Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Iowa Straw Poll is dead whether it happens or not.
The Washington Times ^ | May 26, 2015 | By Steve Deace

Posted on 05/29/2015 8:36:22 AM PDT by US Navy Vet

Nobody screws up a one-car funeral, or kills the goose that lays the golden egg, quite like the Republican Party establishment.

Such is the plight of a political party lead by people who don’t share the same basic values as its base. This puts the GOP in a constant state of inner turmoil. For example, just six months after a historic midterm election victory only 23 percent of Republicans believe their party’s leaders have kept their campaign promises, according to a new Pew Research poll.

At the epicenter of this dysfunctional family lies my native state of Iowa: Home to the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses and packed with promising presidential candidates angling to be the next party standard-bearer. If conservatives lamented our lack of good choices the past few primary cycles, the fear this time around is there are too many desirable options to choose from.

So if there was ever a time for an event like the legendary Iowa Straw Poll to cull the herd, and bring some early clarity to the election process, this would seem to be the year. Unfortunately, though, this is the Republican Party we’re talking about. That means at the very time it is needed the most, the Iowa Straw Poll is dead — whether it happens or not.

And the Republican Party is responsible for doing the killing.(cont)

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: iowagope; iowastrawpoll; rino; stevedeace
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last
The Iowa "GOP" is 100% GOP-e/RINO thanks to Branstad.It started a few years ago when Democrat Gov. Terry Branstad – yes, I know he calls himself a Republican but I don’t believe in bearing false witness – immediately went out of his way to publicly undermine the credibility of the Iowa Straw Poll. Mr. Branstad and his ilk don’t like the fact the event seems to energize the party’s conservative base instead of his preferred corporatist shills. Alas, the only political party more offended by an energized conservative base than the Democrats is the Republicans.
1 posted on 05/29/2015 8:36:23 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

The road for Jebbie is being paved by the media and GOPe. He is their choice.


2 posted on 05/29/2015 8:39:11 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

Premature obit. The Straw Poll will take place immediately after the first primary debate. The new more businesslike Straw Poll may actually get a bigger PR boost than it would have had it remained a candidate carnival.


3 posted on 05/29/2015 8:45:11 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jjotto

“The new more businesslike Straw Poll”, = COMPLETELY RAN FOR AND BY The Iowa “GOP-e/Rinos”(which one are YOU “jjotto”?).


4 posted on 05/29/2015 8:48:28 AM PDT by US Navy Vet (Go Packers! Go Rockies! Go Boston Bruins! See, I'm "Diverse"!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

Later


5 posted on 05/29/2015 8:48:34 AM PDT by wjcsux ("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

o brother...


6 posted on 05/29/2015 8:55:28 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet
I celebrate the death of the Iowa farce!

Those idiots consistently choose RINOs.

I can only hope they are cut out of the process of selecting from now on.

7 posted on 05/29/2015 8:56:12 AM PDT by JOAT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JOAT

Sometimes, yes. But consistently? No. Michele Bachmann won last time, Pat Buchanan won in the past, and George W Bush won back when he was considered a conservative, ahead of the RINOs.


8 posted on 05/29/2015 9:13:14 AM PDT by GIdget2004
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: GIdget2004
Michele Bachmann won last time, Pat Buchanan won in the past, and George W Bush won back when he was considered a conservative, ahead of the RINOs.

You're listing those people as 'good' choices?

M'mm kay.

9 posted on 05/29/2015 9:27:14 AM PDT by JOAT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: GIdget2004
Yes, and all of them lost the popular vote, some before the first primary.

It is time we shake up the way we ‘chose’ a presidential candidate. This is more or less simply nonsense that two small states, one without a secret ballot arrangement, decide for a country of 300+ millions for whom they will have a chance to vote.

I am glad there are allot of people in the race. I hope three or four more RINO’s jump in to dilute the Bush RINO vote, I simply hope as Conservatives we can jump behind one candidate early. I would be happy to see either Cruz 1st choice or Walker as the candidate, but I could be comfortable with others.

That being said I doubt my chance will come to actually make a difference because by the time Ohio there is usually no one else viable.

10 posted on 05/29/2015 9:35:02 AM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: JOAT

No, I wouldn’t consider them good choices, but I also wouldn’t consider them RINOs, which is what you said.


11 posted on 05/29/2015 9:42:06 AM PDT by GIdget2004
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: GIdget2004

Pat Robertson, not Buchanan.


12 posted on 05/29/2015 9:44:35 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet
The premise of the whole article is wrong.

It assumes that since Jeb isn't going to participate that the whole thing is meaningless.

I have two words to say to that:

Rudy Guliani

Then it also says that since Jeb wont be there all the conservatives will only be beating up on themselves...

um... no they will be beating up on Jeb and other RINO’s who because they are not there wont be able to defend themselves.

That's a win for the conservatives :)

13 posted on 05/29/2015 9:45:06 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (You can't spell Hillary without using the letters L, I, A, & R)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TexasFreeper2009

I think you are confusing the Iowa Straw poll with the Iowa Caucuses. Giuliani did participate in the straw poll (and didn’t do particularly well) in 2007. He decided to sit out the Iowa Caucus (and other early states). That turned out to be a bad strategy.

The Iowa Caucuses can mean a lot, whether or not you agree with the notion that Iowa should wield so much power. The Iowa Straw Poll is a GOP fundraiser that needs to die.


14 posted on 05/29/2015 10:09:07 AM PDT by GIdget2004
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: GIdget2004

you are right, I was confusing the two.


15 posted on 05/29/2015 10:10:23 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (You can't spell Hillary without using the letters L, I, A, & R)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

ISP has always been completely pointless. Unless you’re a betting man. If you gamble then bet against whoever wins the ISP because they largely do not win the nomination.


16 posted on 05/29/2015 10:13:55 AM PDT by discostu (In fact funk's as old as dirt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

Many here have been saying these straw poll or even regular polling are way off base. After watching the various polls in the last two election cycles I agree with them 100%.
The straw polls are totally a waste of time....they are just fund raisers.


17 posted on 05/29/2015 10:39:54 AM PDT by rrrod (at home in Medellin Colombia)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrrod

They’re not a waste of time if they raise money. The Ames Straw Poll was always supposed to be fun, and the Iowa Caucuses straw poll was just added as a way to add some interest to boring local party business.

It’s the MSM and political junky obsession that make them seem bigger and more important than they really are. That’s not Iowa’s problem.


18 posted on 05/29/2015 10:45:45 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: US Navy Vet

Apologies to any FReepers from Iowa, but can we just burn the place to the ground already? It’s just one drawn-out extortion scheme played out in four year cycles.

The “straw poll” is nothing more than an exercise to extract money from campaigns to stuff the ballot box for a mythical “win”.


19 posted on 05/29/2015 10:50:11 AM PDT by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kevkrom

The auctioning of prime space to candidates has ended, as well as expecting the candidates to pay for everyone’s food. I’m not sure they can stop candidates from paying for tickets and busing in loads from senior citizen homes though.

Burn it down? No way! Seeing Mike Huckabee jam guitar for an Elvis impersonator is an essential way to evaluate a candidate!


20 posted on 05/29/2015 10:58:54 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson