Lame, predictable article on the straw poll

[Galileo Galilei]

Pre-gaming the SRLC straw poll

Decisions by Mitt Romney and Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) to skip the Southern Republican Leadership Conference have drained some of the buzz from the event's straw poll. In 2006, when the conference was held in Nashville, retiring Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) won the poll with 526 out of 1427 votes, but Romney's second-place showing was an early harbinger of how hard he was willing to organize (and how much he was willing to spend) to win over conservative activists.

This year, the candidate whose volunteers are most openly campaigning to win the poll is -- just as it was at February's CPAC -- Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.). If that happens, expect the importance of the poll to be soft-pedaled, oh, four or five nanoseconds after the results are announced. But this is Sarah Palin's first speech before Republican Party activists since 2008, this is Mike Huckabee's home turf, and Mitt Romney's supporters are tenacious. Below the fold is an e-mail that was sent to members of Evangelicals for Mitt (and forwarded to other Romney supporters) by the group's co-founder Nancy French.

Hey Fellow Mitt Supporters,

MORE:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/pre-gaming_the_srlc_straw_poll.html

Whoever wrote the first two comments made great points.

Mitt Romney has been organizing for this for months, and Pawlenty was long planning to go. Palin's supporters knew last YEAR she was attending and would not be attending CPAC, so this was going to be her 'big event'.

Yet, if RON PAUL who only decided to go a couple of weeks ago wins, it will be downplayed because his supporters want to get him support in the straw poll?

I don't doubt that you are correct about it being downplayed, after all, look at what happened at CPAC even though Romney's well organized supporters had more votes there than they ever had before when Romney won.

But I think it becomes a more and more strained story line that Ron Paul's support are a 'passionate few' who 'won't impact elections' when events change as much for him as the CPAC vote for him has changed since 2007 when his supporters were equally 'passionate'. But fewer.

Posted by: sailingaway1 | April 7, 2010 1:40 PM | Report abuse

As an addition to my comment, here is something posted on a Palin supporter page, apparently back in FEBRUARY long before Ron Paul decided to attend SRLC. This is not to say Governor Palin or her supporters are 'beyond the pale' for doing this, only that this is par for the course. It is only considered 'cheating' if Ron Paul's supporters pull out a victory for him. http://us4palin.com/why-gov-palin-chose-srlc-over-cpac/

Honestly, I'm getting pretty sick of this meme.

Posted by: sailingaway1

Palin has been planning for this event for a year, while Ron Paul only a month. Yet Ron Paul, I predict, will win.

All the candidates are trying to win the straw poll. A victory for Ron Paul just proves he's the best. Even if pooh-pooed by the MSM, a Paul victory would deny the obnoxious media coverage that a Palin win would bring.

I also think a RP win will bump Rand in the polls up in Kentucky.

 

[libertybrewcity]

I think it's hilarious when people drop out of the conferences because they know they are going to lose the straw poll.

 

[KCIndy]

I think it's hilarious when people drop out of the conferences because they know they are going to lose the straw poll.

Not playing the game if you know you're not going to win is typical behavior for preschoolers... and, apparently, mainstream establishment politicians.

 

[dr. hfn]

it's a smart move on their part methinks, they drop out and can then say it was overrun by kooky libertarians and is not legit

 

[KCIndy]

it's a smart move on their part methinks, they drop out and can then say it was overrun by kooky libertarians and is not legit

You're right - that's probably what they'll do.

But eventually, they're going to run out of straw polls to duck out of!

 

[torchbearer]

it's a smart move on their part methinks, they drop out and can then say it was overrun by kooky libertarians and is not legit

and they will have to keep saying that long after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.

 

[DjLoTi]

If we win I'll be happy.

 

[Galileo Galilei]

it's a smart move on their part methinks, they drop out and can then say it was overrun by kooky libertarians and is not legit

Remember, denying a Palin win is worth millions of dollars in lost free publicity.

 

[UtahApocalypse]

I am sure the MSM will trumpet whoever second place victory.