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 shes 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 Wades 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 tonights straw poll vote.
The Spartanburg County Republican Partys 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.
Its a long way from primary day but you wouldnt know it.
Its 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 whats 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, its 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, whos on a different tier than McCain and Giuliani, its 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 thats why you should give me money, he said.
It also illustrates a candidates 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 countys 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, hes 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 Greenvilles 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. Thats what weve done.
Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658.
WHY SPARTANBURG?
Tonights straw poll: The event has grabbed national media attention.
McCain was third, Brownback fourth, Romney fifth, Huckabee last. Guess Newt wasn't included bc he's not announced. The others have all said they're running.
Paraphasing:
[excitedly] Rudy is first with 130 votes and for second, and, uh, ahh, hmmm, [pregnant pause followed by a surprised] Duncan Hunter is second with 110 [almost a question].
I'm a South Carolina FReeper, but I'm in a different county.
This reminds me of when Jimmy Carter won in Iowa. It won't be long before the base sends the GOP a 2X4 between the eyes.
Well that sucks. I was hoping Tancredo would be on there or something.
Tancredo or Hunter, either is fine. I like Tancredo better. One needs to drop out though because they are both sucking votes and money away from each other.
Arnie could have taken them.
Yes... they were waiting for their producers to come in and tell them there was an extra "1" in that count, and Hunter only got 10 votes not 110.
Thank you for that recap. It made my day!
I missed that part due to taking care of my Mother here in the home. I only saw the part where Cameron got carried away with the big story out of SC about Rudy the Liberal winning there.
Typical media.
Sean is fawning over Giuliani the same way he did Arnold.
"True but other TV news is a big step below ET."
I'm not so sure. When the Iraq war debate on Saturday was going on, CNN was doing full coverage, Fox News was talking about Anne Nicole Smith.
With Fox News, you could just see them make the turn for the worse with the murder of Laci Peterson, and it's been all downhill from there.
To the cleaners; he's driving California into bankruptcy.
See tag line.
No problema. Everyone is always overstating Rudy's credentials. ;-)
Not according to CSPAN their TV coverage begins at 10, unless it is being carried live on another channel.
When you see the list, you know they were using announced candidates for President.
Only to the cravenly credulous.
I think Duncan did a good job in strategerie by his visits to the state. I think he did more (like, flyers, telephone calls, etc.) but can't recall. The good news is that whoever is the final front runner will have the conservative imprint in his platform and policies.
I didn't see it but I wish I had. The media had to say a presidential name other than McCain, Giuliani or Romney.
Headline: Fox News admits Duncan Hunter exists.
Fox News before poll: Duncan Hunter will lose.
Fox News during poll: Duncan Hunter does not exist.
Fox News now: Our bad.
How true!
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