Tuesday, August 14, 2007
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How Romney Won Ames (An Insider's Look)
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Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
8:17 AM
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While much has been written about the Iowa Straw Poll, little has been written about the logistics involved in executing a winning strategy. I had a chance to catch up with a Romney adviser, who clued me in on how Romney's campaign delivered the pro-Romney votes...
First, it is important to note that winning the Ames Straw Poll was not about persuading attendees to vote for your candidate. Instead, it was all about identifying your supporters, and getting them to actually come to Ames.
With that in mind, the Romney team undertook a massive operation to bus in as many supporters as possible.
Once on the bus, supporters were given a nifty looking (and very large) Romney badge to wear around their neck.
When the busses arrived at Ames, Romney family members (more than 90 of them were in Iowa) had golf carts ready to greet elderly folks (who, I'm told, would not have made it otherwise), and drive them directly to the voting booths ...
The Romney badges were perforated, and right before you voted, a Romney aide would tear off the bottom part of your badge (the part that had your name on it). By doing this, the Romney folks were able to keep track of which supporters had actually voted. And they were able to spot supporters at the Straw Poll who had neglected to vote.
Staffers then worked phone banks (which were located in the Romney tent) to phone identified supporters who had not yet voted. In many cases, these supporters were happily informed that another bus would be coming by their town soon...
Entering the tent (and eating the BBQ) required having a badge. So staffers kept an eye on the folks in the tent, to see if they had voted (if their badges were still intact). Additionally, voting left your thumb covered in purple ink (like the Iraq elections), so, I'm told, it was pretty easy to spot someone who hadn't voted yet ...
In short, this was a top-notch Get-Out-The-Vote operation. Give Romney's team credit for being able to manage, organize and execute this first-rate operation.
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Romney is tied with Fred at 18 in the new ARG poll and CBS has Romney up to 13. He is at his high (15) again in the RAS tracking poll. He also seems to be doing much better in various state polls. He is tied with Fred in the betting odds.
He is starting to get national press. The national press is not exactly friendly but the more Romney gets to address issues of any kind the more he helps his cause. |
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Gay Marriage
Mr. Romney agrees with 3000 years of recorded history.
He disagrees with the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and woman and our Constitution and laws should reflect that. We must remember that every child deserves a mother and a father. Like Mitt, I believe each child in America has the right to have a mother and a father.
Mr. Romney recently said “It’s unfortunate that those who choose to defend the institution of marriage are often demonized.”
I am deeply touched by Mitt’s statement.
Hazing in the U.S. Army Infantry Bootcamp is tiddly winks compared to the Hazing liberals hand out if anybody stands up and defends their conservative values in the state of Massachusetts. I can personally attest that defending the traditional definition of marriage in Massachusetts is essentially considered criminal behavior.
May the next President of the United States reflect the values of those that founded this Country and not the values of an extremist sect of the population.
Stephen Dunne
Stephen@avisionofdemocracy.com
http://www.avisionofdemocracy.com |
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is how you describe Romney. Open your eyes, people. The only true conservatives are Huck and Paul, period. |
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"Has a candidate ever not won the nomination after winning both Iowa and New Hampshire?"
1972 - Muskie.
And in 1992, Clinton LOST both primaries, but won the nomination. |
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Also - would imagine that by winning Ames, Romney would receive millions of free advertising with all the press coverage on the Iowa TV stations and in the Iowa newspapers.
If spending $4mm on Ames and it leads to a victory in Iowa, which then gives him momentum to win New Hampshire (where polls have him leading), will be money very well spent. Has a candidate ever not won the nomination after winning both Iowa and New Hampshire? |
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Apparantly his guy lost in Ames. He didn't come out against it until after Romney won so strongly.
Also, it's disengenous to say all Romney got for his money was Ames. He isn't spending all that money for Ames, he's spending it to win Iowa. I'd say if he spends 4 million to win Iowa, it's well worth every penny.
Of course, it won't be a lose for his competition in Iowa if Mitt wins there. Why? Because they forfeit before they can lose. Just like Rudy dropped out of the Senate race against Clinton.
Their pathetic showing is the real story in Ames. |
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I agree with John Podhoretz:
"This is ridiculous. The two leaders in the Ames straw poll received a combined total of 7,103 ballots. What exactly is this supposed to represent? If it's supposed to represent superior organization, then the idea that Romney "did what he had to do" is laughable. I've heard reports that Romney has dropped as much as $4 million in Iowa already. And getting 4,500 people on a bus is all he has to show for it? What am I missing?" |
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Rudy and mcCain bowed out in June when they saw the writing on the wall. That writing was that romney had a far superior organization on the ground in state and would have beat them so they turned tail instead of facing the threat head on.
it was a sound political move because had they fought and lost head to head then the claim of frontrunner would have disappeared from them both. as it is that claim has disappeared from mccain since june but rudy still has it, and quite honestly HAS to have it in order to get through his early losses until the Florida primary |
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Neither Rudy nor Mcvain bothered showing up so Mitt wins by default. |
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Romney did a great job and did exactly what one needs to do win the Iowa caucus. Unless Fred Thompson decides to mount a serious challenge, Romney will cruise to a victory in Iowa. |
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