scrosnoe
07-28-2007, 06:28 AM
Got this question and a link via email today and not sure how to reply and whether to post here or in the Iowa Straw Poll section (please duplicate there if you think appropriate) and please advise on reply I should give them if any - they are beginning to work on the Texas straw poll and watching Iowa closely . . .
Interesting..saw this from the dallas blog today. I made bold the paragraph
about Huckabee, see how they are "working" the Christian right..what is Ron's campaign doing? anything?
http://www.dallasblog.com/tom-pauken/iowa-straw-poll-first-gop-test.html
Iowa Straw Poll First GOP Test
by Tom Pauken Tue, Jul 17, 2007, 08:57 AM
The Iowa Straw Poll for Republican presidential candidates will take place on August 11th. It will be the first, significant test of candidate strength in preparation for the first in the nation Iowa caucuses early next year. Two of the three Republicans viewed as leading contenders for the Republican nomination next year – Rudy Giuliani and John McCain – already have announced that they will not participate. Nor will Fred Thompson be actively involved in the August poll since he has yet to announce his candidacy officially.
That leaves the field wide open for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who currently is leading in the polls among likely participants in the Iowa caucus. Romney has spent a tremendous amount of money and time on organizational efforts in Iowa, and he is expected to be the big winner in the August straw poll which will be the first real test of political support in that state.
Nonetheless, keep your eye on how four Republican dark horses do in the Iowa straw poll. Those are former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Representative Ron Paul, Representative Duncan Hunter and Representative Tom Tancredo. Each has his own constituency in Iowa and could surprise on the upside next month.
Governor Huckabee has a strong following among the evangelical community. Just last month, David Lane brought together some 250 Iowa pastors at a Rediscovering God in America event in Des Moines. Huckabee, a former pastor, spoke at that event; and many of the Iowa pastors are expected to turn out their members for Governor Huckabee at the August straw polls.
Lane, who is emerging as a major political force within the evangelical community, last year put together a Pastors Policy Briefing which brought together another 250 Evangelical pastors in Iowa. David Lane also works with the Iowa Christian Alliance which plans on setting up this fall 17 Iowa Caucus Training schools across the state in preparation for the first in the nation vote in the 2008 presidential primaries.
Ron Paul is another candidate worth watching next month. A pro-life libertarian and strong critic of the War in Iraq, Paul recently attracted a crowd estimated at 1,000 to 1,200 on June 30th in Des Moines after the organizers of a debate among GOP candidates excluded Ron Paul from participation. Paul supporters staged their own event next door and outdrew the official event sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance, according to Paul Likoudis.
It was surprising that organizers excluded Ron Paul from the debate since he is both pro-life and a consistent supporter of low taxes. Paul supporters suspect that he was “uninvited” because of his opposition to the War in Iraq.
Ron Paul has a dedicated following and could do better than expected in the Iowa straw poll since he is the only Republican candidate for President opposed to the war.
Representative Duncan Hunter also has strong grassroots support among conservatives. Hunter has been a strong advocate for addressing our trade deficit with China and rebuilding our manufacturing base, issues that are of increasing concern to middle class Americans caught in the squeeze of globalization. He also has been an outspoken critic of Bush’s immigration policy.
Finally, Representative Tom Tancredo may garner support from Iowans concerned about the Bush Administration’s immigration policy. He has been the leading Congressional critic of the President’s immigration policy from the beginning. At the moment, opposition to the Senate’s failed immigration reform legislation is the “hot button” issue among Republican primary voters. Can Tancredo turn that into his advantage at the August straw polls? The problem he faces is that most of the other Republican contenders (excluding John McCain) also opposed Bush’s immigration reform legislation which was recently rejected by the U.S. Senate.
Mitt Romney has far more support in the Iowa polls than Huckabee, Paul, Hunter, and Tancredo combined. He should win the August straw poll by a wide margin, particularly since the other Republican candidates who are viewed as major contenders (Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson) will not be competing to turn out their supporters. Thus, any surprise on the upside by one of the GOP long shots could change the dynamics of the Republican presidential primary campaign for 2008.
Interesting..saw this from the dallas blog today. I made bold the paragraph
about Huckabee, see how they are "working" the Christian right..what is Ron's campaign doing? anything?
http://www.dallasblog.com/tom-pauken/iowa-straw-poll-first-gop-test.html
Iowa Straw Poll First GOP Test
by Tom Pauken Tue, Jul 17, 2007, 08:57 AM
The Iowa Straw Poll for Republican presidential candidates will take place on August 11th. It will be the first, significant test of candidate strength in preparation for the first in the nation Iowa caucuses early next year. Two of the three Republicans viewed as leading contenders for the Republican nomination next year – Rudy Giuliani and John McCain – already have announced that they will not participate. Nor will Fred Thompson be actively involved in the August poll since he has yet to announce his candidacy officially.
That leaves the field wide open for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who currently is leading in the polls among likely participants in the Iowa caucus. Romney has spent a tremendous amount of money and time on organizational efforts in Iowa, and he is expected to be the big winner in the August straw poll which will be the first real test of political support in that state.
Nonetheless, keep your eye on how four Republican dark horses do in the Iowa straw poll. Those are former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Representative Ron Paul, Representative Duncan Hunter and Representative Tom Tancredo. Each has his own constituency in Iowa and could surprise on the upside next month.
Governor Huckabee has a strong following among the evangelical community. Just last month, David Lane brought together some 250 Iowa pastors at a Rediscovering God in America event in Des Moines. Huckabee, a former pastor, spoke at that event; and many of the Iowa pastors are expected to turn out their members for Governor Huckabee at the August straw polls.
Lane, who is emerging as a major political force within the evangelical community, last year put together a Pastors Policy Briefing which brought together another 250 Evangelical pastors in Iowa. David Lane also works with the Iowa Christian Alliance which plans on setting up this fall 17 Iowa Caucus Training schools across the state in preparation for the first in the nation vote in the 2008 presidential primaries.
Ron Paul is another candidate worth watching next month. A pro-life libertarian and strong critic of the War in Iraq, Paul recently attracted a crowd estimated at 1,000 to 1,200 on June 30th in Des Moines after the organizers of a debate among GOP candidates excluded Ron Paul from participation. Paul supporters staged their own event next door and outdrew the official event sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance, according to Paul Likoudis.
It was surprising that organizers excluded Ron Paul from the debate since he is both pro-life and a consistent supporter of low taxes. Paul supporters suspect that he was “uninvited” because of his opposition to the War in Iraq.
Ron Paul has a dedicated following and could do better than expected in the Iowa straw poll since he is the only Republican candidate for President opposed to the war.
Representative Duncan Hunter also has strong grassroots support among conservatives. Hunter has been a strong advocate for addressing our trade deficit with China and rebuilding our manufacturing base, issues that are of increasing concern to middle class Americans caught in the squeeze of globalization. He also has been an outspoken critic of Bush’s immigration policy.
Finally, Representative Tom Tancredo may garner support from Iowans concerned about the Bush Administration’s immigration policy. He has been the leading Congressional critic of the President’s immigration policy from the beginning. At the moment, opposition to the Senate’s failed immigration reform legislation is the “hot button” issue among Republican primary voters. Can Tancredo turn that into his advantage at the August straw polls? The problem he faces is that most of the other Republican contenders (excluding John McCain) also opposed Bush’s immigration reform legislation which was recently rejected by the U.S. Senate.
Mitt Romney has far more support in the Iowa polls than Huckabee, Paul, Hunter, and Tancredo combined. He should win the August straw poll by a wide margin, particularly since the other Republican candidates who are viewed as major contenders (Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson) will not be competing to turn out their supporters. Thus, any surprise on the upside by one of the GOP long shots could change the dynamics of the Republican presidential primary campaign for 2008.