Live results from Palmetto Family Straw Poll - Columbia, SC

[georgia_tech_swagger]

I'm in the Convention Center -- we are awaiting results.

A HUGE Ron Paul contingent is here ... but Huckabee got a pretty loud round of applause.

[Eli]

any idea how many people showed up to vote?

[Michael Ingram]

When are results expected?

[georgia_tech_swagger]

I'd say at least a good 1,000 here. Huckabee, Hunter, and Hugh Cort were here in person.

And if you think Alan Keyes is a psycho, HOLY CRAP wait until you hear Hugh Cort. He makes O'Reilly look like Patrick Henry.

[georgia_tech_swagger]

When are results expected?

Any minute.

[gagnonstudio]

Hugh Cort? huh?

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Correction: Daniel Gilbert was here in person too.

I'm being assaulted by bluegrass music at the moment >.<

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Live by phone: Tancredo, Paul, Thompson, McCain

Video: Romney

No show: Giuliani

Didn't answer pamphlet questions: Giuliani, every Dem but Gravel, Romney, Thompson

[Michael Ingram]

This should be exciting! Any photos or videos from the event?

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Rumored early result:

#1) Huckabee 206
#2) Paul 179

[remaxjon]

tick tick tick I can't take it

[georgia_tech_swagger]

This should be exciting! Any photos or videos from the event?

LOTS of guys toting cameras .... so not right now, but soon.

[remaxjon]

Rumored early result:

#1) Huckabee 206
#2) Paul 179

ahhhhhhhhhhhh Huckabee

He is a real threat

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Here come the results:

[katao]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh Huckabee

He is a real threat

Only in the Bible belt.

[Michael Ingram]

damn you huckabee

[georgia_tech_swagger]

Only those more with 1 vote counted:

539 total ballots cast

10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani
9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort
8th: 10 votes - John McCain
7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert
6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney
5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter
4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback
3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson
2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul
1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee

[Michael Ingram]

2nd place is ok

[Eli]

grrr!

Good job guys, can't win em all :(

[remaxjon]

Only those more with 1 vote counted:

539 total ballots cast

10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani
9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort
8th: 10 votes - John McCain
7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert
6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney
5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter
4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback
3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson
2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul
1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee


great job we will take 35% anyday

[FluffyUnbound]

Considering the fact that Huckabee was actually present, that's pretty damn good.

SC hasn't really been the best state for Ron so far, but things are looking up.

[Jared Callanan]

Second place and all of those candidates were either there in person, or spoke via telephone / video? Second place is friggin awesome! Nicely done folks, keep up the great work!

[Johnnybags]

great job we will take 35% anyday


The Ghoul cannot show in a straw poll outside of NY,NJ, and CT. He is the front runner though?

[Dustancostine]

Can't wait for the headlines:

"Huckabee wins SC Straw Poll, Thompson comes in Third"

[paulitics]

how many were from the meetup groups? best guess?

[OptionsTrader]

The website says that anyone of voting age could vote. That is a different rule than what we were under at the Ft. Worth Texas straw poll, they only allowed delegates to vote, those that voted in the last Republican primary.

http://www.palmettofamily.org/stumplogistics.htm

[quickmike]

considering it took place in what Bill Maher calls the "perfect storm of stupidity" Id say thats damn good.
These are the only places that the Huckster does well, and he doesnt always do well even with his fire and brimstone following.

No offense to any of you SC people, but you know what I mean, otherwise you wouldnt be RP supporters in the first place.

[Johnnybags]

Can't wait for the headlines:

"Huckabee wins SC Straw Poll, Thompson comes in Third"


Thats about it but somehow I am thinking this Sanjaya treatment is working out?

It sure is pissing people off enough to do more.

[brumans]

1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee // 38.21%

2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul // 33.20%

3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson // 7.97%

4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback // 5.38%

5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter // 4.63%

6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney // 2.59%

7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert // 2.22%

8th: 10 votes - John McCain // 1.85%

9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort // 1.29%

10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani // .92%

Other (those with only 1 vote): 9 votes // 1.66%


539 total ballots cast

[BenIsForRon]

This is good. If you notice, at the straw polls, all the pro war people tend to put all their votes on one candidate. During the actual primaries, these votes will be split, while Ron takes all the rest.

[katao]

This is good. If you notice, at the straw polls, all the pro war people tend to put all their votes on one candidate. During the actual primaries, these votes will be split, while Ron takes all the rest.

Unfortunately, most states are winner takes all, and Huckabee is probably the front-runner in SC.

[Johnnybags]

Unfortunately, most states are winner takes all, and Huckabee is probably the front-runner in SC.

Take the governor as VP, then you have a win in SC and good showing in NH early. And Romneys millions go down the tubes.

[katao]

Take the governor as VP, then you have a win in SC and good showing in NH early. And Romneys millions go down the tubes.

I like your suggestion! I've said before that a pre-announced strong VP could make a BIG difference.

[wgadget]

Wow, a big 7% for the Fred. What a resounding thud that guy turned out to be...

And Rudy couldn't even beat CORT!! I wonder if the MSM will report this one.


GO RON PAUL!!! Awesome work.

[devil21]

AP already has a story up on Yahoo:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_el_pr/conservatives_south_carolina_1;_ylt=AlC6uIgnwnbKYh SmHwE.C3LkbeRF

[Chester Copperpot]

The Ghoul cannot show in a straw poll outside of NY,NJ, and CT. He is the front runner though?

We're going to do out best to basg Rudy in New Jersey

[Zydeco]

Rudy has zero meetup members.

And he lost to Cort. And Daniel Gilbert, whatever that is.

[lx43]

I would guess if Ron was there in person we would have won this hands down. I know I did my part though I was there and voted. :)

[wgadget]

I would have driven the 4-5 hours from Atlanta if I didn't have to work tonight and if it wasn't on a freaking WEEKNIGHT!

[Eli]

ron paul does very well in every straw poll whether he shows up or not. The rest only do well depending on how much money they throw at it, and like romney proved; They have to throw 100% of everything they got at it just to get 1% results. This means one thing...its all about the meetup groups :)

Ron paul supporters are going to show up to the primaries with nearly 100% attendance, who's going to get off their couch for a candidate they only support via name recognition? they'll answer an annoying pollster call but they ain't going anywhere come primary season. I'm excited for when the primaries come, the meetups are going to be in full force, the attendance for the meetups are going to skyrocket, by then the meetup groups will have grown to nearly 80-100k members. Members will be a lot more active as it comes down to crunch time, not to mention all those closet RP supporters, and we are going to be one hell of a force to be recgonned with. *evil grin*

[wgadget]

1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee // 38.21%

2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul // 33.20%

3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson // 7.97%

4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback // 5.38%

5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter // 4.63%

6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney // 2.59%

7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert // 2.22%

8th: 10 votes - John McCain // 1.85%

9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort // 1.29%

10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani // .92%

Other (those with only 1 vote): 9 votes // 1.66%


539 total ballots cast



Poor old Duncan "Texas Strawpoll" Hunter came in with only 4.63%....And he was there in person!!

[RPatTheBeach]

Poor old Duncan "Texas Strawpoll" Hunter came in with only 4.63%....And he was there in person!!

My favorite quote from the night was when Hunter said he was glad he could make it out to get his picture taken with a bunch of RP supporters.

[cjhowe]

My favorite quote from the night was when Hunter said he was glad he could make it out to get his picture taken with a bunch of RP supporters.

He should be getting used to that by now.

[Larofeticus]

I was there and a +1 for ron paul. I was really amazed; though i'm active in the local meetup there were alot of people with ron paul stickers and signs that I didn't recognise.

The way things divided up there were like 4 rows of tables reserved at the front with regular grey-haired neocon types, and all the tables behind that were "guests and visitors" and were mostly full of ron paul people and signs and stickers. The granny warriors were out front. All the speakers alternated between appause from the front vs. applause from the back, and alot of the "applause" lines were met mildly or with akward silence. All the non-ron paul people walked around with this strange expression like "what the hell is going on here... who are these people?" It was really hilarious how all the normal pandering to christian attitudes were responded to so weakly because of the large number of paul supporters diluting things.

The hugh court guy is nuts and also a terrible public speaker. I wish ron's phone talk could have been better; he touched a little on all the issues instead of focusing on the social conservative ones that people wanted to hear. Thompson sounded vague and unconvincing, Hunter is a nice guy but when we talked to him he couldn't justify his war support with more than "we have to take a principled stand" Things weren't like texas for him; he didn't bring out a wounded 9/11 vetaran so everyone could put their fingers in his wounded hands and side. McCain kept refrencing fighting satan or some weird stuff. Huckabee is an amazing public speaker... until you stop to think about what he says. "I'm just like you. I'm not from K stree or wall street, i'm from main street. I grew up just like you." My response: "Overweight?"

Sad we didn't win though; came really close. It was very heartening to see all the support that just sort of materialized as if from a fog bank. I am now much more confident we've got a shot at making big waves or even winning.

Afterwards we went to flying saucer to have some beers with the national campaign people; and got a few more converst while we were there.

[wgadget]

Thanks for the awesome report!

[slantedview]

I'd say this was a good showing.

[zebov]

odd that that AP article quotes hunter and mccain, but doesn't say much about the top three winners of the straw poll.

[Tin_Foil_Hat]

odd that that AP article quotes hunter and mccain, but doesn't say much about the top three winners of the straw poll.


That's because they are "top tier", remember? ;)

[wgadget]

I wonder how it must feel to be a "top tier" who nobody votes for...can't imagine.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Only those more with 1 vote counted:

539 total ballots cast

10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani
9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort
8th: 10 votes - John McCain
7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert
6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney
5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter
4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback
3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson
2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul
1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee


I would guess if Ron was there in person we would have won this hands down. I know I did my part though I was there and voted. :)


I was there and a +1 for ron paul. I was really amazed; though i'm active in the local meetup there were alot of people with ron paul stickers and signs that I didn't recognise.

...

Sad we didn't win though; came really close. It was very heartening to see all the support that just sort of materialized as if from a fog bank. I am now much more confident we've got a shot at making big waves or even winning.

Afterwards we went to flying saucer to have some beers with the national campaign people; and got a few more converst while we were there.

Thanks everyone for all your hard work. I think this is a great second place. 3rd and beyond was left in the dust.


I wonder how it must feel to be a "top tier" who nobody votes for...can't imagine.

lol

Go Ron Paul!

m

[aksmith]

The fact that Hunter showed up an got almost no support points up the fact that the Texas Straw Poll was a put up job to try to shoot down RP.

I still think our guy getting about 17% in that hostile neocon Texas crowd amounted to a win. But getting this much support in SC is a very good sign. We all know Huckster is running for VP, not the top spot. So this is a victory of sorts, since Dr. Paul won't be Vice President. Of all the presidential candidates he came in first.

Any votes for that lunatic Keyes? Um, I guess not. Good.

[buffalokid777]

Unfortunately, most states are winner takes all, and Huckabee is probably the front-runner in SC.

South Carolina support the Huckster....

CONGRATS to the Pastor of Preemptive war.....You may have won a battle....

But We'll WIN the war...

The lord has a place for you Hucky......and when he sees the blood on your hands...

I have a feeling that place will be VERY, VERY, HOT!

ENJOY HUCKSTER....HOPE THE PANDERING FOR VP, AND BEING PART OF THE CIA'S PRO WAR EVANGELICAL CHOIR WAS WORTH IT!

[Johnnybags]

I cannot find many anywhere accept the ring of steel area around NYC,North Jersey and Southern CT that supports him. How in the hell is he on top of national polls?




Huckabee won the straw poll with 206 votes. Paul finished second with 179 votes, followed by Thompson, a distant third with 43 votes.

The only candidate without a presence at the meeting was former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose campaign said he skips events linked to straw polls. The crowd booed his absence.

[RJB]

I have a feeling that place will be VERY, VERY, HOT!

And very crowded with politicians.