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FluffyUnbound
08-10-2007, 04:17 PM
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/paul-camp-may-catch-romneys-bus/


“He’s kind of a wild-card candidate,” said Chuck Laudner, executive director of the state’s Republican Party. “We don’t know what to expect. We’re sure he’ll have a big turnout, but we don’t know how many votes that will be.”

Mr. Laudner said that the Paul campaign appeared to be “bringing in a lot of folks from out of state” to help organize Iowans, who are the only ones allowed to vote. He said it was hard to read what the campaign was doing because it had made no contact with the state party. “They’ve moved outside the whole campaign community,” he said. “They don’t come by. They do their own thing.”

The Romney campaign is bracing for a larger-than-expected showing from Paul supporters, according to Gentry Collins, who is overseeing Mr. Romney’s Iowa operations, although his saying that may be part of a broader attempt to lower expectations for Mr. Romney.

While Mr. Collins said he was confident of the Romney straw poll organization, he said it was carefully watching the excitement that seemed to be building for Mr. Paul.

ceakins
08-10-2007, 04:20 PM
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/paul-camp-may-catch-romneys-bus/

Just came out an hour ago.

ChristopherJ
08-10-2007, 04:20 PM
Man I'm on excitement level RED!

ronpaulitician
08-10-2007, 04:22 PM
Me three!

FluffyUnbound
08-10-2007, 04:22 PM
Man I'm on excitement level RED!

I'm trying to keep it on an even strain here, because I don't want to get expectations that can't be met. But the rumbling is starting to get to me.

I don't want the MSM to finally start expecting big things from Paul just in time to declare a 3rd or 4th place finish a "disappointment".

I know having hundreds of people down there working makes you feel invincible, but then those 125 Mitt buses are going to show up. You know?

joshdvm
08-10-2007, 04:23 PM
This is all starting to get a little surreal. I feel like I'm watching a Spielberg movie, but it's real life.

krott5333
08-10-2007, 04:26 PM
awesome. I hope every person on every one of those busses is an RP supporter

Johnnybags
08-10-2007, 04:27 PM
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/paul-camp-may-catch-romneys-bus/

Paul is not organizing anything, he could not control it if he wanted. Bringing in many from out of state or is it out of staters converging into Iowa on thier own? I cannot wait to see the Ames trib pic. Even with Romneys millions and paid staff they could not pull it off. I just hope the good DR. triples that 2 percent at least. Excitement is a understatement. Fricken ecstatic might be close. I hope Mitt wins, really I do, but only by the smallest of margins over all of them. That gives us more time under the radar.

FluffyUnbound
08-10-2007, 04:28 PM
The other interesting thing in the article is that Jesse was willing to claim the campaign expects 1500-3000 votes.

I am hoping that like everyone else he's trying to play the "lower expectations" game and that the real number ends up being above that.

If Paul gets 3000-5000 votes at Ames I'll consider it a damn good showing no matter how many people Mitt buses in.

Shink
08-10-2007, 04:28 PM
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/paul-camp-may-catch-romneys-bus/

Just came out an hour ago.

Stuff like this makes you SURE they are trying to understand (and possibly smear) the movement by READING HERE. Maybe some tactics can be kept in private messaging. I don't know, whatever. I hope those buses are carrying a lot of people who suddenly decide freedom is best.

stevedasbach
08-10-2007, 04:29 PM
However, we need to remember that other candidates have been recruiting supporters for a long time:
Romney is bring 125 buses - Brownback 100 - Thompson (T) 75.
Tancredo is bringing some and so is FairTax. A total of 375 buses is expected.

As long as we finish above the 1-2% the polls show, we're heading in the right direction.

FreedomLover
08-10-2007, 04:29 PM
That's good pre-emptive damage control for Romney.

Making RP's expectations higher while lowering them for himself so his "win" isn't overlooked by media covering a supposed ron paul surprise.

Shrewd, but still has me pumped.

Hurricane Bruiser
08-10-2007, 04:29 PM
Make sure that the folks in Iowa bused in by Mitt are given Saturday's newspaper.

torchbearer
08-10-2007, 04:30 PM
Ron Paul's donations did hit an all time daily high after the last debate in Iowa...

FreedomLover
08-10-2007, 04:31 PM
The other interesting thing in the article is that Jesse was willing to claim the campaign expects 1500-3000 votes.

I am hoping that like everyone else he's trying to play the "lower expectations" game and that the real number ends up being above that.

Really? I thought those expectations of 1500-3000 were kind of high. Maybe not though, who knows? :cool:

paulitics
08-10-2007, 04:36 PM
Really? I thought those expectations of 1500-3000 were kind of high. Maybe not though, who knows? :cool:

Thats what I was thinking. If we could get even 1500 i would be ecstatic. Seriously, 1500 is pretty respectable for someone spending so little time and money. I would think anything between 500 and 1000 seems reasonable.

angelatc
08-10-2007, 04:48 PM
I'm trying to keep it on an even strain here, because I don't want to get expectations that can't be met.

Me too Fluffy. I was all UP then the kernel poll was so dismal....sigh.

Eli
08-10-2007, 04:52 PM
it doesn't even matter. When all the dust settles Ron Paul will have gotten lots of extra media exposure and still have plenty of money in the bank while the rest are broke with no attention. I'm just curious to see how much debt mitt is going to get in. His cash on hand already isn't very good and he keeps needing pay into his own campaign. This is surely going to tip the bucket.

JosephTheLibertarian
08-10-2007, 04:55 PM
If we don't do well... we may have to deal with the disappointment until the debate in Reno... by then a bunch of GOP will be out, it will only be four guys on stage, the "front runners" and Ron Paul ;) that's when the campaign REALLY begins IMO

freelance
08-10-2007, 04:55 PM
Prepare for the worst, but EXPECT THE BEST!

I hope we pull this off and give Romney the shock of his life! OTOH, this may be part of a new tactic to raise expectations to an unrealistic level. IF this is the case and we still pull it off, it's twice as delicious!

Ninja Homer
08-10-2007, 04:55 PM
“He’s kind of a wild-card candidate,” said Chuck Laudner, executive director of the state’s Republican Party. “We don’t know what to expect. We’re sure he’ll have a big turnout, but we don’t know how many votes that will be.”

Mr. Laudner said that the Paul campaign appeared to be “bringing in a lot of folks from out of state” to help organize Iowans, who are the only ones allowed to vote. He said it was hard to read what the campaign was doing because it had made no contact with the state party. “They’ve moved outside the whole campaign community,” he said. “They don’t come by. They do their own thing.”

Laudner was the one on WHO radio Wednesday, defending their voting machines. He was going on and on about how Ron Paul doesn't have a chance in the straw polls, will be dead last, and doesn't have any support in Iowa. Evidently he finally noticed the supporters in town. Here's the podcast of that show. (http://www.mickelson.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=243359&comments=on)

I think Ron Paul's ranking in the straw poll may not depend so much on how many votes he gets, but how many fewer votes the other candidates get because of the hot day. I know, it sounds like the same thing, but what I mean by that is Ron Paul supporters are dedicated, and will be there to vote regardless of the weather. Other candidates' supporters might just decide to stay home and watch it inside with the AC on.

Johnnybags
08-10-2007, 05:00 PM
it doesn't even matter. When all the dust settles Ron Paul will have gotten lots of extra media exposure and still have plenty of money in the bank while the rest are broke with no attention. I'm just curious to see how much debt mitt is going to get in. His cash on hand already isn't very good and he keeps needing pay into his own campaign. This is surely going to tip the bucket.

My sentiments exactly. Tommy is gone after tomorrow. Probably Brownback soon after. Ron will have 8 -10 million next quarter. No loans. I'll take higher single digits tomorrow. Then we get him more cash than Romney without loans.

Slugg
08-10-2007, 05:10 PM
If Paul gets 3000-5000 votes at Ames I'll consider it a damn good showing no matter how many people Mitt buses in.

Damn straight!!!!!

Hook
08-10-2007, 05:53 PM
Romney's slimy campaign managers are probably raising expectations for the express purpose of disenchanting RP supporters after the straw poll. They probably have psychological profiles of supporters down, so they can predict how many people will jump ship because of dissapointing vote totals or something like that.
Just being paranoid maybe :)

tiznow
08-10-2007, 05:54 PM
Romney's slimy campaign managers are probably raising expectations for the express purpose of disenchanting RP supporters after the straw poll. They probably have psychological profiles of supporters down, so they can predict how many people will jump ship because of dissapointing vote totals or something like that.
Just being paranoid maybe :)

exactly chances of ron paul getting 2nd are very slim IMO

rich34
08-10-2007, 05:57 PM
This makes me a little nervous. Could they be raising expectations and then we not do as well so then they declare Ron's bid in the straw poll a failure.

Shink
08-10-2007, 05:58 PM
I've avoided a prediction, but I finally decided I might as well say it: Don't forget that the other bastards are on the ballot. FT will probably get 2nd place for no reason, Giuliani may get as low as 5th, and Ron Paul will probably be ahead of all the lower tier except for one; whichever did the most Iowa campaigning between Brownback or Huckabee. I'd put RP in the middle of the pack if I had to wager a bet. It may sound disappointing, but it isn't. More people learn about him every second, and it's going to show.

specsaregood
08-10-2007, 05:59 PM
This makes me a little nervous. Could they be raising expectations and then we not do as well so then they declare Ron's bid in the straw poll a failure.

This is exactly what they started doing weeks ago when anti-RP people started predicting this 2nd place stuff. I will hope for 1st and donate MORE if he comes in last.

Hook
08-10-2007, 06:00 PM
One thing is for sure. Romney is a professional politician, and just like Hillary will say anything, pay anyone, and do anything to get into power.

JosephTheLibertarian
08-10-2007, 06:00 PM
But what about the libertarian voters? What about the people that wouldn't normally vote in these GP straw polls?

tiznow
08-10-2007, 06:01 PM
also remember that special interests such as fair tax will be giving out free tickets so that should make up for some of the tickets not purchased by mccain and rudy etc and will give it some semblance of a name recognition poll there will be a good amount of politicing going on there. hopefully everybody from the ron paul camp behaves themselves and aren't confrontational/in your face just doesn't work with iowans. Also ron paul's speech will be the biggest one thus far in this whole process hope he does well as I'm think there will be a larger than usual degree of undecided's at the event.

Slugg
08-10-2007, 06:02 PM
But what about the libertarian voters? What about the people that wouldn't normally vote in these GP straw polls?

Let's pray they show up!

rich34
08-10-2007, 06:04 PM
I don' t think there's that many libertarian voters in Iowa. Hopefully some democrats come out to vote.

tiznow
08-10-2007, 06:10 PM
y libertarian isn't even on the ballot in iowa as i understand. I know a pretty big group is coming from fairfield that is generally concidered the libertarian capital of iowa as far as per capita goes (very hippy/libertarian crowd from what i saw at the fairfield event).

JosephTheLibertarian
08-10-2007, 06:11 PM
I don' t think there's that many libertarian voters in Iowa. Hopefully some democrats come out to vote.

http://www.lpia.org/ here's the iowan libertarian party's site.. they have pretty good voter turnout and iowa isn't even a state they have automatic ballot access to.. like 20-30,000 I think I've seen, in some elections.

mavtek
08-10-2007, 10:58 PM
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/paul-camp-may-catch-romneys-bus/

Sounds like Mitt is a little worried :)

robatsu
08-10-2007, 11:02 PM
If this isn't a tectonic rumbling, hedging of bets by MSM, I don't know that is.

nullvalu
08-10-2007, 11:04 PM
"The Romney campaign is bracing for a larger-than-expected showing from Paul supporters"

....perfect

UtahApocalypse
08-10-2007, 11:08 PM
“We can’t tell our supporters what to do or not do,” Mr. Benton said, adding that the campaign did not want to get “entangled” with federal finance regulations involving potential in-kind contributions.

So why the hell did we get a directive from the campaign the other day? CAn or CANNOT they "direct" us? they need to make up their minds so the grassroots can do what it does best.

Mr. White
08-10-2007, 11:10 PM
Look up FEC regs. It's a very complex situation and theyre trying to be as careful as possible with us.

richard1984
08-10-2007, 11:13 PM
I wish they wouldn't call him "Mr." Paul. It's Dr. Paul!