2011 Ames, Iowa Republican Straw Poll Results & Discussion

[Will]

OFFICIAL RESULTS:


1 Michele Bachmann 4,823 28.5%
2 Ron Paul 4,671 27.6%
3 Tim Pawlenty 2,293 13.6%
4 Rick Santorum 1,657 9.8%
5 Herman Cain 1,456 8.6%
6 Rick Perry (write-in) 718 4.3%
7 Mitt Romney 567 3.4%
8 Newt Gingrich 385 2.3%
9 Jon Huntsman 69 0.4%
10 Thaddeus McCotter 35 0.2%


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WHAT IT MEANS:


Absolutely Nothing, unfortunately. George H.W. Bush won the first one in 1979. He did NOT become the nominee. He finished THIRD in the straw poll in 1987. He DID become the nominee.

Bob Dole tied for 1st in the 1995 straw poll, George W. Bush finished first in 1999, and both DID go on to become the nominee. However in 2007, eventual nomniee John McCain finished 10th out of 11 contenders in the straw poll, with just 0.7% of the vote.

In short, this gives us literally no insight into or predictive indication of who will actually go on to become the nominee.

BUT, it did give us one HELL of a debate Thursday night. And it also treated Iowans to some free food and entertainment.


Feel free to share your thoughts on it all.
Only

[Chris Fowler]

Nice to see that the favorites are two that can't win...

And a write-in beat Romney.

[LATB]

Mitt has the most money...he will garner the nomination.

He may choose Bachmann as veep to secure the tparty peeps...or Cain to make a dent in the black vote.

I really don't GAF what GOP person gets the nod...as long as we see Obama packing his bags in Jan 2013. and by "bags", yes that includes his bride.

[MattW]

Originally Posted by LarsAtTheBeach

I really don't GAF what GOP person gets the nod...as long as we see Obama packing his bags in Jan 2013. and by "bags", yes that includes his bride.

Lars, that's what people said before McCain/Palin...

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Wadoka

Lars, that's what people said before McCain/Palin...

different time and situation.

2008 was the year for the dems...I don't believe any GOP candidate could beat any dem candidate.

it was the abbb (any body but bush) vote.

[78SA]

I think Bachman got the sympathy vote because of the #3 and #4 vote getters attacking her. Cain seemed like the best based on answers, attitude, lack of whining, and presence. Newt seemed very well informed. Perry sounded good on tv today. Cain and Perry both seem to have that strong leader personality that the President needs.

Reading that other thread seems like Perry would suck.

[BuckyThreadkiller]

Apparently Pawlenty bet the farm on winning the straw poll because he's bailed out.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by BuckyThreadkiller

Apparently Pawlenty bet the farm on winning the straw poll because he's bailed out.

good

[MattW]

[bearstrail]

Originally Posted by Wadoka

So is it safe to say that she's officially not running now, since her bus tour came to Iowa but she didn't actually declare? I don't know what to make of her, useful cheerleader for the cause or just a massive, ego-maniac.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by TxAg

She's a brilliant distraction for the left-leaning MSM.

Think about it, the right sends Palin out to run interference/confusion on the MSM. The MSM loves to hate her and will throw $$$/resources out after her just to MAYBE catch her saying something they can use against her. Plus she gets paid $$$ by people who want to hear her and buy her goods/services.

While she's doing that, the actual candidates are campaigning, talking to people, getting their message out w/out the entire MSM crawling up their butt.

Pretty ingenious if you ask me.

Yep. My thoughts exactly.

I don't think there is anything accidental about what she is doing. I don't know any conservative who considers her a serious contender but for some reason the liberals just can't seem to leave her alone. She is Patton on D-Day. The only question left for me is who is the one calling the shots on this plan?

[Chris Fowler]

Originally Posted by TxAg

We will probably never know.

Though some will say the NWO.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Chris Fowler

I can't see the picture here at work. Please tell me I wasn't the only one who thought of Hogan, Razor Ramon, and Kevin Nash.

[RetiredSFC 97]

This poll means nothing. Iowa is the worst possible place to do this. But then it gives momentum to particular candidates and causes someone like Pawlenty, who has a track record and no baggage to drop out.

He's the only one who could have brought the Independent vote and would have gotten the pub vote as well.

It's now going to be a much closer race than it should have been.

Iowans are some dumb ****ers.

But MB won simply because she played up being born there. People love their hometown heroes for whatever reason.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by TxAg

You weren't.

I forgot that Razor Ramon was actually Scott Hall at the time.

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by RetiredSFC 97

Iowans are some dumb ****ers.

:flipa:

We'll see what happens come caucus time. That gets you the whole state, rather than the few people who reside in Ames. Much better predictor.

[78SA]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

I can't see the picture here at work. Please tell me I wasn't the only one who thought of Hogan, Razor Ramon, and Kevin Nash.

Scott Hall "Hey Yo" Compilation - YouTube