Breaking: SC Straw Poll Results - Ron Paul 2nd

[Razmear]

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/breaking_news/story/142222.html

Thompson local GOP candidate choice
By Tonya Root

Georgetown County Republicans picked Sen. Fred Thomspon as the next president during a straw poll Saturday at Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island.

The poll, set to measure voter preferences, also included nine other candidates who garnered support from the more than 200 attendees. Republican presidential candidate Daniel Gilbert, a businessman from Asheville, N.C., spoke to the crowd as did respresentatives for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California.

The candidates and their votes from the poll are: Thompson with 102 votes; Paul 40 votes; Romney 37 votes; Hunter 15 votes; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani 13 votes; Sen. John McCain 7 votes; Brownback 6 votes; Newt Gingrich 2 votes; and Gilbert with one vote.

 

[Dustancostine]

 

[DeadheadForPaul]

nice that we got 2nd

was this the straw poll that the media was trying to say was a fluke due to RP support?

 

[shrugged0106]

How is an undeclared candidate even an option? Whay wasnt I on the list too then?

 

[Razmear]

The report I read while waiting for these results to be posted claimed that Ron Paul supporters had bought 300 tickets and Thompson supporters had bought 100.
It looks like Thompson's 100 got there, but our 300 did not.
I'll take partial blame for that as I didn't make the 300 mile drive (each way) today to attend.

eb

 

[MozoVote]

Seriously, it's boneheaded for people to vote for someone that isn't even a declared candidate. Blah.

Oh well, the headline really should be:
RON PAUL FIRST AMONG DECLARED CANDIDATES AT SC STRAW POLL

 

[foofighter20x]

Don't be distracted by the Thompson numbers. This is great news! The more the voters find out about Thompson, then only the better we are going to do.

 

[Razmear]

New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani 13 votes; Sen. John McCain 7 votes;

 

[RPatTheBeach]

Well, I am glad to see it was reported properly. All of the reporters had left the event before the last few votes were counted. It was announced the Mitt took second place, but there were 4 more votes for RP that hadn't been counted.

I think this is a good result considering how pro-war this area is.

 

[RPatTheBeach]

The report I read while waiting for these results to be posted claimed that Ron Paul supporters had bought 300 tickets and Thompson supporters had bought 100.
It looks like Thompson's 100 got there, but our 300 did not.
I'll take partial blame for that as I didn't make the 300 mile drive (each way) today to attend.

eb

300 were not purchased, if my information is accurate. Someone local was asked of the expected turnout for Ron Paul and it was stated that he didn't know... could be 50, could be 300. I believe the words got twisted.

 

[Razmear]

Might have been a preemptive strike reporting the 300 tickets, I know it got forwarded up here to Anderson, so I was less worried about not making the 600 mile round trip.

One source of the 300 tickets rumor:

http://campaignsandelections.com/SC/articles/?ID=428

A straw poll in Georgetown Saturday likely won't be an accurate reflection of GOP voters in the Lowcountry county, but it means big bucks for the local Republican Party.

Supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, purchased 300 tickets, and supporters of former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson have purchased 100 tickets, said Tom Swatzel, chairman of the Georgetown GOP. Tickets cost $10 each.

That likely will skew the voting, but Swatzel said the point of Saturday's event is to raise money for the local GOP while also showing the grassroots strengths of the presidential campaigns.

 

[shrugged0106]

Ive gotta call BS then because if it were 300
Ron Paul Supporters" who bought tickets, then he would have had well over 200 votes minimum. The whole darned thing only had 223 votes.

something smells funny here folks.

 

[LibertyEagle]

Don't be distracted by the Thompson numbers. This is great news! The more the voters find out about Thompson, then only the better we are going to do.

Agreed! Thompson will crumble when in a real debate, which is why he's still on the sideline.

This is good news, people. Second place. Keep spreading the word and we will be first soon.

 

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

I emailed the "reporter:"

Funny. Ron Paul only got 40 votes. Is Tom Swatzel to blame for a preemptive strike? Did one person buy 300 tickets? Or did 2 people wearing Ron Paul tshirts buy 150 tickets each? These would be good questions for a reporter to ask.

 

[TexMac]

Might have been a preemptive strike reporting the 300 tickets, I know it got forwarded up here to Anderson, so I was less worried about not making the 600 mile round trip.

One source of the 300 tickets rumor:

http://campaignsandelections.com/SC/articles/?ID=428

A straw poll in Georgetown Saturday likely won't be an accurate reflection of GOP voters in the Lowcountry county, but it means big bucks for the local Republican Party.

Supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, purchased 300 tickets, and supporters of former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson have purchased 100 tickets, said Tom Swatzel, chairman of the Georgetown GOP. Tickets cost $10 each.

That likely will skew the voting, but Swatzel said the point of Saturday's event is to raise money for the local GOP while also showing the grassroots strengths of the presidential campaigns.

The 300 ticket thing is in DC, not South Carolina

 

[LibertyEagle]

Ive gotta call BS then because if it were 300
Ron Paul Supporters" who bought tickets, then he would have had well over 200 votes minimum. The whole darned thing only had 223 votes.

something smells funny here folks.

Yeah, that is pretty weird.

 

[Razmear]

The 300 ticket thing is in DC, not South Carolina

This was reported in local South Carolina news, the "lowcounty" is the local term for that part of the state, and the person interviewed is the VP of the Georgetown SC GOP.
This was not a DC thing, or at least not in any way I can see.
If you can show otherwise, please provide documentation.

eb

 

[TexMac]

This was reported in local South Carolina news, the "lowcounty" is the local term for that part of the state, and the person interviewed is the VP of the Georgetown SC GOP.
This was not a DC thing, or at least not in any way I can see.
If you can show otherwise, please provide documentation.

eb

You're right. Sorry.

http://campaignsandelections.com/SC/articles/?ID=428

Weird.

 

[Razmear]

Official Press Release - Swatzel again.

Georgetown County Republican Party

Fred Thompson Wins Georgetown County Straw Poll





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2007

Contact: Tom Swatzel (843) 357-1673

(843) 222-7456 cell



PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC--Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson convincingly won the Georgetown County Republican Party presidential primary straw poll today with 46% of the votes, while second and third place finishers Congressman Ron Paul and Governor Mitt Romney had 18% and 17% respectively.



Georgetown County Republican Party Chairman Tom Swatzel said, "Senator Fred Thompson and his committee are to be congratulated for their efforts today. It's clear his supporters are well organized and motivated."



Congressman Gresham Barrett represented Thompson at the event.



Swatzel said that there were 223 total votes cast and that overall the event was attended by about 250 people. "For our first ever straw poll, I am pleased with the turn out. It was an enthusiastic crowd that was the essence of grassroots politics at its best," he said.



All eleven of the active presidential campaigns recognized on the state Republican Party web site- plus Thompson, who is expected to formally announce his candidacy soon- were invited to participate the event, which was held in the Waccamaw High School auditorium in Pawleys Island.



The overall results are as follows:



Votes

Fred Thompson 102 46%

Ron Paul 40 18%

Mitt Romney 37 17%

Duncan Hunter 15 7%

Rudy Giuliani 13 6%

John McCain 7 3%

Sam Brownback 6 3%

Newt Gingrich 2 1%

Daniel Gilbert 1 -

 

[freelance]

Sounds to me like the paper made up that number, BECAUSE they were afraid he would place well. Overstating the case might be the tactic du jour to discredit RP. Watch for more of this in the coming weeks, until it backfires by implanting the thought, "Ron Paul = winner" in the public's mind.