My debate, straw poll preview « Hot Air
Fox News Insider asked me for some brief thoughts on expectations for tonight’s Republican presidential debate here in Ames, Iowa, and on the straw poll on Saturday. I predicted that tonight’s debate would be the real start to the primary season and that candidates would finally start throwing some punches at each other as the pressure builds to differentiate from the pack:
I’m looking for some different indicators at the two events this week. The events before the debate tonight show the candidates in a feisty mood, but still aiming most of their barbs at Barack Obama than each other. …
Of course, Pawlenty notoriously missed a chance to do the same in the previous nationally-televised debate, but so did everyone else. The GOP candidates focused on Obama rather than each other, apparently heeding Ronald Reagan’s “eleventh commandment” not to attack fellow Republicans. Unfortunately, Reagan’s not running in this primary, and neither is Obama. If the candidates start debating the experience and record of each other in tonight’s debate, then voters in Iowa will know they are truly engaged and fighting for their votes.
Saturday’s straw poll will test other skills of the hopefuls. They will need to excel at retail politics and organizational skills rather than scoring debate points. Even though each candidate will give a 15-minute speech to the crowd on Saturday, the votes will be won off the stage in handshakes, picture taking, and personal connections. Michele Bachmann excels at retail politics, but none of the contenders are bad at it. The difference might be approachability and the intangibles of authenticity, especially for Iowans making long treks from small communities like Ames.
This doesn’t emulate a caucus in that the votes are not counted by standing in someone’s corner, but are cast by written ballot all during the event. That makes the Ames poll somewhat different than the January event that actually counts, and it means more strategic maneuvering. Do candidates make their big push early and hope to lock in voters, or later to get the final sales pitch before the voters fill in the ballot and hope that their ballots have yet to be cast? Ron Paul, whose organization should guarantee a pretty good finish in the straw poll, chose to speak second, a curious choice that could leave him out of mind in the final hour of voting.
Ames won’t make any candidates, especially with Rick Perry dramatically jumping into the race as the straw poll voting takes place. It could break a few candidates, though, and this could be the first weeding-out point of the primary. That makes the event – and its aftermath – worth watching.
Is anyone listening to what the guy next to them is saying? The Straw Poll is a joke. When are they going to listen to us and not money?
@ what channel is that on? I'll force myself to stay awake. I'm looking forward to the Ames Straw Poll but I expect a Ron Paul win there
RT @: @ @ What's good is the butter cow is running a close second in the straw poll.
@ @ What's good is the butter cow is running a close second in the straw poll.
There is a $30 poll tax to vote in the Iowa straw poll what a jokeWhat Is A Straw Poll - Bookshelf
The manipulated path to the White House, maximizing advantage in the presidential selection process
In the 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton made an extra effort to win the straw poll conducted at the Florida Democratic state convention in December ...Politics in an era of divided government, elections and goverance in the second Clinton administration
Balz and Eric Pianin, “Gramm is Winner in South Carolina GOP Straw Ballot,” WP, March 5, 1995, 7A. 49. Berke, “Surprising Straw Poll Gives Dole a Glimpse of ...The race for the 2008 Republican nomination, a book of editorial cartoons
The Iowa Straw Poll ... The straw poll in Ames, Iowa on August 1 1 , 2007, was one of the most anticipated events on the Republican calendar. ...Winning the White House 2008, the Gallup poll, public opinion, and the presidency
Giuliani and McCain did not participate in the straw poll. ... Awareness of Romney's Iowa Straw Poll Victory Romney won the Iowa straw poll on August 11 ...Common ground, the story of Greenham
Straw poll THE QUESTION 'What did the Greenham women's protest achieve, and what difference, if any, did it make to the outcome of the Cold War? ...Day-to-day Walkthroughs Directory
Straw poll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. ... This poll was last conducted on August 11, 2007 with a $35 entry fee per voter. ...
What is a Straw Poll?
A straw poll is an informal opinion survey. Straw polls are usually used to get a general idea of how the public feels about...
Ames Straw Poll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ames Straw Poll is a straw poll that takes place in Ames, Iowa, ... However, the straw poll is frequently seen as a first test of organizational strength in ...
straw vote: Definition from Answers.com
straw vote n. An unofficial vote or poll indicating the trend of opinion on a candidate or issue. Also called straw poll
mental_floss Blog " What Is the Iowa Straw Poll?
What the heck is a straw poll, and what do the results mean? ... ( The straw poll is only held for election cycles in which there isn't a GOP incumbent, so there wasn't a ...