Posted on 01/03/2012 8:08:24 AM PST by Free Vulcan
Live thread to cover today's GOP caucus. News, predictions, opinions, totals, and the like.
Will be heading out about 4 pm or so to get our site ready and do a final review with the precinct chairs. I expect it to be bigger than 2008 with very heavy turnout and we are preparing for that.
We are also ready for disruptions. They simply won't be tolerated. The state party sent us a memo saying if there's any trouble call the cops immediately. Anyone trying to cause problems is going to get a rude awakening.
My predictions of the outcome are a narrow field with about a 10 point spread for the top five with Bachmann far behind in single digits:
Santorum - 24 Romney - 22 Paul - 20 Perry - 17 Gingrich - 14 Bachmann - 4 The Rest - 1
Think things are still in flux and many won't decide till right to the wire, so I'm not terribly confident of any predictions.
There have been no new vote totals reported in Iowa for the past half hour. We are stuck at 30% of the vote in. I think that everybody in Iowa is taking a break and ordering chinese food or pizza.
Santorum voted to raise the debt ceiling EIGHT TIMES!! HE IS a great social conservative but he is not a fiscal conservative. Tell me about the Teapot Dome? and the bridge to nowhere?
Perry Demands Santorum Explain Earmarks for Teapot Museum, Indoor Rainforest
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WATERLOO, Iowa – Texas Gov. Rick Perry demanded former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, whom he dubbed a “prolific earmarker” yesterday, explain his support of earmarks for pet projects, including a teapot museum and an indoor rainforest.
“Senator Santorum, just to get a little more specific here, please tell me why you asked taxpayers to support the bridge to nowhere in Alaska. Why did you ask the taxpayers of Iowa to support a teapot museum in North Carolina, an indoor rainforest in Iowa, and the mountain sheep institute, Montana sheep institute? Why were those important enough for you to vote for?” Perry said to more than 100 people crowded into two rooms at Doughy Joey’s Peetza- Joint.
Perry, who first launched his direct attacks on Santorum on Thursday, also slammed him for voting in favor of raising the debt ceiling eight times.
Why can’t you be pro-Rick and leave Newt alone. Why be anti-Newt?
The South will back NEWT. No offense to Rick S, have no opinion of him. Just don’t bash him like you bash Newt for no reason.
Did you notice all of the pundits had a change in tone when they realized that Mitt wasn’t so safe after all. Of course, don’t tell Karl Rove. ;)
Come on folks, who else can beat Obama, if not Romney? I am not saying I like Romney, or he will beat Obama. But none of the other republicans can beat Obama.
The general election will be about the economy and who is most competent to fix it. It is a referendum on Obama. Mitt will be perceived by the public as competent, and there have a great chance to beat Obama. Mitt has a good organization. And as we saw in 2008, a great organization like Obama had is what it takes.
Romney will win the republican nomination. And he has a very good chance of beating Obama. So if you don’t like Romney, fine. But don’t support him, and take 4 more years of Obama. It’s not who we want. It’s only who we can choose from.
Not if Lindsey Graham has any say in the matter!
I hope Perry and Newt both stay in. Santorum is a late surge and hasn’t been hacked to death like the other front runners. If he takes heavy damage after Iowa, I’d like to think we had options.
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Not sure about Perry, but I doubt Newt is going ANYWHERE. Don’t underestimate him, or where he sits at the moment.
Oh Gosh with him we could.(((((Hugs)))))Prayed a rosary for Rick today.I met his wife after she wrote her book about her son and we gave her a video of her talk.We are sending him a donation tom.
Live KCCI coverage:
http://livewire.kcci.com/Event/Live_Iowa_Caucus_Coverage
LIve WHO-TV coverage(video on front page):
http://www.whotv.com/
“SC people are notorious for voting as they are told by their “leaders.””
I’m seeing some rebellion here. People here are sick of being told what to do. There are cracks in the good ole boy network.
Yeah! What's up with that?
Of course not...I come from a military family....get some rest.
No worries sir. :)
Loving the strong showing for Santorum. Today was a bad day for Kenobi, but a good day for America. That’s enough to give me hope.
Without breaking a sweat, Huntsman could have knocked Romney clean tonight. By picking up the moderate/establishment types Mitt, and to a certain extent Paul, would have been terribly undercut and struggling for their political lives in 5th or 6th place. I understand his myopic focus on New Hampshire but a little flexibility goes a long ways towards his early chances.
Some amazing falls here this go around. Bachmann and Perry both. Newt to a degree.
But Bachmann to go from winning the straw poll to last?
Perry to not even be a factor and likely to finsish below what even McCain did in 08 or even Alan Keyes in 2000?
like I said there is a massive list about Paul and I cannot for the life of me figure out why the GOP lets him and others like him spew their crap and madness, why their supporters need to come on sites like this and spout their crap when they clearly not conservative or republican.
Let them run on their own platform, the libertarian ticket or let them go on the liberal sites which they have more in common with.
Back in 2008 some of the loons were going to others rallies to shout for their man and I was told off a pal up there that they have been dong the same and shouting for Paul when a candidate was talking.
Now I’m, told non republicans have been voting in the election and most go for Paul.
No surprise there that he gets votes from mostly non republicans
FOX News is lying and pimping for Romney 24/7.
Romney comes in THIRD by FOX (Faux) News adds
the FOX sauce and claims he is “tied for first”.
FOX News is a disgusting impersonation of a VIDEO PIMP.
Was gonna say that myself. Mitt attacks the frontrunners but the votes never go to him, they always go somewhere else. The not-Romney votes. I think tomorrow would be a perfect time for an outsider to declare.
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