Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll in stunning victory; Rick Perry in deep trouble

Miami Herald ^ | 09\24\2011 | Marc Caputo and Alex Leary

[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."

[stockpirate]

Sorry the format didn’t work...

[EDINVA]

That’s what I was saying, that for someone like Herman Cain were he to get the GOP nomination, or any of the governor, Newt would be a good VP. The Dems are not exactly in a position to go after him for his personal failings, not that it would stop them.

Anyone at the top of the GOP ticket, for either spot, will be targeted for any perceived weakness, down to the part in their hair, hypocrisy not even considered. Newt has experience with those attacks. Recall the covers of Time and Newsweek after Newt engineered the ‘94 takeover of the House and Senate: “The Gingrich Who Stole Christmas,” etc. Lots of examples. And that’s only his dealing with the left; it’ll be equally tough from the right.

[katiedidit1]

Yes, but those on medicaid do not pay taxes and those retired (on fixed income pensions) don’t pay FICA. I did go to his site and could not find details. Tried to contact his campaign but the emails would not go through...maybe too busy with questions.

[Jotmo]

Indeed.

The underling and unspoken assumption to to Perry's "educate the illegals" line of thought is that he considers those who did not graduate from collage to be uneducated and a burden on society.

Collage education is not a necessity to have prosperous life/carrier.

This "heartless" comment gives me the same dread I had when I fist heard Bush say "Compassionate Conservatism".

It's a page directly out of the liberal smear manual.

That tells me all I need to know about him.

[katiedidit1]

Please add me to your list. Have a question for you on Cain’s 999 plan. Would a widow (for ex) living on 1,500 dollars a month pension pay 1,620 a year in personal income tax? in addition to the national sales tax, state and local taxes that may have a litte steep effect on her fixed income.

[Impy]

Cain was my original first preference among those that were in the race. I didn’t like that he’s never held office and I prefer not to have a national sales tax but I thought his general election potential was better than MB.

I thought he may have killed whatever chance he had when he appeared not to know what the “right of return” was on Fox News Sunday a few months ago.

Hopeful development.

[Impy]

Agree, college is not for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with having any honest job.

[publana]

The UNFair Tax is what has kept me from getting behind Herman Cain since the very beginning. Unless I am missing something, I cannot see this tax as anything other than a tax on the poor and middle class.

[LomanBill]

>>(I am so Intolerant.)

 

Who is Scott Toomey?

 

 

HERMAN: What happens now?

Toomey: Well, now, uh, Ken Mehlman, R. Clarke Cooper, Meghan McCain, Mary Cheney and I wait until nightfall, and then leap out of the log cabin, taking The Party(tm) by surprise -- not only by surprise, but totally unarmed!

HERMAN: Who leaps out?

Toomey: Uh, Ken Mehlman,  R. Clarke Cooper, Meghan McCain, Mary Cheney and I. Uh, leap out of the log cabin, uh and uh....

HERMAN: Oh....

Toomey: Oh.... Um, l-look, if we built this large wooden Rhinocerous -- [twong]

ALL:  Run away!  Run away!  Run away!  Run away!
      [splat]

 

 

 

 

[Jaguarmike]

I agree. But you know the mainstream media will push that slant.

Look, I agree with you folks. I like Cain. He’s better than the moron on the White House, who has no clue how to create a job. Cain spent his entire career doing that.

[chilepup]

Why after victory after victory including the one in FLA, do you and people like you continue to say that Cain can’t win? He has as good a shot as anyone and he is the ONLY candidate that scares the hell out of the left.

[dusttoyou]

Hey fool, apparently you can read no better than spell.

No where in anything I have ever posted on FR ever gave the most remote hint I was for open borders or illegal immigrants. Hell, I grew up with this crap and watched as it grew. Don’t try to tell me anything about illegals while hiding in your scaredy-cat hut in lefty Santa Fe.

The LEGAL Mexicans are documented, most are US citizens. They for the most part are hard working, beleive in strong familes, God fearing, serve in the military and vote. That’s a lot more than can be said our lazyass blacks, GenXers and whitetrash.

As to demanding I leave America, that is about as un-American a thing I have heard on FR. You keep your “chicken Little, Sky is Falling” ass out of Texas or one of us rednecks will introduce you to Tony Llama.

I don’t give a hoot who you support for GOP nom, stick with em you both deserve a co-idiot.

[dusttoyou]

You’re full of crap. I can not figure out if you idiots who post such off the wall shi’te really beleive it or are just smearing him with known distortions under some twisted logic thinking that’ll boost your squirrel.

Perry, like any conservative politician, is sure not perfect. He ain’t no debater, but he has been a much better than average Texas Governor and has been re-elected twice in pretty conservative Texas. You don’t like him, fine stick with Mutt, he’ll be your man when you unfairly run Perry in the ground.

For right now, Perry is the most conservative ELECTABLE one running. Yeah yeah, Cain is great, but when is the last time a non-politician got elected to POTUS (Herman ain’t no IKE)?

If Palin would quit with the Sweet16 Tease, she’d be the one, but sure don’t look like she’s running.

[trisham]

That was unacceptably rude.

[samtheman]

A shame Rudy didn't win. Just think of the money we'd have saved if both the President and First Lady were consolidated into one person.

LOL!

[samtheman]

Sarah’s decision to wait is looking smarter and smarter. Let the other front runners kick their own butts. She (and hopefully Cain as her running mate) can run against 0bama instead of other candidates who are losing momentum and support.

I don't know if she's going to announce and I don't know if she can win the primary is she does announce and I don't know if she can win the general election if she does win the primary... but you are right: she is smart to wait (assuming that's what she's doing).

What's the rush to get in while Perry is imploding and Romney is slowly fading?

[Politicalmom]

Someone’s full of something, but it isn’t me.

“E-verify would not make a hill of beans’ difference in what’s happening today,”-Rick Perry

[reaganaut]

LOLOL!