator and etc. It seems to end up democrat.
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