Posted on 08/30/2007 7:43:16 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007
The first-ever Texas GOP Straw Poll is fizzling, with yet another second-tier candidate canceling plans Wednesday to attend this weekend's event.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – trying to maximize the bounce from his second-place finish at the Iowa straw poll this month – cited an unspecified conflict, weeks after he'd committed to appearing in Fort Worth to woo Texas Republican activists.
The best-funded, best-known candidates – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain – sent regrets months ago. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado decided to take the weekend off. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback quietly pulled out.
The only confirmed attendees: Texas Rep. Ron Paul of Lake Jackson, Rep. Duncan Hunter of California,
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
I hope this helps Hunter get some coverage. I think he is a very attractive candidate, but the media doesn’t cover him because he’s low in the polls. That becomes rather circular, IMO. Maybe this will boost him up at least to Huckabee’s level.
Did Gilmore drop out yet?
The good news is that only 5 people need to show up to make this event twice as successful as a typical Cindy Sheehan book signing.
He was the first to drop.
Thanks. I had thought it was Tommy Thompson.
The fact that no one seems to have noticed underscores why he dropped out.
Though Tommy dropped out as well.
Nothing more than a bunch of establishment, phony-ass elitists.
Looks like a battle between Hunter and Paul....I’d think the Congressman from Texas should win this, unless there is a write in push for Fred or something like that.
(not that it matters....talk about a TRULY meaningless straw poll!)
This is a straw poll being held in one of the largest states in the country. There are plenty of grassroot conservatives in Texas. For Rudy McRomney, Tancredo, and Huckabee to just blow them off is going to hurt them in the long run.
We’re only significant when they screech that we’re going to help elect Hillary. Other than that they call us 2%.
We shall see.
Well it may be a good way for Hunter to get some coverage. However it is disheartening to see all the other guys dropping out. That makes the media want to drop out. Duncan Hunter has a GREAT chance of winning and he’s been in Texas all week campaigning. It may just pan out well for him.
Except... Texas is not a caucus state... our primary is being held too late to make a difference... and this “straw poll” is just a weak attempt by the state GOP to make us look like we matter. Even our own senators and statewide officials aren’t bothering to show up.
I’m glad Hunter didn’t waste money bringing votes to Iowa. He can continue to run his steady pace.
Isn’t this the straw poll that required the voters to be past GOP nominating delegates? If so, the organizers probably doomed it from the start with that arbitrary limitization.
It’s not that restrictive. You had to be a delegate to any of the previous 4 state GOP conventions. That would make several thousand people eligible.
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And hundreds of thousands of rank-and-file GOP members ineligible. Looks to me as if the State GOP party was trying to control the access and outcome a mite too tightly. What good is a straw poll as a predictor if the average local voter isn't allowed to vote?
Good. Then Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter should be the only ones permitted to run in the Republican primaries ticket.
No one else wants to tell us why we should vote for them; then they can stop running and wasting our time.
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