Posted on 09/24/2011 5:24:39 PM PDT by iowamark
From the bottom of the polls to the top of the pack, businessman Herman Cain won the Republican Party of Florida’s nationally watched presidential straw poll Saturday in a sign that frontrunner Rick Perry is in deep trouble.
Cain’s victory with 37 percent of the vote was a major defeat for Perry, the frontrunner in Florida and national polls, who garnered only 15 percent after wooing the nearly 3,000 party faithful with a free breakfast and mailers.
The vote also showed how soft Republican support is for Mitt Romney, who came in third with 14 percent. Unlike Perry, though, he avoided schmoozing the GOP voters, called delegates.
"Folks, this is what you call momentum," Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, said in a video message from his campaign bus. "The Herman Cain train is picking up steam."
That means more national media attention, heightened standing in the race and access to more fundraisers.
The straw poll is a mock election and doesn’t necessarily reflect the sentiment of the voters at large. In past years, it has predicted the party’s national nominee, but that streak could be in jeopardy because even some Cain voters had doubts about whether he was ready to be the party’s nominee.
Still, the vote is a major indication of how badly damaged Perry was by a poor debate performance Thursday when he fumbled answers and failed to give specifics.
Many straw poll voters were especially dissatisfied by the answers Perry gave over his moderate immigration position, the “Ponzi scheme” of Social Security and his plan to inoculate girls from human papillomavirus.
“I came in thinking Rick Perry,” said Tommy Langford,a Gilchrist County commissioner who voted for Cain. “I didn’t like the debate at all. I really thought Perry lost it. Mitt Romney called him on immigration. He said we have to take care of them. Not if they’re illegal, we don’t.”
Another big loser: Michele Bachmann, who came in last place. Once a top-tier candidate who won the Iowa straw poll, she has fallen from sight in the debates where she, too, fails to give specifics, excite delegates here or even reach out to them.
Perry issued a written statement congratulating Cain, saying the vote underscored the fact that the conservative message of job creation, fiscal responsibility and limited government is gaining momentum.
“Floridians and voters nationally want a candidate who is clear on the issues and talks honestly about the future,” Perry said, “not someone who takes multiple sides of an issue and changes views every election season. Today’s vote demonstrates that Floridians are energized and ready to help get America working again.”
Pinellas County delegate Rachelle Warmouth said that, if Perry lost, it wouldn’t be the end of his campaign. But when or lose, the debate performance and the effect it’s having on party loyalists are a call to step up his game.
“He’ll have to have a strong recovery,” she said. “He needs to focus on his message.”
Warmouth’s friend, Eileen Blackmer, agreed: “He needs to work on the three C’s: Be clear, be concise, be complete.”
Lee County delegate Dane Eagle said he’s for Romney. He likes the candidate’s message and polish on stage. And he fears that President Obama would walk all over Perry in debates.
“That’s what Obama does,” Eagle said. “He debates.”
St. Johns County delegate Randy Covington said he arrived in Orlando ready to vote for Perry, but the debate "shattered" that plan. Covington decided to support Cain after the businessman"s rousing speech on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. That event was wedged in between the party’s Presidency 5 Thursday debate and Saturday straw poll.
But Convington said he wasn’t sure if Cain would or should be the nominee. He said the primary shouldn’t be a two-man race.
"We need this process to go on," Covington said.
Gov. Rick Scott, who announced the results from the Orange County Convention Center stage, said the candidates “need to take very seriously whatever the results are.”
"It shows you something. Florida is important," Scott said from the Orange County Convention Center stage. "It pays to be here."
In a scenario with Cain winning the nomination, Newt would probably be as good a choice for running mate as he could make, baggage notwithstanding. Newt would have to do a “Cheney” and make VA his permanent residence (if he hasn’t already) as both can’t be from the same state, in this case, GA.
Yep and you are indirectly making a point that I like to pound the table on: get conservatives to the forefront of this race, because people are begging for new blood and new ideas.
This is one reason I am so PISSED at Michelle Bachmann’s debate performance, even if she is or will be proven right on the vaccine issue. You can say the right thing at the wrong time, or in the wrong way, or just push the issue too far like she did.
Point being this: Michelle has knocked herself out of the game when we need to be weeding the liberals/moderates/freaks/wannabes out of the pool first. Huntsman, Johnson, Paul, then Romney. Then Perry and then I’d say Santorum and so on. What should be left is a core of conservative candidates so if one wins, one of the others can be VP. By keeping the libs and moderates in there (or by knocking themselves out like Bachmann), we could have a crap ticket most of us don’t care about.
Cain’s win is a good thing for conservatives and what needs to be happening more.
How about:
“Citizens for Cain!”
“Herman Cain deserves the top of the ticket and would make a far better President than Sarah Palin.”
Now that a real conservative(Cain) seems to be gaining traction, I don’t think Sarah will enter the race—but I do believe that she will work her butt off to get him elected. And I’m a Sarah lover,too.
I agree completely with your position on the VAT. It is the worst possible tax.
keep the eye on the prize folks....GET RID OF BAMA.....we'll need a a solid candidate with governing credentials....
although I think Cain is fantastic, so is Michelle...so it Palin....but its NOT going to happen folks...
it strikes me that this election is turning out just like the last prez. one...the rats are picking our candidates...making no one a sure winner.....
and some of you just play along with them...
we'll end up with a weak Romney...another McCain...
I kind of resent your assertion that we all run to Cain because he won a straw poll. I also resent your assertion that we’re a bunch of boobs who run from candidate to candidate based on no logic.
While you, fine and intelligent and better than the rest of us, stick ferociously to Palin. Who I like, yes I like her very much. But I’d point out, softly sir as to not burst your fragile balloon of superiority, that THE WOMAN HAS NOT ANNOUNCED YET!!!
I followed Perry closely and his once his stance on immigration was not as clear as it is today. What I once considered with a seriousness I now dismiss for his policy on a matter I consider important.
Silly me, listening to the issues and making my decisions on the issues. I have joy over Cain cause, well I like the guy. But as it always go, Cain’s been dismissed as not a serious candidate and this straw poll victory gives him a much needed PR boost. I’m going to listen closer to his nine, nine, nine plan as I’m not clear on it. Could be I’ll walk away if I don’t agree with his policies.
I don’t think there’s much wrong with sticking with your candidate before he or she announced intent to run. But to mock others for placing more serious consideration on the candidates now brave enough to fight the battle...that’s just the height of arrogance.
“But he’s not BLACK. He’s mulatto...only HALF black.
Must be hard for pure blacks to vote for a half white guy
since we know how racist they can be.”
LOL. And to think, Cain is 100% BLACK (as far as I know). Now we can say our candidate is blacker than their candidate.
One other thing...Obama isn’t doing so great these days, so we may want to think a lot more about who can beat Hillary...and Cain wins that hands-down.
No sharks, but a formidable Mama Grizzly.
Cheers!
The MSM and the Perry Derangement sufferers are using the kenyan perspective of HOPE when HOPE is all ya gots.
I am proud of Cain, he deserved a win, because he kicked ass last Thursday! Too bad its a papermache feel good straw poll. Hey if he can keep it up, he’s getting lots of support.
Happy to see Miss shoot yo mouth off, get waxed.
Anyone writes Perry off cause of being setup in that crap sound-byte debate or straw poll, is fooling themselves. The Florida poll that counts is the Primary.
In my book he does.
But to a dim, only a commie will do, no matter if they’re black, white or red all over.
If Cain is the nominee, he would only need to net the GOP 10% of the black vote to win. Besides he would get more of the conservative and Independent vote than McCain.
Yes and I am hard core about this: ‘12 is the mother of all elections. If this crap goes on till ‘14 we have maybe a quarter of the possibility of turning the country around. If that.
I personally like it that way. All-or-nothing, stand-or-fall, no prisoners, no mercy. Fight to the last man and either win it all or go down in an electoral blaze of glory.
This is a war for our country’s very existence as we know it and we have to win.
“we’ll end up with a weak Romney...another McCain...”
or God forbid, Perry.
Huh? You seem to be aiming your ire at the wrong person. My comment was, "Still is time for Perry to right his ship. Question remains whether I WANT him to. (I guess I just have no heart. /sarc)" How the FU*K is that pro-illegal immigrant, you enormous ass?
Obviously living up to your name. And you know what “many straw poll voters thought’? Doubt it.
Cain should be in the top 3. All the lessers deserve zero, which looks like what they got. Cain took away from the whole lineup, because he did damn good.
Cain vs Unable
Brilliant!
LOL....Poly wants a cracker...
To bad bius u got Cain!
Take your rino butt on home....ur boy as prescribed is toast!
Sorry, I totally misread you and lost my temper.
Thought you were accusing me of what perry himself is accusing US of. My apologies
“Perry off cause of being setup in that crap sound-byte debate”
He was “set up” to sound like George W Bushs’ dimwitted cousin when he tried to zing Romney for being, well...Romney? He was “set-up” when he sounded like a mental defective in his response vis a vis Pakistani nukes?
Was he set up when he called 81% of the electorate “heartless?”
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