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Romney Wins Iowa Straw Poll As Expected
Associated Press/Peoplepc Online ^ | August 11, 2007 | Amy Lorentzen

Posted on 08/11/2007 7:40:59 PM PDT by Turret Gunner A20

AMES, Iowa - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won an easy and expected victory in a high-profile Iowa Republican Party Straw Poll on Saturday, claiming nearly twice as many votes as his nearest rival.

(Excerpt) Read more at home.peoplepc.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; democrats; duncanhunter; electionpresident; elections; fredthompson; giuliani; gop; ia2008; paulestinians; republicans; romney; ronpaul; ronpaulconstitution; ronpaulpresident; ronpaulrepeal16th; seebreakingnews; seelivethread; strawpoll; tommythompson
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To: EDINVA
I think Steve Forbes proved that money alone does not buy a presidential nomination. So what has Romney accomplished? I suppose many wondered whether main street Americans would vote for someone from Mass. This says that they will. Beyond that he has a tested system, now, and a bevy of workers. I wonder how many now go on to other states.

Put aside sour grapes and wonder. Why is it that some candidate like Duncan Hunter doesn't have smart money backing him. I don't know the answer to that. All I know is that his contacts in the defense industry in CA could fund one of these campaigns any day of the week that they chose to. So, I wonder. What do they know about him that I don't know?

41 posted on 08/11/2007 10:41:03 PM PDT by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
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To: Turret Gunner A20
Mike Huckabee who had 2,587 votes, or 18.1 percent.

Does that move Mike up to the first tier of candidates.

42 posted on 08/11/2007 10:41:11 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Democrat Happens!)
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To: ClaireSolt
Does anyone know why they say attendance was 30,000 but only 14,000 voted?

The must have counted the presstitutes in attendance,

43 posted on 08/11/2007 10:45:46 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Democrat Happens!)
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To: Perchant

Heh. That’s what I want to know. Why in the heck is this supposed to be SO important?

MSM going nuts about it. Blah blah and blah.

Most people I know (sadly) don’t follow politics, and aren’t even thinking about the election at this point.

This is all just MSM hype.


44 posted on 08/11/2007 10:46:59 PM PDT by Shortstop7
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To: Turret Gunner A20

I’m sure the gays are happy, since he supports gay marriage. “It’s the American way.” < :P


45 posted on 08/11/2007 10:53:26 PM PDT by my_pointy_head_is_sharp (The Morlocks are above-ground now, and nobody seems to care.)
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To: JCEccles

” . . . a bunch of corn-shucking rubes too stupid to know any better.”

Be careful, Sir/Madame, that your eyes don’t permanently cross while looking down your nose at middle America. What’s next, coming up with some cute little barbs about southerners?


46 posted on 08/12/2007 4:53:51 AM PDT by rightazrain ("Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. " -- Ernest Hemingway)
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To: JCEccles

” . . . a bunch of corn-shucking rubes too stupid to know any better.”

Be careful, Sir/Madame, that your eyes don’t permanently cross while looking down your nose at middle America. What’s next, coming up with some cute little barbs about southerners?


47 posted on 08/12/2007 4:54:00 AM PDT by rightazrain ("Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. " -- Ernest Hemingway)
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To: ClaireSolt
I suppose many wondered whether main street Americans would vote for someone from Mass. This says that they will. Beyond that he has a tested system, now, and a bevy of workers. I wonder how many now go on to other states.

I think you hit the nail on the head. This shows Romney can win even at the grassroots conservative level, in what is a change from his usual 'big city republican' appeal in Massachutes. I think big money backers will see him and his organization as tested now, and provide heavier funding.

I think the issue with Hunter amongst the big money backers like you said the defense industry. It might be fear of what would happen with his get tough trade policies. Or it might simply be Duncan while great ideologically isn't that great organizationally.

48 posted on 08/12/2007 5:06:59 AM PDT by ran20
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To: EternalVigilance
Romney is a bigger danger to our Constitution than others.

In an interview with Phil Klein of the American Spectator during CPAC 2007, the following exchange took place:

PK: On gun control, I know you signed an assault weapons ban in Massachusetts in 2004, now I know you joined the NRA within the last year. Can you tell me if an assault weapons ban came up at the federal level, would you sign or veto that?

ROMNEY: Well, it depends on what it looked like, but…

PK: If it was something like the ‘94 bill…

ROMNEY: I have indicated that my position is the same as it has been which is I support the Second Amendment, but I also support (an) assault weapon ban, that’s why I signed a bill of that nature. That’s what I said back in ‘94. I’m in the same position that President Bush is. President Bush also says he supports the Second Amendment, but he would support an assault weapon ban. But the specifics of the particular ban are something that I’d have to look at, and it’s been a long time since we’ve looked at the particular types of weapons that might be involved. So my position is the same there as it has been before —

PK: But if the ‘94 one came up for vote again…

ROMNEY: Well obviously, we’ve learned some things since then. I haven’t seen the specific proposal at this stage and so I couldn’t comment on it until we had. We had an effort in Massachusetts on the part of some to ban 50 caliber rifles. I opposed that, indicated I would oppose that ban. You know, I think we have to be very careful in any way restricting Second Amendment rights. I support the Second Amendment. We’ve got a gun at our house, it’s owned by my son. I’ve hunted since I was a young man. I believe that people have the right to bear arms. But I also recognize that there’s some types of weapons that don’t need to be in the public’s hands, machine guns certainly, and I’d be open to consider appropriate kind of measures, but I’m not looking for blanket kind of prohibitions on people being able to have arms for their defense.

In Romney’s reply he states “I support the Second Amendment, but I also support (an) assault weapon ban” and “You know, I think we have to be very careful in any way restricting Second Amendment rights.

The Second Amendment: A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Bottom-line he does not support the Second Amendment, he is willing to infringe on the rights of the people of Massachusetts. He is fractionalizing the Second Amendment, saying “you can keep and bear arms, it is your right, but only those arms government allows.

Do you trust Romney with the U.S Constitution? I don’t!

49 posted on 08/12/2007 5:13:29 AM PDT by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: msnpatriot
The minimum qualification for any Republican to be President should be a refusal to participate in any debate where George Stepinitandstinkus is a "moderator".
50 posted on 08/12/2007 5:16:27 AM PDT by cgbg (Al Gore, Michael Moore--tax the ugly boors!)
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To: Turret Gunner A20
Interesting that Fox & Friends this morning completely omits Tom Tancredo from their graphic of the poll results and any discussion of the results, even though he came in fourth and much higher than some of the candidates shown.
51 posted on 08/12/2007 5:18:21 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: cgbg

Ii thought he did a good job.


52 posted on 08/12/2007 5:43:52 AM PDT by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
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To: Truth29
Not surprising at all. The MSM detest Tancredo and want to make him irrelevant so they ignore him.

Similar spin is happening here at FR. Massachusetts-based Romney wins big in the Iowa heartland through a well-executed strategy (showing presidential qualities in abundance). He achieves this despite entrenched bigotry, so the "Jesus loves me and hates thee" FReepers dismiss his win as "meaningless." Or they say he just threw money at a bunch of rubes too stupid to know better, or that he bused in all the Mormons in the State of Iowa to pack the ballot boxes.

What does the same group crow about Baptist preacher Huckabee from nearby Arkansas who took second place with about half the support won by Romney? Why, his "win" in THE "big story!" He's got momentum NOW. Yeah, baby! He embarrassed the vile, evil cultist Romney and his diabolically perfect family. Did it without having to spread filthy mammon around like a social disease. Onward Christian soldiers . . . . smite the idolators! Punch 'em in the nose and gouge their eyes for Jesus!

So out of one side their mouths they dismiss the Ames straw poll as "meaningless" (Romney) while out of the other side of their mouths they vest it with overarching, cosmic significance (Huckabee).

I've read elsewhere suggestions of a Romney-Huckabee ticket. Romney would have no problem with it. But then, Romney isn't a bigot. It's "true Christian" Huckabee and his supporters who would find the pairing anathema.

And that tell you all you need to know about both men and their base of support.

53 posted on 08/12/2007 5:46:43 AM PDT by JCEccles
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To: Truth29
Not surprising at all. The MSM detest Tancredo and want to make him irrelevant so they ignore him.

Similar spin is happening here at FR. Massachusetts-based Romney wins big in the Iowa heartland through a well-executed strategy (showing presidential qualities in abundance). He achieves this despite entrenched bigotry, so the "Jesus loves me and hates thee" FReepers dismiss his win as "meaningless." Or they say he just threw money at a bunch of rubes too stupid to know better, or that he bused in all the Mormons in the State of Iowa to pack the ballot boxes.

What does the same group crow about Baptist preacher Huckabee from nearby Arkansas who took second place with about half the support won by Romney? Why, his "win" in THE "big story!" He's got momentum NOW. Yeah, baby! He embarrassed the vile, evil cultist Romney and his diabolically perfect family. Did it without having to spread filthy mammon around like a social disease. Onward Christian soldiers . . . . smite the idolators! Punch 'em in the nose and gouge their eyes for Jesus!

So out of one side their mouths they dismiss the Ames straw poll as "meaningless" (Romney) while out of the other side of their mouths they vest it with overarching, cosmic significance (Huckabee).

I've read elsewhere suggestions of a Romney-Huckabee ticket. Romney would have no problem with it. But then, Romney isn't a bigot. It's "true Christian" Huckabee and his supporters who would find the pairing anathema.

And that tells you all you need to know about both men and their base of support.

54 posted on 08/12/2007 5:49:22 AM PDT by JCEccles
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To: Turret Gunner A20

Congratulations to Mitt and those working on his campaign. They’ve worked really hard for this. I also was surprised with the good showing Huckabee, Brownback and Tancredo showed. I don’t think coming in 4th for Tancredo was a big loss. He gave a rousing speech in the town hall and certainly has passion. He’s a bit extreme on certain issues, but he is certainly drumming up support for the border fence, and that’s not a bad thing. Overall, it was a great day for conservatives.


55 posted on 08/12/2007 6:01:57 AM PDT by asparagus
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To: Last Dakotan

Poor showing for Rudy.


Yep, except that he wasn’t there, didn’t have an an org there, tent, spending money buying votes, etc. Rudy, McCain and the non candidate Thompson didn’t officially participate so they weren’t expected to do anything.


56 posted on 08/12/2007 6:20:51 AM PDT by deport ( Cue Spooky Music...)
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To: no dems

“This “fundraiser” for the Iowa GOP netted them a cool $1 million. But, Romney, alone, spent $5 million so the State Party could make $1 million. What’s wrong with this picture?”

It’s nice that the party made $1 million, since people are still so fed up they aren’t donating, but that wasn’t -really- the point of this. The point is to get your name out there... Winning an early state typically causes a domino effect, which is why people campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire disproportionately to their electoral contribution. This straw poll is an early indicator to how the candidates will ultimately do in that state.

Look at what happened to Kerry - that uncharismatic nobody went on to win the nomination just because he suddenly had the big name recognition.


57 posted on 08/12/2007 7:01:57 AM PDT by COgamer
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To: tiger-one

Obviously, I don’t either.

I agree with you.


58 posted on 08/12/2007 8:15:57 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (When Romney got done in MA, there were more Green Party candidates than Republican candidates...)
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To: ClaireSolt
stepinit did a good job

You really need to stop watching the MSM.

The issue is--who sets the agenda for what questions are discussed. You allow me to control the questions and I control the debate.

Here is how it works:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first question for today is whether the witches shall be burned in the morning or the evening? The polls indicate 86.1% of Salem residents believe the morning is better. So what do you think, Mr. Candidate?"

If Mr. Candidate says "I oppose witch burning" our moderator asks:

"When did you first become a radical, Mr. Candidate? Is it because rumors have it that your sister is a witch?"

Get the idea?


59 posted on 08/12/2007 8:56:39 AM PDT by cgbg (Al Gore, Michael Moore--tax the ugly boors!)
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To: cgbg

You are certainly right about that. But these are not debates. I was a debater. These are just TV shows, and Steph kept his interesting.


60 posted on 08/12/2007 9:03:05 AM PDT by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
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