AP: Romney 1st, Paul 2nd @ 12:21pm EST

[pacelli]

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Mitt Romney has an early lead in presidential preference voting among Maine Republicans as the first returns from caucuses are counted.

The former Massachusetts governor has 59 percent of the vote with 3 percent of the towns holding caucuses reporting. Trailing are Ron Paul with 19 percent, John McCain with 18 percent, and Mike Huckabee and undecided votes each having about 2 percent.
The nonbinding votes are taking place in public schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls, and attendance is said to be heavy statewide.

Cars jammed the parking lot outside the Augusta elementary school where Kennebec County municipalities were caucusing. Inside, speeches were being given on behalf of candidates as around 300 party members listened and cheered.

Kim Pettengill, who's been a party activist for more than three decades, said Saturday's is the largest Kennebec caucus turnout since 1980. State party officials reported similarly heavy turnouts in other counties.

Republican caucuses are being held in about 410 Maine municipalities, and most of those are Saturday. The nonbinding caucuses are the first step toward electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention.


http://www.wmtw.com/politics/15202138/detail.html?taf=port

[Shellshock1918]

f*ckin romney

[ItsTime]

those are popular votes, not delegates... wait for the delegates to come in!

[lvp1138]

Same situation as Nevada... but in the end, Ron Paul's very dedicated supporters are the ones running for delegate...

[phixion]

Nice to hear Romney is still going to keep the delegates away from McCain in Super Tuesday even after all the media-hype about McCain.

Pete

[TER]

Much rather Romney than McCain. I cannot even begin to describe how much.

[DFF]

Go LDS go!

[bucfish]

We will win the delegates.

[Sarge]

The media and or Romney is going to spin the vote.

We need to be able to shout we have the delegates.

It will be confusing if he ends up getting the most popular vote, yet doesn't end up getting the most delegates.

At any rate, coming ahead of McCain might help us here in AZ buy waking the sleeping sheep up.

[Bilgefisher]

when do the local delegates vote for state delegates?

[HazardPerry]

This smells. Exactly the same thing happened in Nevada. exactly.

We had better get some motherfarking delegates or I am going to be really angry.

[RJB]

Go LDS go!

I blame CWC (clear water) and MSM over LDS.

[ItsTime]

the combo really hurts us. Lots of Mormons and I believe most of the radio stations in maine are owned by Clear Water. :eek:


I blame CWC (clear water) and MSM over LDS.

[Eponym_mi]

The popular vote gets all the press. RP needs to win the popular vote in at least one election in order to get some momentum.

[RufusTDoofus]

when do the local delegates vote for state delegates?
First week of May.

[tamor]

Repeat after me-- it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count, :-)

[RufusTDoofus]

I don't think the media will be able to announce delegate counts today. Delegates to the state convention do not declare a candidate. Of course each delegate has a preference but those preferences aren't recorded in any official manner. To report delegate counts at this stage would be complete guesswork and highly inaccurate. The media will report the presidential preference results because that's the only thing they will have an official count for.

[raiha]

it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count
I still feel miserable!

[nate895]

it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count
I still feel miserable!

Not if we can't get enough momentum to win enough states on Super Tuesday to force Romney and Huckabee to drop, then delegates truly do count because that means that their votes will come to us at a 50:1 ratio.

[derekjohnson]

Repeat after me-- it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count, :-)

True, but I think he has to win 5 states popular vote/straw poll to be eligible for a brokered convention so the vte totals count too.

[familydog]

Repeat after me-- it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count,it's the delegates that count, it's the delegates that count, :-)

Momentum counts just as much. We don't get momentum from delegates. If Ron Paul can't win the popular vote, people will think he is unelectable more so than they already think he is. Therefore they will not suport him. Its the sad truth.

[Radiofoot]

True, but I think he has to win 5 states popular vote/straw poll to be eligible for a brokered convention so the vte totals count too.

If Romney drops out, does that mean we'd get the popular vote in Nevada?

Or doesn't it quite work like that...

I was thinking if Huckabee wins a few deep south states, and we come second, then he drops out... We might be able to pick up a lot that way.

[thompsonisland]

We do need those numbers and that momentum, but I think we might also want to look at strategies for making people realize that Ron Paul is a stronger candidate than McCain for beating Hillary. If the delegates, who ARE politically engaged, can hear that message, it might help move some of the uncommitteds.

[acroso]

I like Romney 100X better than McCrazy.

[stevedasbach]

As I understand it, the winning five states rule refers strictly to delegates, I assume at the convention itself. To be nominated, a candidate must have the support of a majority of the delegates from each of five states.

For this purpose, the straw vote in Maine is irrelevant. However, as others have noted, the straw vote is the thing that matters as far as media coverage and momentum for Super Tuesday is concerned, unless the Paul campaign can conclusively document that Paul has the support of a majority of delegates and is thus guaranteed to receive all of Maine's national convention delegates.

[JohnnyWrath]

Much rather Romney than McCain. I cannot even begin to describe how much.

+1

[Crickett]

Not if we can't get enough momentum to win enough states on Super Tuesday to force Romney and Huckabee to drop, then delegates truly do count because that means that their votes will come to us at a 50:1 ratio.
You know...I just got a really creepy feeling that if (when) somehow a bunch of people hear Ron talk (maybe tonight in a few hours?) this momentum is going to change almost overnight. I mean..like ALL of a sudden people in droves are going to go with Ron. It is a strong feeling.

[nate895]

You know...I just got a really creepy feeling that if (when) somehow a bunch of people hear Ron talk (maybe tonight in a few hours?) this momentum is going to change almost overnight. I mean..like ALL of a sudden people in droves are going to go with Ron. It is a strong feeling.

That's why I suggested buying out all the time the night before Super Tuesday on every channel. Chances are, you agree with Ron Paul on something, if not most everything. Even McCain supporters 50% like Ron Paul. Balanced budgets, really low taxes (heck, some of them don't like the war).

[ambiguousscion]

People can change their minds quickly, but most people decide they like someone and then the other candidates are deemed "the enemy". The only thing that will cause "momentum" is if someone big drops out and endorses RP... but that won't happen.

[Carole]

If he Romney 51% of the votes will he get all the delgates? Be alert that if he gets exactly 51% and the rule applies that he gets the delegates verify the vote count.

He got exactly 51% in Nevada as well as Hillary got exactly 51%. Please check on this.