Posted on 11/29/2007 5:08:43 PM PST by traviskicks
ST. PETERSBURG -- Mitt Romney bought himself a victory in the straw poll for Republicans at a rain-shortened barbecue in Vinoy Park.
Romney got 893 votes, besting second-place Ron Paul's 534 -- despite Paul's shuttling in supporters on a rented trolley and shuttle. The campaign had a plane sporting pro-Paul slogans and a boat touting him, too.
In fact, Paul supporters dominated the crowd, which reached an estimated 1,000 people. Tickets for votes cost $20 each.
So how did Romney do it?
"I voted 20 times," Derek Gyongzois, 38, of St. Petersburg exclaimed after casting ballots.
He said he works as a volunteer for the Romney campaign (and begged a reporter not to print his 20-vote tally). Did he buy the tickets?
"I don't have that kind of money," Gyongzois said.
He wasn't the only person voting more than once. Paul supporter Mike Wagner, 57, of St. Petersburg: "This thing is rigged."
Before rain cut short the event, Paul supporters were voting multiple times, too.
"This is the best election money can buy, anywhere," said Pinellas County GOP chairman Tony DiMatteo, a Rudy Giuliani supporter. Giuliani received 39 votes, followed by Mike Huckabee's 37 and Fred Thompson's 21. John McCain had 12; Duncan Hunter, 4, Alan Keyes, 2; and Tom Tancredo, 1.
Romney takes a hit
Mitt Romney played in an organized flag football game at Flora Wylie Park in St. Petersburg with his five sons, staffers, supporters and the media.
Romney laced up his Mizuno running shoes and played for 10 to 15 minutes. Teammates included former state Republican chairman Al Cardenas and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker. They all got pretty sweaty.
"My son Matt tackled me," Romney said. "But fortunately he didn't throw me to the ground and make me eat grass."
McCain meets teens
Sen. John McCain greeted supporters at the Parkshore Grill in St. Petersburg before the debate. A good portion of the crowd included high school students invited by the McCain campaign.
Devin Watson, a junior at Northside Christian School, said she became aware of McCain when she saw him as a guest on The Daily Show.
Kevin Burkett, a sophomore at Northside, said he likes McCain's "prowar stance" and the fact that he's a veteran.
"I think it's cowardly to cut and run," Burkett said.
McCain told the teenagers that if they don't like the way the country's run they should become politically active.
Rally stays peaceful
A mishmash of activists gathered in St. Petersburg's Pioneer Park, calling for political change and participating in a straw poll. The crowd included members of 30 organizations, including the Democratic Party from Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, Veterans for Peace, the Florida Green Party, the Libertarian Club of Pinellas and the South St. Petersburg Democratic Club.
So who won? Ron Paul, whose supporters arrived in buses, crushed the field. He took 240 of the 322 votes cast. Dennis Kucinich was the closest competitor, at 26.
Down the street, more than 100 homeless men and women and their supporters rallied across from the Mahaffey Theater. Later, nearly 400 people marched down First Street S carrying placards with messages such as "Jesus was homeless, too" and "Ron Paul is my homie."
The homeless and their advocates, who had been rallying outside the Mahaffey since Sunday night, had predicted a showdown with police. But that confrontation never materialized.
Instant gratification department
According to a survey of Republican voters who watched last night's CNN/YouTube debate, the winner was ... Mike Huckabee.
The InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research/Florida Chamber of Commerce survey, in which voters participated by calling into a toll-free phone line, gathered opinions from 341 GOP voters. The margin of error is 5.25 percent. Here are the results:
Huckabee: 44%; Giuliani: 18%; Romney: 13%; McCain: 10%; Thompson: 5%; Paul: 4%; Tancredo: 1%; no winner: 5%
DNC cancels debate
The Democratic National Committee has canceled a Dec. 10 presidential debate in Los Angeles because of a potential strike by CBS news writers.
The debate, which was to be televised by CBS, faced uncertainty after the network's news writers voted to authorize the Writers Guild of America to call a strike. After that vote, the major Democratic presidential contenders announced they would not participate in the debate if the labor dispute was not resolved.
Times staff writers Jennifer Liberto, Cristina Silva and Janet Zink contributed to this report, which includes information from the Associated Press.
[Last modified November 29, 2007, 19:36:33]
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I guess the committee felt raising money was more important than getting a useful result (not that there is any useful result from these anyway).
Spam monkeys.
old mitt a man of principle!
Straw polls always seem to be about cash.
Duncan Hunter had a great comment after the Iowa straw poll when he said he didn’t pay for people to come vote for him. His voters came and paid their own way.
“The debate, which was to be televised by CBS, faced uncertainty after the network’s news writers voted to authorize the Writers Guild of America to call a strike.”
Dems need writers for a supposedly live debate?
If I read this right, didn’t it say that Ron brought in people on Buses? Not really a victory if true.
It's the American Idolization of voting... Disturbing trend.
Some other street theatre was provided by homeless activists and their annual streetfight against the town fathers, some street theatre was given by the Global warming protesters, but the main event, the airplane banners, the snipe signs, the car decorating and the face painted was Ron Paul hands down.
They had three separate event sites - The Vinoy Park (with the Republican Party) , they occupied tables at Pioneer Park, were the Democrats gathered. There, they outnumbered any other candidate, even Dennis Kucinich. They rented the Palladium, and from there spilled into the streets, drinking heavily.
At Vinoy Park, the location of the outdoor mainstage, Giuliani, the front runner in the polls, had a table with four college students. Mitt Romney Had about sixty supporters, who became quickly annoyed with the boisterous rabble. Romney people came prepared to vote for friends and family, who had other things to do. Mike Huckabee had fifteen supporters. John McCain had none. Fred Thompson had a half dozen stalwarts.
The Ron Paulers stood in long lines to vote in the straw poll. Each bar-b-que meal cost $20, this entitled the bearer to one vote. Voting was managed by Debra Clark, Supervisor of Elections, on official electronic touchscreens. The young Paul activists held cameras on other voters as they voted, to make sure that no one cheated. Their scrutiny verged on intimidation, the vote was in fact a nominal contribution to the party.
Onstage, between karaoke sets of Neil Diamond covers, Mitt Romney’s son spoke. Congressman Gus Bilirakis spoke, the chair of the Pinellas Republican Party spoke, Congressman Bill Young spoke, a few others spoke. What ever they said had no import, because to this crowd, all that mattered was Ron Paul REVOLUTION. Ron Paulites showed marginal respect for other candidates and attendees. Mercifully, rain came and cleared the field, and the jumbotrons played only to a few concession workers.
And what was it that is so motivating the populist street movement? Why would prostitutes sing the praises of a pro-life Republican? A few conversations with any Ron Paulite would get back to the same road.
Paraphrased it goes something like: There is an international, New World Order, Jewish banker conspiracy to bankrupt this nation. We have been preyed upon by corporations, George Bush and Dick Cheney. While we may need an investigation to determine just what their culpability in 9-11 was, there is no doubt that the Iraq war was illegal, and only Ron Paul can stop this hell bound train. Oh yeah, that is the conservative liberterian view, the radical Paulites think that George Bush and Hillary Clinton are puppets of the Extra-terrestial overlords who have seeded this planet. The human race is a captive genetic experiment on prison planet earth were they can abduct people, mutilate cattle, and communicate with crop circles.
So who won? Ron Paul, whose supporters arrived in buses, crushed the field. He took 240 of the 322 votes cast. Dennis Kucinich was the closest competitor, at 26.
So Ron Paul won a straw poll with Dems, Greens, and Libertarians. But he's the only real GOP conservative candidate.
Uh huh.
Y’know, in watching the debate last night I felt that the least of the Republican nominees was light-years better than whatever the Democrats could put forth in opposition.
But I have to say, I find Romney the LEAST appealing, and most smarmy candidate of the lot.
Ron Paul, as whacky as he is, is at least genuine, and he touches a chord when he want speaks of a limited government role in our lives.
But Romney? I dunno....seems like he’d take any position that would appeal to the base, whether he believed it or not.
He looked like a fool on the “gays in the military” planted question....
Far out, dude.
Bong hits 4 Paul.
Can ya dig it ?
Sho’ ‘nuff.
Yeah, dude, i’ll be able to figure out how they planted those bombs in the world trade center after just one more bong hit...
america is, like, shooting innocent children and puppies in the middle east when the terrorists just, like, want some attention, i bet they’re pretty cool once you sit down with them and share a blunt, ya know man?
ron paul is groovy. its the revolution man.
The event is a fundraiser, you are supposed spend money. Next, the scandal of Romney supporters giving to the United Way. Since when is spending money in support of Republican liberty a crime? When Ron Paul loses.
As best as you can tell, were the Ron Paul supporters, generally, of one age group or do they span all ages?
However accusing a fellow freeper of “voter fraud” is a serious charge... I forgive them, for now. But I will monitor this situation so that I can get.... in before the zot.. Please be mindful that I am not in any way suggesting that you, or your local Republican Committees should take advantage of these young Paultard Republicans, just so your club could pad your committee treasury. That would not be right. This method of fund raising should only be attempted by trained professionals, hard core veterans of chad wars, lest there be riots in the streets.
Just curious about how these people have the money to print so many signs, rent trolleys, ?? rent the Palladium??
Wondering if they have backing of someone who has A LOT of money and would like to see the Republican vote split to ensure a Dem victory. I know....cynical, paranoid...can’t help it these days......
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