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View Full Version : GOP: IMPORTANT: Straw polls in 2011 that we must win!




malkusm
02-13-2011, 08:15 PM
Our showing at CPAC 2011 will be painted as a simple anomaly by the media if we fail to organize and create a pattern of winning at the major straw polls in this election cycle.

Below are the dates, locations, and websites of several major straw polls in 2011. We need to start thinking about these and organizing for them now. Making a strong showing not only gives us a track record, but it allows us to spread our message with committed conservatives, which will be vital to success in the 2012 campaign.

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Republican Leadership Conference 2011
When: June 16-18, 2011
Where: The Hilton Riverside New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Website: http://www.rlc2011.com/
Speakers: Ron Paul and Rand Paul have both been invited to speak. Additional contenders for the 2012 nomination include: Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Tim Pawlenty.
Significance: Traditionally, this event has been named the "Southern Republican Leadership Conference," and has been held only on even-numbered years. It still figures to be the pre-eminent event in the southern U.S. for contenders to showcase their support and to win over voters and activists. In 2010, Ron Paul placed second in the straw poll, finishing one vote (!!!) behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Cost: Tickets are $299 each (!!), which includes 3 meals and access to the Reagan Centennial Gala on the Saturday evening of the conference. Tickets are discounted by $100 for those who register before February 28, bringing tickets down to $199. No C4L or other group discounts have been announced, although C4L heavily subsidized ticket costs in 2010 for its members.

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Ames Straw Poll 2011
When: August 13, 2011
Where: Hilton Coliseum
Ames, IA
Website: No official website; information can be found via Wikipedia here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_Straw_Poll)
Speakers: No list of attendees or speakers is available at this time.
Significance: Major media event, and is viewed as a gauge of support in the first caucus state in the country, approximately 5 months in advance of the 2012 Iowa caucuses. Only residents of Iowa may vote. In 2007, Ron Paul placed 5th in the Ames Straw Poll, receiving 9.1% of the 14,302 votes, and beating out such Republican "frontrunners" as Rudy Giuliani (1.3%) and John McCain (0.7%).
Cost: Voters in the straw poll must be eligible to caucus (18 years or older by January 2012), Iowa residents, and must purchase a ticket to the evening fundraising dinner in order to vote. Tickets cost $35 each in 2007.

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Value Voters Summit 2011
When: October 7-9, 2011
Where: Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC
Website: http://www.valuesvotersummit.org/
Speakers: Ron and Rand Paul have NOT been invited to speak at this event, as of this time. Invited speakers include Republican contenders Mitch Daniels, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Mike Pence, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and John Thune.
Significance: More of a "social conservative" event, it would be nice to make a showing to broaden Ron's base into a group that he may not be so popular with, by emphasizing his stances on pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution issues that may appeal to them. Also important to maintain a record of consistency, assuming a strong showing in the two earlier events, and due to its proximity to the 2012 primaries.
Cost: Tickets go for $99, although there is a $20 discount for those who register before April 30, bringing the cost down to $79. Student tickets are $50 ($30 before April 30), but those registering as students are required to be under the age of 21. No discounts are available at this time through C4L or other organizations.

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Events which will occur, but details have not yet been announced:
Texas Straw Poll (August ? Texas)
Western CPAC (October ? California)

TomtheTinker
02-13-2011, 08:17 PM
bump

forsmant
02-13-2011, 08:19 PM
The RLC has discounted registration available until February 28th. 100$ off

malkusm
02-13-2011, 08:20 PM
The RLC has discounted registration available until February 28th. 100$ off

Good to know. Do you think it would be helpful for me to include a "Cost" header for each event?

forsmant
02-13-2011, 08:21 PM
I think that would be a great idea, Matt.

DXDoug
02-13-2011, 08:23 PM
theres a like post stickyed . can find it in my sig important dates

malkusm
02-13-2011, 08:34 PM
Costs were added to the OP.

sailingaway
02-13-2011, 08:59 PM
Are you sure this should be on the front page with the media coming here after CPAC? I have no problem with the thread, just it blaring at the top of the homepage. It kinda plays into the media meme that Ron's wins should be discounted.

muzzled dogg
02-13-2011, 09:04 PM
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?276530-Important-2011-Dates&highlight=important+dates

texas straw poll, western cpac

malkusm
02-13-2011, 09:16 PM
Thanks Shem. I'll try to write something up on those two events by tomorrow and will add them to the OP.

muzzled dogg
02-13-2011, 09:24 PM
^thanks

how many votes do we need to win the values voter summit

Flash
02-13-2011, 09:28 PM
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/09/19/huckabee-wins-2012-straw-poll-at-values-voters-summit/

Huckabee won with 170 votes.

Matt Collins
02-13-2011, 09:31 PM
Thanks for compiling this, and it's a good writeup.

muzzled dogg
02-13-2011, 09:33 PM
each one of this is maybe worthy of a subforum

kah13176
02-13-2011, 10:02 PM
hmmm...I might go to the Republican Leadership Conference since that's decently close to Georgia. I'm 17, never been to a political event before. Might be fun.

libertybrewcity
02-13-2011, 11:33 PM
Holy crap, $199 with the discounted price at SRLC including three meals, 299 regularly. That is a lot of money...anyone else think so? How does CPAC do it so cheaply?

parocks
02-14-2011, 03:35 AM
Are you sure this should be on the front page with the media coming here after CPAC? I have no problem with the thread, just it blaring at the top of the homepage. It kinda plays into the media meme that Ron's wins should be discounted.

The media is going to discount the wins if they can. And they can and theres no real benefit here of trying to hide anything. The goal is to win. If it's easier to win by not hiding anything just do that.

Was CPAC well coordinated, did we get the votes we wanted from the tickets we sent out? What was the 6% Gary Johnson all about?

The 2011 victory was more important than the 2010. Closer to the election.

What these victories do is deprive other candidates from stories. If Mitch Daniels won, the media would've gone nuts and run hundreds of stories about rising star whatever. But he didn't win. Ron Paul won. We're not getting the stories, but we are preventing anyone else from getting the story. Who are people going to start throwing a lot of money at? And why? If theres no tangible evidence at all that Tim Pawlenty has any support, why are people going to start throwing money at him?

Eric21ND
02-14-2011, 05:05 AM
The media is going to discount the wins if they can. And they can and theres no real benefit here of trying to hide anything. The goal is to win. If it's easier to win by not hiding anything just do that.

Was CPAC well coordinated, did we get the votes we wanted from the tickets we sent out? What was the 6% Gary Johnson all about?

The 2011 victory was more important than the 2010. Closer to the election.

What these victories do is deprive other candidates from stories. If Mitch Daniels won, the media would've gone nuts and run hundreds of stories about rising star whatever. But he didn't win. Ron Paul won. We're not getting the stories, but we are preventing anyone else from getting the story. Who are people going to start throwing a lot of money at? And why? If theres no tangible evidence at all that Tim Pawlenty has any support, why are people going to start throwing money at him?
Well said. At the very least RP winning prevents the propagandizing for someone the media wants to push, ala Pawlenty, Daniels, etc.

malkusm
02-14-2011, 07:36 AM
hmmm...I might go to the Republican Leadership Conference since that's decently close to Georgia. I'm 17, never been to a political event before. Might be fun.

Note that you must be 18 or over to cast a vote at the RLC...so if you don't turn 18 by June, you might not want to drop the cash. (Not that we don't want you there, just that you wouldn't be eligible to vote.)


Holy crap, $199 with the discounted price at SRLC including three meals, 299 regularly. That is a lot of money...anyone else think so? How does CPAC do it so cheaply?

Yeah, I don't remember it being that expensive last year. It seems to me that C4L tickets were heavily discounted last year in an effort to get Ron the win...I'm not sure exactly how much tickets cost through them, but I'd stand pat and wait to see if anything is announced.

Bergie Bergeron
02-14-2011, 08:23 AM
C4L will probably offer cheap tickets as always.

muzzled dogg
02-14-2011, 08:31 AM
Yeah but last year c4l didn't sponsor western cpac or value voters

If we think these are worthy causes then we need to email c4l soon

Elwar
02-14-2011, 08:47 AM
It's a 10 hour drive for me to New Orleans, I'll definitely hit that one.

By then our local CFL should be at full steam.

The Dark Knight
02-14-2011, 10:33 AM
Winning straw polls is great but I think the straw poll that is most important by far is the Ames straw poll. All other straw polls will be discredited by the MSM. not saying we should not support the other straw polls but most of our time and effort should go into getting organized for Ames.

muzzled dogg
02-14-2011, 10:36 AM
^agree that Ames is most important but only iowans can vote in it

But for some people who post here these smaller straw polls may be geographically close

Elwar
02-14-2011, 10:52 AM
Are there any other small straw polls coming up?

muzzled dogg
02-14-2011, 10:55 AM
elwar i see you're in florida i remember reading something about FL adding a straw poll.

google florida straw poll and let us know what you come up with

Elwar
02-14-2011, 12:55 PM
elwar i see you're in florida i remember reading something about FL adding a straw poll.

google florida straw poll and let us know what you come up with

Yes, there will be a straw poll but I believe it will be everyone in the state.

In 2008 Florida wanted to be one of the first states to hold primaries. They did but got penalized by having their delegates votes not count at the national convention.

In 2012 they're considering holding an early "straw poll" statewide and then holding the binding primary much later. They figure that this will give them that early state status but they don't lose their delegate votes.

muzzled dogg
02-14-2011, 12:56 PM
There is a nfrw straw poll too I think

John of Des Moines
02-14-2011, 05:49 PM
Cost: Voters in the straw poll must be 18 years of age or older, Iowa residents, and must purchase a ticket to the evening fundraising dinner in order to vote. Tickets cost $35 each in 2007.

IIRC, if you're old enough to vote on election day you can straw poll and caucus.

malkusm
02-14-2011, 09:15 PM
IIRC, if you're old enough to vote on election day you can straw poll and caucus.

Thanks for this. I'll update the OP accordingly.

Also working on adding the Texas Straw Poll and Western CPAC to the OP. Look for these shortly.

malkusm
02-14-2011, 09:22 PM
Actually, it looks like there aren't any substantial details available for either the Texas Straw Poll or Western CPAC at this time. Stay tuned....

JoshLowry
02-14-2011, 09:34 PM
each one of this is maybe worthy of a subforum

Yea, I need to create about 5 subforums tonight...

muzzled dogg
02-22-2011, 11:01 PM
good idea josh

Thomas
02-28-2011, 11:52 AM
delte the cpac subforum? add the new ones? unsticky the logo contest and straw poll threads?

muzzled dogg
03-03-2011, 09:23 PM
agreed,

esp for srlc

matt how many votes do we need to win srlc?

malkusm
03-03-2011, 09:26 PM
Last year's results:

Romney 24% (439 votes)
Paul 24% (438)
Palin 18% (330)
Gingrich 18% (321)

I would say that the attendance will probably be higher this time around, so I think 550-600 is the goal to shoot for.