Posted on 05/20/2007 2:54:16 PM PDT by Reaganesque
The new Des Moines Register poll shows an AMAZING jump for Romney up to 30%!!! He has a double digit lead over Giuliani and McCain (17% and 18% respectively). This is among "Likely Republican Caucus-goers" and exclude unannounced possible candidates (F. Thompson and Newt namely).
However, these figures are far from "set in stone":
The race at this early stage could take many twists and turns before the Iowa finish line is reached in January.
Twelve percent of those polled are undecided or declare themselves uncommitted. Among those stating a preference, 87 percent say they could still be persuaded to support another candidate as their first choice.
Why is he surging? Some ideas below:
Romneys front-runner status in the new Des Moines Register poll could stem in part from solid performances in the two national debates, his work in building a network of supporters in Iowa, his fundraising prowess and money spent on TV ads, said J. Ann Selzer, The Registers pollster.
His success raising money seems to have aroused caucusgoers interest, prompting them to take a serious look at the candidate, Selzer said. Hes helped by the top two qualifications Republican caucusgoers are looking for in a candidate experience as a governor and as CEO.
The poll shows Romney is regarded favorably by 74 percent of likely caucus participants and unfavorably by just 13 percent, with the rest unsure how they feel about him.
He does better in the poll among older Iowans, who tend to be more faithful in attending the caucuses, than he does among younger ones. Roughly one-third of those 55 or older make him their first choice, compared with support from about one-fifth of adults younger than 35.
Some opinions from participants:
Republican caucusgoers place a premium on a candidate who has experience as a governor, with 60 percent saying they are more likely to support a person with that experience on their resume.
Just being elected out east, where the hard core of the Democrats are, speaks pretty highly of Romney, said poll participant Edward Green, 57, of Davenport.
Hes got a good family and his children are on the right track, said Green, a minister who does missions work for Assemblies of God International.
Green wonders, however, whether Romney a Mormon can win the Republican nomination because of his religion. People will poke and prod at his religion a lot like they did with Kennedy in the 60s. John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, was the first Catholic elected president.
Most likely Republican caucus participants 71 percent say it makes no difference in their choice of a candidate if that person would be elected the first Mormon president. However, 22 percent say that would make their support for the candidate less likely.
Six percent say electing the first Mormon president would make them more apt to support that person and 1 percent are unsure.
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Iowa is a nice microcosm proving that those who get to know Romney . . . like Romney. His campaign is picking up steam and will be hard to derail. Full steam ahead to the Ames Straw Poll!!!
Romney still has done nothing to address his extensive support of the gay agenda as governor of Massachusetts. Perhaps he thinks that the majority of Republican primary voters think that the advancement of this agenda in society isn’t an issue.
Hooray!
My thinking — Romney is insurance against Rudy McCain. For now.
Also, I like him.
I’d like to see polling of the Republican faithful following this week’s immigration fiasco...especially in Iowa. McCain should have all but dropped off the map.
Let’s hope so.
From Unmarked Package’s homepage
Homosexual Rights
Romney has always opposed same-sex marriage. He diligently lobbied Congress in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage to be between one man and one woman. Romney testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the Federal Marriage Amendment, and sent a letter to all 100 U.S. Senators on June 2, 2006 asking them to vote for the Amendment. Sen. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani opposed the FMA.
Governor Romney: “A lot of people get confused that gay marriage is about treating gay people the same as treating heterosexual people, and that’s not the issue involved here.”
“This is about the development and nurturing of children. Marriage is primarily an institution to help develop children, and children’s development, I believe, is greatly enhanced by access to a mom and a dad.”
“I think every child deserves a mom and a dad, and that’s why I’m so consistent and vehement in my view that we should have a federal amendment which defines marriage in that way.”
(ABC News This Week interview with Mitt Romney on Feb 18, 2007) (Mitt TV Clip)
When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in the case of Goodridge v. Department of Public Health legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, Gov. Romney identified and enforced a little-known 1913 state law that forbids nonresidents from marrying in Massachusetts if their marriage would not be recognized in their home state. This prevented gay couples living outside Massachusetts from flocking to MA to be married and then returning to their home states to demand the marriages be recognized, thus opening the door for nationwide same-sex marriage. Implementation of the 1913 law was contested in court by same-sex couples from outside MA, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in March, 2006 to uphold the application of the law.
(Mass. high court says nonresident gays cannot marry in state, Boston Globe, March 30, 2006)
Gov. Romney provided active support for a citizen petition drive in 2005 that collected 170,000+ signatures for a state constitutional amendment protecting marriage. He rallied citizens to place pressure on the Legislature for failing, through repeated delays, to fulfill their constitutional obligation to vote on placing the marriage amendment on the ballot. Gov. Romney filed suit in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) asking the court to clarify the legislators duty to vote on the issue of the amendment, or place the amendment on the ballot if the Legislature failed to act. The SJC declared that legislators had a constitutional duty to vote on the petition in a ruling handed down on Dec. 27, 2006. The suit was successful in pressuring the Legislature to vote on the issue of the amendment. A vote was taken on January 2, 2007 and the measure passed. Through Governor Romneys considerable efforts and leadership, a state constitutional amendment defining marriage to be between one man and one woman has passed a critical hurdle to get it placed on the 2008 ballot where voters in Massachusetts will have the power to restore traditional marriage in their state.
Mitt Romney does not favor action at the national level to sanction civil unions and would leave it to the several states to define the permissible contractual relationships between two people. Romney would not seek to impose, at the national level, a prohibition on contractual relationships between two people.
(ABC News This Week interview with Mitt Romney on Feb 18, 2007)
Governor Romney strongly defended the right of Catholic Charities in Massachusetts to deny placing adoptive children in the homes of gay couples; saying it was unjust to require a religious agency to violate the tenets of its faith in order to satisfy a special-interest group. Romney filed “An Act Protecting Religious Freedom” in the Legislature, a bill to exempt Catholic Charities of Boston and other religious groups from the state anti-discrimination law.
(Romney files ‘religious freedom’ bill on church and gay adoption, Boston Globe, March 15, 2006)
Is that sulfur I smell?
This was the other gift Precious Willard left the MA GOP on the quest to satisfy his ginormous ego. The rodents just loved it !
What support did Governor Romney give the gay agenda? I must have been asleep when he was giving "extensive support to the gay agenda".
What is the Precious Willard stuff? Is that supposed to be cute or something? As to ego, that is again a throwaway swipe, that can be used for anyone bothering to run for President. I guess since Thompson hasn't bothered yet, he can't be accused.
Mitt has done better for the MA GOP than GWB for the US GOP.
And what has Fred Thompson done for any GOP lately? As a TN Senator? Nothing comes to mind, maybe you can fill us in.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Sorry...he might be a nice guy, but he just looks too much like John F’n Kerry to me...
The MSM kept talking about Rudy’s performance in the debate. Mitt was the one that interested me. Also I liked Tancredo, but nobody mentioned him.
Dick Morris said he finally figured out why McCain wasn’t gaining traction - he saw during the debate he’s “gone Washington”. Geez, he only had to ask one of us. McCain’s been dirt with the base since McCain Feingold. Also, whether you like Bush or not, you don’t like seeing him stabbed in the back.
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