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."
See my post #336! Look at what so-called "political" experience has gotten us in Washington! So called experienced politicians are taking the country down to utter ruin!
We’re pleased Cain is gaining momentum. He’s a force.
Let’s cut to the chase here, there are a large majority of illegals who are here and don’t give a damn about the United States, they don’t wish to share out culture, our history and they could care less about anything American.
They are here because their own country is corrupt to the point that the people there have few freedoms and little or no chance to better themselves especially economically.
No all, but good majority Mexican National come here to in a sense create a country within a country the ‘United States of Mexico’ one where they can live and thrive in the same history, culture and language of their homeland and yet not under the same corrupted government.
If there was a another country that border them that was just as successful as the United States where they could live and thrive in their own enclaves they would move there just as quick as they move here.
Yes not all are like that, but a good potion are and we can not have people coming into this country who are of a mindset that they merely wish to create ‘colonies’ of their home country within ours. Politicians like Perry, Bush and many other are allowing this colonization to the determent of our country.
History is full of the results where such behavior was allowed and eventually push came to shove and the results were ugly.
I will not support someone who actively aids in the balkanization of America.
This man continues to impress me, so I just made my third contribution to his election campaign. All small, but adding up. I encourage others to do the same when and if you can afford to.
If it feels good, do it!
I like it too - Or how about Cain is Able?
We like Cain (this family) - his leadership experience as a suffessful CEO should qualify him, why not? (rhetorical question for possible future media negative talking points) Obama had virtually no political experience or leadership experience and he managed to get elected.
Cain could pick a VP with lots of political experience to balance it out.
My 13 year old daughter said gleefully - if Cain gets the nomination and my friends say they don’t like him I can say “Why not? Are you racist?” She relished the thought.
It’s too early for me to firmly settle on a candidate though - these are just preliminary musings
sorry successful - I did proofread but it slipped by
“But to a dim, only a commie will do, no matter if they’re black, white or red all over.”
Of course.
Took all my math at RPI. Can't blame OK State for that one.
But...everybody IS deserving of protection from ILLEGALS, DRUG GANGS, MURDERERS, THIEVES, AND TERRORISTS COMING ACROSS OUR BORDERS TRYING TO KILL US!
ding ding ding ding ding ding...winner winner winner winner winner!!!
This is why everyone, including the Paulbots, Mittens Minions and the Barracudas need to relax, let the media and the extremists run the pre-game show...The game doesn’t start till next year...
No one should tell anyone who the nominee “should” be till a few of those east coast (itty bitty states) cull out the herd...They alway do, and since we got the shaft last time, I think its time to put the screws to those first primary states to not screw the rest of us with their choice, and make sure whatever candidate you do support stays in the game this time at least till the convention...
I believe the primary order should be chosen based upon the last election cycles participation precentages and let the order of the next cycle be from highest to lowest based upon voter participation...
Nothing personal with the people in those states myself, I just get tired of getting ballots that do not have a “real” conservative left on there for us to vote on...
Just my opinion...
Obama is proof that ANYONE in America can become president.
Clearly more of that old tired, and wrong, Y2K mentality. The chase you want us all to follow you on is magnificent over-simplification isolationism.
No thanks.
Off topic - sorry -we were just in Troy yesterday - we hiked to the Poestenkill waterfall where the Burden Iron Works world famous waterwheel created the energy for the ironworks.
Did you get to the waterfall while at RPI?
On topic - Hermain Cain will resonate with voters once they hear about him.
There is plenty to not like in Perry’s history. His stance on states rights is not one of those items.
Ditto
But that was in the late seventies. Is Troy any better now than it was back then?
Sarah was chief of the Alaska National Guard...first in line against an attack on US across the North Pole from Russia, China, N Korea etc...
Math is hard. Really it is! You just got so excited; you wanted to post something profound. I’m feeling your pain.
That was a brain fart, pure and simple.
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