Posted on 05/23/2015 1:57:08 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ben Carson won the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference Saturday, demonstrating his popularity among conservative activists at one of the party’s traditional presidential cattle call events.
Carson, a former surgeon who formally launched his underdog campaign this month with an appeal to the GOP’s tea party wing, finished first with 25 percent. He was followed by Scott Walker, who received 20 percent, and Ted Cruz at 16 percent. Chris Christie and Rick Perry tied at 5 percent, with Jeb Bush narrowly behind. Marco Rubio tied with Bobby Jindal and Rand Paul at 4 percent.
The straw poll victory doesn’t necessarily represent a breakthrough for Carson. Carson and Cruz, both middle-of-the-pack candidates in the early 2016 polls, mounted serious efforts to win the straw poll but most candidates did not compete. They hoped it would give them badly needed momentum as they compete against a sprawling field of better known and better funded rivals. Four years ago here, Mitt Romney notched a narrow, one-vote win over Ron Paul.
The announcement of the results brought an end to a three-day event that has become a mainstay of the party’s nominating contest. It drew 2,000 or so activists from around the South, organizers said, with 958 casting votes in the straw poll. It also drew many of the 2016 Republican hopefuls, all of whom used 25-minute speeches at the downtown Cox Convention Center to throw out red meat to the conservatives gathered.
Rubio and Cruz, who were originally scheduled to make appearances, had to cancel as a result of the ongoing negotiations in Washington over renewal of the Patriot Act.
The three front-runners for the party’s nomination — Bush, Walker, and Rubio — did not have a major presence in the halls. Privately, their advisers said they saw little point in investing time and resources in winning a contest without any electoral implications. None wanted to be seen as seriously competing for a straw poll, which would have little upside and could result in an embarrassing loss.
Cruz and Carson, however, decided to participate in a big way. Both candidates had supporters who manned booths, where they passed out literature, took down information from prospective supporters, and encouraged them to cast votes in the straw poll. Carson backers, wearing blue “I’m with Ben” stickers, crowded the halls and invited attendees to take pictures with a life-size cardboard cut-out of the candidate.
“He has a large contingency here,” Steve Fair, Oklahoma’s Republican national committeeman, said of Carson.
For Cruz — who was initially slated to be the keynote speaker at a Friday night dinner but had his father, Rafael, substitute for him — the organizing surrounding the straw poll was nearly a month in the making. Weeks ago, his top advisers developed a projection of which activists would be most likely to attend the conference and set out to contact them. The campaign would end up calling about 2,000 people throughout Oklahoma, northwest Louisiana, North Texas, and western Arkansas — all areas likely to be heavily represented at the event — and encouraged them to come and register their support for the Texas senator.
The cost of the effort was low — Cruz’s advisers estimate they spent only around $1,800 — but they saw a return in competing. By doing so, they made contact with thousands of conservatives across the South, a constituency that could be inclined to support the Texas senator. Several of Cruz’s top aides spent the conference roaming the halls and talking to activists and party leaders in hopes of increasing his support.
Republicans are grappling with a similar discussion over whether to compete in the Iowa Straw Poll in August, a traditional measuring stick that has been seen as an early barometer of a candidate’s strength in the critical first-caucus state. Earlier this month, Bush said that he wouldn’t be competing, saying that it’s not relevant. Mike Huckabee also announced earlier in the week that he would skip the Iowa Straw Poll. Walker, the current front-runner in Iowa, has yet to say whether he will participate. For both, a loss in the Iowa event — which carries more political cachet than the SRLC poll — would be seen as a black eye.
The SRLC represents one of the party’s major events of the pre-primary season, bringing together activists from the most reliably Republican region in the nation. The 2016 hopefuls who trekked to Oklahoma City, a hub for oil and gas interests, came to speak but also to court influential local political leaders and donors with private meetings. Walker, Bush and Rick Santorum all organized get-togethers in the Devon Tower, the 50-story skyscraper that towers above the city. Christie, meanwhile, held an event for a super PAC that’s been set up to to support his anticipated candidacy.
Some Southern leaders are looking to increase the region’s influence in the nominating process by altering the primary calendar. A number of states, including Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, have announced plans to hold their contests on March 1 and create an “SEC primary,” a reference to the NCAA Southeastern conference. In recent presidential election years, Southern states had their primaries on different dates.
As the conference wrapped up on Saturday, a number of candidates were expected to formally launch their campaigns in the coming days. Santorum is set to launch his bid next week in Pennsylvania, with Perry and Lindsey Graham the week after. Christie, Bush and Walker, meanwhile, are expected to formally launch their candidacies later in the summer. 2016 Blast
".....Donna Byas, a hospital pharmacist from Norman, Oklahoma, said she picked Cruz in the straw poll but nearly switched her vote to Walker after hearing his Thursday speech. She said Walker has broad appeal among Republicans -- a characteristic she didn't see in any other GOP candidate.
"I really thought about changing my mind," she said after the poll results were announced. "He hit on some red meat issues that I really liked."
Byas said Walker's speech revealed to her his father's Baptist pastor background, which swayed her support toward Walker.
"I don't make my whole decision on religion but it is important to me to know that the guy has a faith and a faith that is a relevant one," she said, adding "He seems like a guy who recognizes what it is to live a regular life."
On the issues, 46 percent of poll respondents said national security was the most important issue to them. Walker received heavy cheers at the conference for his comments about fighting Islamic extremist terrorists sooner rather than later.
About 40 percent were most concerned with economic issues, while just 14.4 percent cared most about social issues, according to poll results.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents identified with pro-gun organizations and 42.5 percent said they identified as belonging to the Tea Party."
All three are good in their own way. I have not decided yet, but of those three I would say Cruz, Carson, Walker.
Ben Carson is not going to be our next president. And what I see is a breaking up of the conservative vote and it worries me. I am voting for Cruz with Walker as a second choice. Carson and huck will not be the next president and will be hurting the others chances if they stay in for the long haul
He’s going to get some good conversation going on the presidential trail even if (as seems most likely) he fails to get very far towards the nomination.
And I think he and some of the other contenders know this.
The general practice is to refer one’s votes to another candidate. You can pretty well bet it will not be Jeb Bush.
thank goodness. I have always followed presidential races but never primaries. This is my first time and boy is it confusing with so many people running. my support is behind Cruz. I know some are upset that he supported the trade agreement. But I believe he will explain his support and I wouldn’t turn against him because of one issue. I would be lying if I said I understood the trade agreement even though I have read much about it
What I mean, is Carson does not seem to be poised to polarize as some other firebrands have. His base would accept a referral.
The racist communists of Politico have now characterized both Carson (black) and Cruz (Hispanic) as cows. This is so typical of the hussein-commanded lamestream drivebys to call true Christian Conservatives bovines. Recall that the Nazis herded Jews into cattle cars. Interesting that Soros-financed Politico uses similar terminology.
“Cattle call” is just an expression.
gotcha. Thanks. Boy it is hard to run for president without ever holding any other office. Some would say that’s a benefit. I just love Cruz lol
“.....Carson supporters had a heavy presence at the conference, with many wearing campaign T-shirts and carrying a life-sized cardboard cutout of the candidate. Their organization paid off with a strong showing from voters who came from states outside Oklahoma. Walker actually got the most votes from Oklahomans, according to conference organizers.
Walker’s second place finish was particularly impressive since he had no obvious operation on the ground. The two-term Wisconsin governor gave a well received speech on the first day of the conference, and has yet to officially launch his campaign.....”
gotcha. Thanks. Boy it is hard to run for president without ever holding any other office. Some would say that’s a benefit. I just love Cruz lol
Well moooooo!
Both Cruz and Walker have fathers who are clergymen.
I guess the 10 person debates will help us see the candidates more clearly lol. I wonder if there’s ever been a 10-person debate before
I doubt he will have the financial backing to stay in for the long run but will make enough of an impact to be considered for VP or a cabinet level position (probably the goal of many of the long shots...).
Not when the left uses it. It then becomes a term of unhinged hateful derision. The proper words for describing a group of Conservatives include assemblage, conclave, meeting and similar words without the negative connotation. I have no problem with referring to a group of 'RATs as cattle.
Well, what do we call a showing with just one.....
the old bag?
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