Scribbler de Stebbing
06-23-2007, 11:26 AM
[SPOOF]
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i20851
AMES--Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) scored second in the Iowa Republican straw poll on Sunday with 25.7%, trailing the undeclared-but-likely-to-run Fred Thompson who received 25.7% of the vote. Rudy Giuliani placed third with 12.5%, Mitt Romney fourth with 9.0%, and John McCain fifth, with 5.6%.
The results for Giuliani were higher than pundits had expected, given that he and McCain had officially withdrawn from active participation to campaign elsewhere. Romney's results however, were disturbingly low, perhaps indicating that Iowans just don't like him. Thompson's high results as an undeclared candidate are thought to be a result of his positions being unknown.
The annual event was moved forward unexpectedly from August when organizers and credible candidates became concerned that fringe candidates were planning to disrupt the event. These fears were realized, as many of the voting participants were found to be infiltrators, who, after being chosen based on likely preference, were converted to the Paul camp by his performance in the Republican debates.
While not technically forbidden, such shifts are considered by many in the Republican establishment as disloyal and the guilty parties are usually given a gentle warning.
This year's results, which organizer Ted Failure of Muscatine described as "definitely out of whack," were on such a scale that the results were corrected, with Paul's votes counted as "Other or undecided" in the final tally to be officially released on Monday.
Fred Thompson, whose undeclared candidacy is going forward splendidly, greeted the media just after the event via a video filmed the preceding week at a studio resembling his East Coast home, in which he said, "I thank the people of Iowa for the 34.6% win."
His campaign later released an additional video warning Paul about future misbehavior: "A mental institution, where they could give you devastating electroshock treatment-it's something you ought to think about."
Paul, one of only two candidates in the debates (with McCain) who opposed the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on enemy combatants, responded by noting that acceptance of torture was an increasing danger to American civil liberties. Organizers noted his "bizarre" statement for reference in case future disturbances lead them to seek involuntary commitment proceedings.
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i20851
AMES--Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) scored second in the Iowa Republican straw poll on Sunday with 25.7%, trailing the undeclared-but-likely-to-run Fred Thompson who received 25.7% of the vote. Rudy Giuliani placed third with 12.5%, Mitt Romney fourth with 9.0%, and John McCain fifth, with 5.6%.
The results for Giuliani were higher than pundits had expected, given that he and McCain had officially withdrawn from active participation to campaign elsewhere. Romney's results however, were disturbingly low, perhaps indicating that Iowans just don't like him. Thompson's high results as an undeclared candidate are thought to be a result of his positions being unknown.
The annual event was moved forward unexpectedly from August when organizers and credible candidates became concerned that fringe candidates were planning to disrupt the event. These fears were realized, as many of the voting participants were found to be infiltrators, who, after being chosen based on likely preference, were converted to the Paul camp by his performance in the Republican debates.
While not technically forbidden, such shifts are considered by many in the Republican establishment as disloyal and the guilty parties are usually given a gentle warning.
This year's results, which organizer Ted Failure of Muscatine described as "definitely out of whack," were on such a scale that the results were corrected, with Paul's votes counted as "Other or undecided" in the final tally to be officially released on Monday.
Fred Thompson, whose undeclared candidacy is going forward splendidly, greeted the media just after the event via a video filmed the preceding week at a studio resembling his East Coast home, in which he said, "I thank the people of Iowa for the 34.6% win."
His campaign later released an additional video warning Paul about future misbehavior: "A mental institution, where they could give you devastating electroshock treatment-it's something you ought to think about."
Paul, one of only two candidates in the debates (with McCain) who opposed the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on enemy combatants, responded by noting that acceptance of torture was an increasing danger to American civil liberties. Organizers noted his "bizarre" statement for reference in case future disturbances lead them to seek involuntary commitment proceedings.