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Huckabee is a better candidate than Brownback. Huckabee performed better in all the debates than Brownback, and now Huckabee put out a better straw poll performance. |
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had a good showing. I think this fella can appeal to everybody, not just evans and conservatives. He has a way about him that is pleasing to the average man and woman, as opposed to Romney, who comes across as phony and plastic.
Was the total number of votes way down? Doesn't seem like a lot of votes in total...or maybe my memory is failing me right now. But I think Bush had somewhere around 7 or 8000 votes in 1999. Romney only got 4500 or so, so there's a big drop in support overall. |
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Rudy and Fred got wiped and they look like losers. If Rudy and McCain helped Huckabee and Brownback they should have helped themselves.
As far as Rudy showing any organizational skill I would say just the opposite. He cut and ran months ago because he could not or would not organize the way he needed to. Fred goes thru campaign managers like paper plates.
Neither one of them appear to have a very good handle on organizing a national campaign. They have name recognition and the gets them poll numbers but poll numbers do not win with out a world class GOTV. Romney can win the early primaries on the ground with his organization skills.
Huckabee has some national support but no money. He tends to cut into Fred's support. The idea that Brownback is the pro life candidate has always been more self promotion than reality. Both Huckabee and Brownback are pro immigration. Tancredo did almost as well as they did and he had real opposition.
Brownback's negative attacks hurt him. Huckabee for the most part is more likable. Brownback was not very wise in going after Romney and Tancredo on abortion he should have gone after Hillary, Obama and Edwards. If he had to go after a Rep he could have gone after Rudy who was ditching IA anyway. |
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Actually, I have often wondered why that guy doesn't take off. He seems like the real deal to me--a solid cultural conservative who is affable and reasonable.
Ron Paul has to be classified a disappointment. I guess flooding the internet instapolls is one thing, but actually putting butts in the seats is another. |
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..and Huckabee is pro-illegal alien.
To hades with that 2nd place sell-out.
Time to throw in the towel Paul. |
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I really can't see what legitimacy Brownback has left to his campaign.
He brought in over a hundred busses, had the second most organized campaign in the state, and worked his heart out for third place? Behind Huckabee, who basically came with nothing more than a speech?
Brownback's been trailing Huckabee in the polls.
Brownback's been trailing Huckabee in the debates.
Brownback's been running a sleazy smear campaign...Huckabee is a gentleman.
Brownback flip flops on immigration votes in the course of 10 minutes depending on the wind...Huckabee has an executive track record as one of the longest serving and most successful Governors.
Huckabee is the only one who can revive people after Brownback's speeches bore them to death.
And now Brownback and his 100 busses lose the poll to Huckabee and a bass guitar.
Bye bye Brownies. |
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Who were Giuliani and McCain afraid of? Romney plain and simple. There were some reports from Iowa GOP members that they think quite a few may have stayed home because Romney was going to win anyways, so there was little suspense.
It'll be interesting if Huck can now get some cash to stay in it and hopefully we'll see most of the 2nd tier take a hike. Especially Brownhack. |
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For the GOP, a fine Candidate claims a prize he was expected to take.
This is a valued trophy which helps.
Others who did not compete for this title, lose respect.
NO GUTS, NO GLORY.
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Good to see brownback make a solid showing.
He'll be in the race sticking it to Romney for weeks to come. |
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Patrick has actually written what I have suspected.
"But just as it's not a stretch to imagine some low-level collusion between the Brownback and McCain camps (it's been happening in Michigan for months)"....
McCain attacked Romney until he imploded, then Brownback started in. What is it with these two. They are both pro immigration but that would not explain the crusade against Romney. Both of their campaigns are dead. McCain may revive some if he gets enough money but is not likely to run higher than 3rd in NH and maybe SC. Their primary justification for staying in the race seems to be to harass Romney. |
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Mitt has a new video on his official campaign site. He walks through the results in the traditionally, scholarly MBA/JD methodology to provide an honest conversation of the results.
It is a tremendous contrast to the misinformation, pettiness of the political class and of the predators and parasites of the talk media. Mitt is honest. They are awful.
And the final outcome dismisses the political machine of washington insiders; overcomes the nonconversation of jesus; and trivializes the predators and parasites like the New York Sun.
Mitt won. He won as big as GWBush. He won against all the negativity and pettiness.
And the take-away is that the voices and opinion leaders that keep attacking Mitt only make it less likely other highly qualified and highly accomplished people will run for public office. |
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Actually you may be wrong on that Sampo. Brownback probably would have run 2nd if he had not been sticking it to Romney.
Besides it is just a matter of timing and the right circumstance before Romney blows the flipflopping Brownback out of the water in one of the debates. He comes across as mean and has NO credibility when he attacks Romney. Both McCain and Brownback have major flipflops. I am surprised Romney has not confronted them about that when they attack him of flipflopping. |
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Romneybots have never been good at math. Like when Romney said the US added 50 million jobs in the time Europe was able to add 3 million jobs.
Actually the US added 50 million jobs in the past 30 years and the EU added 3 million jobs in 2006, which is more than the US added.
To those who can apply math, we know that 15% for Brownback is more than enough to take him to the next level. |
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the 3 highest ranked candidates nationally didn't show:
Giuliani
Thompson
McCain |
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The guy runs a campaign that essentially guarantees a win -- but his numbers turn out to be a bit low -- and this with his 3 biggest competitors not even in the race. Additionally, turnout is low -- a sign of dissatisfaction with the people running -- a reflection on the front-running Romney, too. And finally, the story is actually the good showing of Huckabee and Brownback -- not Romney's win. Given that at least Brownback has shown a desire to mix it up with Mitt, this will only give him a greater voice.
This may be neutral in the long run for Romney, but I wouldn't be overjoyed in Romneyville. |
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1. It was over before it started.
Unless Romney pulled an incredible foul up, he was guaranteed a win. It was just a matter of how big.
2. Temps over 95 degrees
Would *you* want to head to Ames, Iowa to take part in an already decided contest in that kind of heat?
3. This was the first weekend of the Iowa State Fair.
Unless you live in the Midwest, you have no idea how seriously we take our State Fairs. A big turnout was simply *not* going to happen without Rudy McThompson there.
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The purpose of a campaign is to WIN and to WIN often. WINNING is never a bad thing even if you are expected to WIN. |
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His last minute switch to be on the winning side of the comprehensive immigration reform bill written in secret by Jorge Bush, Teodoro Kennedy and Juan McCain is being remembered. |
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the whole straw poll is a crock. Iowans ought to be ashamed of this performance.
Then again, the Des Moines Register is the best "Red" paper in the country; and I've never seen any other State Fair with a Butter Cow... |
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Maybe Huckabee got a lot of votes from
the Fairtax folks. |
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I can't say I understand why it matters what Huckabee believes about evolution. If he were to be elected, he would take the oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States, not rewrite school science texts.
He seems to be a man of character. Although he is not my choice at this time, I can think of another Governor from Hope, Arkansas, who famously has a total vacuum in the character department. I want a president with character. |
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Romney did well, beating everyone by a 2-1 margin or more, except for Mike Huckabee. I was truly impressed with how well Huckabee did, and if you consider the fact that Sam Brownback is effectively a Huckabee clone, assume he drops out and all his votes go to Huckabee. If that happened, Huckabee would've beaten Romney.
Hopefully Brownback will help unite the social conservatives by dropping out of the race. In terms of overall results, of the media designated "second-tier," Duncan Hunter, Tommy Thompson, and Ron Paul should all drop out of the race. It was also great to see how abysmally John McCain and Rudy Giuliani performed. McCain in particular should drop out now, leaving the race as:
Romney, Giuliani, Thompson, Huckabee, Tancredo. Of those, I hope Tancredo drops out next, and that Giuliani gets decimated by the remaining opposition. Huckabee, Romney, or Thompson would all enthusiastically get my vote, with Huckabee drawing the most support from me, and with Thompson and Romney effectively interchangable at this point (Romney's grown on me). |
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He rode in on the FAIRTAX. This is the guy who wants to install a 23% sales tax. The founding fathers would have been livid under that. How about Mr. Huckabee come up with a comprehensive spending reduction, better yet I'll let him call it a comprehensive spending "enhancement" if he like and knock that thing down a bit. The FAIRTAX is a scam, the percentage is way too high and Huckabee better come up with a plan to trim the government's fat like he trimmed his own, so far he has shown no commitment towards that and the ill educated that support him show no regard for the details. Who would disagree with a Fair tax right? Well I do because it is not a fair tax, it is 23% slavery.
As a side note I find it both Ironic and not surprising that the particular candidate in question doesn't believe in evolution and most resembles our "alleged" previous species.
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True it wasnt the homerun 1st or 2nd place supporters were hoping for, but it was a decent placing all things considered. He only spent a few days in Iowa and now has more than 5x the money Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee. He is still in a good position. |
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*5x the money Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee have. |
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13% in a non border state, what would he do in a state fed up with illegal alliens? |
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I think Mike Huckabee would be a solid VP choice for either Giuliani or Romney. A north-south/moderate-conservative ticket sounds like it can clean Hillary's clock. |
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"Ron Paul finished fifth. His camp expected to finish in the top three."
What happened to the "rEVOLution"?
Ron Paul with 1305 votes (9.1%)
His communications director said; "We've got four staffers organizing and we've got a lot of web site RSVPs from volunteers."
You really think this is good?
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Romney had to know he was helping Huckabee when he went on TV and offered free tickets to the straw poll. Romney polls constantly and had to know the pulse of who was going to attend and who various candidates were doing. A Romney source indicated that about 80% of the tickets he gave out actually voted for Romney.
Huckabee's 2nd place finish helps Romney a lot by blocking Fred. It is also far better to have Huckabee run second ahead of Brownback. |
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Actually it was $448 and not $1000. Romney dialed in his 32% and got it, as that matched Bush's numbers. He saved the rest of his money for other things instead of running up the percent. |
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"About 85% wouldn't have shown up without a campaign paying their way."
so why should we care? Those who spent the most money did the best.
Props to Tancredo and Paul. Hated by the Dhimmicrats AND the Rockefellers, and barely two cents to rub together between the two of them (compared to the elitists), and still finished in the top five. Boy, if those two had money... |
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Am I kicked out of here? I wonder why I can't post to the Beauchamp thread... |
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George W Bush needs to take a deep breath, dial up fairtax.org, and discover that he knows nothing about the Fairtax. |
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As I said in another blog (which seems to be abandoned, so I bring it up again)...I can see Huckabee and Brownback teaming up pretty soon. The fact that their numbers were fairly close, that their supporters are essentially from the same bunch...I think it is quite possible that we will see a Huckabee/Brownback ticket.
AND: Duncan Hunter lost out big time, but whoever gets the GOP nom is going to pick him as Secretary of Defense. My feeling comes from the fact that Romney, on Medved's show, said he respected Hunter the most out of all of them (this was back after the first or second debate)...I think he will be an obvious cabinet choice for whoever gets the GOP nom. |
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It is 23%, I looked at the stupid site that sounds like it was written by Frank Luntz. I got some magic beans for you too if you want to buy the fairtax. Cut spending and give us a reasonable sales tax. I am not against a sales tax, I am against the Income tax and the "Fair" Tax. |
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I am stumped as to why Duncan Hunter has not done better in Iowa and in the various polls. I find him to be the most impressive candidate in decades.
I thought the GOP was about strong national defense and strong traditional values. In my opinion, we couldn't find a more credible candidate on these matters than Hunter.
It's not that the candidates who have better numbers aren't good men; I just don't see how so many people see them as preferable to Hunter. |
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Hector-- I don't see that happening. Absolutely nothing for either to gain, and they would get crucified (no pun intended) by the press back east as 'uneducated christians'.
Giuliani/Huckabee much much more likely. Giuliani would be a fool not to consider it, but that's assuming Huck took him up on it.
Hunter. The only thing I can say about him is that I think Huckabee has done better in the debates overall. Also Hunter was being interviewed on a local Des Moines radio show. After coming back from commercial, Hunter didn't immediately respond to the next question. The host dumped him immediately and laid out a small diatribe 'how rude that was' of Mr. Hunter. I know this sounds utterly meaningless, but when we're tallying votes in the hundreds, who knows?
As for turn out. It was mentioned this was the first weekend of the Iowa State Fair. A big freaking deal around here. I imagine especially for the agriculture set. I moved here last year and attended. I found it rather overrated. |
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George W Bush: I think you looked at it, but you stopped when you verified 23%. Take a read under Learn about the Fair Tax with an open mind. This is not a sales tax (an add on to the retail price)
The Fairtax is a grass-roots movement that continues to gain momentum because the current system is terrible.
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