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Marx told me that the Romney campaign focused on internet voting, as opposed to in-person voting. He explained that any smart campaign should focus on getting their supporters to vote early or by absentee ballot.
The reason is simple: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, meaning that a potential voter who waits to vote on election day may get sick -- have a flat tire -- or just change their mind. The bottom line is that it's wise to have your supporters vote early. Romney accomplished this with the internet: "We didn't care to focus on voting in person -- it was irrelevant to us," Marx told me.
Marx was not aware that FRC would distinguish between -- and report -- the numbers of voters who voted in person vs. the number who voted online.
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Another reason the campaign focused on internet voting is that Romney's speech took place Friday night at 7:30 PM, but the Straw Poll closed at 6 PM. "He's done very well in his evening speaking engagements," Marx told me.
(My guess is that there's a better vibe at night, especially if the speech follows a reception.)
According to Marx, 1600 people attended the event and voted online. As such, the perception that Huckabee dominated among people who attended the event, may not be accurate because a disproportionate number of Romney's supporters who attended had already voted on the internet.
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