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Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll in stunning victory; Rick Perry in deep trouble
Miami Herald ^ | 09\24\2011 | Marc Caputo and Alex Leary

Posted on 09/24/2011 5:24:39 PM PDT by iowamark

From the bottom of the polls to the top of the pack, businessman Herman Cain won the Republican Party of Florida’s nationally watched presidential straw poll Saturday in a sign that frontrunner Rick Perry is in deep trouble.

Cain’s victory with 37 percent of the vote was a major defeat for Perry, the frontrunner in Florida and national polls, who garnered only 15 percent after wooing the nearly 3,000 party faithful with a free breakfast and mailers.

The vote also showed how soft Republican support is for Mitt Romney, who came in third with 14 percent. Unlike Perry, though, he avoided schmoozing the GOP voters, called delegates.

"Folks, this is what you call momentum," Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, said in a video message from his campaign bus. "The Herman Cain train is picking up steam."

That means more national media attention, heightened standing in the race and access to more fundraisers.

The straw poll is a mock election and doesn’t necessarily reflect the sentiment of the voters at large. In past years, it has predicted the party’s national nominee, but that streak could be in jeopardy because even some Cain voters had doubts about whether he was ready to be the party’s nominee.

Still, the vote is a major indication of how badly damaged Perry was by a poor debate performance Thursday when he fumbled answers and failed to give specifics.

Many straw poll voters were especially dissatisfied by the answers Perry gave over his moderate immigration position, the “Ponzi scheme” of Social Security and his plan to inoculate girls from human papillomavirus.

“I came in thinking Rick Perry,” said Tommy Langford,a Gilchrist County commissioner who voted for Cain. “I didn’t like the debate at all. I really thought Perry lost it. Mitt Romney called him on immigration. He said we have to take care of them. Not if they’re illegal, we don’t.”

Another big loser: Michele Bachmann, who came in last place. Once a top-tier candidate who won the Iowa straw poll, she has fallen from sight in the debates where she, too, fails to give specifics, excite delegates here or even reach out to them.

Perry issued a written statement congratulating Cain, saying the vote underscored the fact that the conservative message of job creation, fiscal responsibility and limited government is gaining momentum.

“Floridians and voters nationally want a candidate who is clear on the issues and talks honestly about the future,” Perry said, “not someone who takes multiple sides of an issue and changes views every election season. Today’s vote demonstrates that Floridians are energized and ready to help get America working again.”

Pinellas County delegate Rachelle Warmouth said that, if Perry lost, it wouldn’t be the end of his campaign. But when or lose, the debate performance and the effect it’s having on party loyalists are a call to step up his game.

“He’ll have to have a strong recovery,” she said. “He needs to focus on his message.”

Warmouth’s friend, Eileen Blackmer, agreed: “He needs to work on the three C’s: Be clear, be concise, be complete.”

Lee County delegate Dane Eagle said he’s for Romney. He likes the candidate’s message and polish on stage. And he fears that President Obama would walk all over Perry in debates.

“That’s what Obama does,” Eagle said. “He debates.”

St. Johns County delegate Randy Covington said he arrived in Orlando ready to vote for Perry, but the debate "shattered" that plan. Covington decided to support Cain after the businessman"s rousing speech on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. That event was wedged in between the party’s Presidency 5 Thursday debate and Saturday straw poll.

But Convington said he wasn’t sure if Cain would or should be the nominee. He said the primary shouldn’t be a two-man race.

"We need this process to go on," Covington said.

Gov. Rick Scott, who announced the results from the Orange County Convention Center stage, said the candidates “need to take very seriously whatever the results are.”

"It shows you something. Florida is important," Scott said from the Orange County Convention Center stage. "It pays to be here."


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida; US: Iowa
KEYWORDS: 0bamaisfailing; 0poisoned2012well; 2008paul; 2012; 2012cain; blackvsbarackdreams; cain; cainvsunable; cannothappen; communistperry; conservatives4cain; donttreadonme; election; florida; gocaingo; growupfreepers; hermancain; hermaniscool; leftchosemccain08; leftisvoting4you; liberalmediaspin; livefreeordie; mediachoosing4you; miamiheraldisliberal; nomoredoles; nomoremccains; openprimariesarajoke; palin2012; palincain2012; paulwonstrawpolls2; perry; perrydreamact; perryrino; pollsarenotprimaries; primary; raisingcain; remember50states; rickperry; rinoperry; romneyrino; runsarahrun; sarahrocks; strawpoll08pickloser; takebackamerica; tanstaafl; time2partyagain; traitorperry; treeofliberty; willnothappen; zeroisfailing
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To: iowamark

McCain / Palin 2012


21 posted on 09/24/2011 5:37:49 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network ("Cut the Crap and Balance!" -- Governor Sarah Palin , Friday August 12 2011, Iowa State Fair)
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To: iowamark; P-Marlowe; wmfights; Jim Robinson; Cincinatus' Wife

I’ve got to thoroughly disagree with this articles headline. It should read: Mitt Romney in DEEP trouble.

Why?

Perry performed poorly, but ROMNEY is the one who performed very well. DESPITE that good performance, he not only didn’t improve, but he actually dropped compared to his national poll numbers.

Perry lost support. The based refused to give Romney the support he would otherwise have earned. In short, they must not like him. There’s no other way to interpret those results.


22 posted on 09/24/2011 5:37:58 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)
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To: iowamark

I don’t think Cain has a chance, but I sure like his steadfast message. The man is consistant and doesn’t waffle or weasel out.


23 posted on 09/24/2011 5:38:03 PM PDT by umgud
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To: Marie

This should be a major wake-up call to both the Perry and Romney campaigns. People are sick of the same old sh**. Either figure out how to chart a new path or wither on the old vine.


24 posted on 09/24/2011 5:38:19 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy
If you add Perry and Mitt’s percentages, they combined barely beat Cain.

Umm no they did not. Even combined Cain wins by 8 points.

Herman Cain: 37 percent

Rick Perry: 15 percent

Mitt Romney: 14 percent

25 posted on 09/24/2011 5:38:19 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: iowamark
It's not "society's" education dollars, that is the money earned by each family, and worked to earn it for their own kids, Rick. We passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. Charity is a positive force for good, but each individual retains the right to make that charitable decision, including the choice to give funds voluntarily to help poor children from around the world obtain more education - it's not the government's decision.
26 posted on 09/24/2011 5:39:06 PM PDT by 4Liberty (88% of Americans are NON-UNION. We value honest, peaceful Free trade-NOT protectionist CARTELS)
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To: MNJohnnie

Perry was the front runner in Florida


27 posted on 09/24/2011 5:39:06 PM PDT by Beckett08 ("My Jihad means 'My Struggle' So does "Mein Kampf.")
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To: Ripliancum
Mitt skipped the Iowa straw poll as well as this one.

Interesting quote from his camp from the previous article.

“In June the Romney campaign said that while they respect the straw poll process, they would not take part in straw polls this cycle and instead “focus our energies and resources on winning primaries and caucuses.”

28 posted on 09/24/2011 5:39:49 PM PDT by Ripliancum (Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you. -Eph. 4:31)
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To: MNJohnnie
Why does this mean Perry is in trouble and not Romney?

Because for the most part Romney passed on this event while Perry's people worked overtime and he was predicted to take it. Expectations for Perry here were high due to his early momentum and media exposure.

29 posted on 09/24/2011 5:39:58 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (GunWalker: Arming "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as well funded")
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To: MNJohnnie

My bad, thanks (and to think I got a 36 on the math ACT). That is even MORE pathetic for Romney and Perry. A strong message has been sent. We’ll see what comes of it.


30 posted on 09/24/2011 5:40:08 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: iowamark

Cain delivers a heartless butt kicking to perry.


31 posted on 09/24/2011 5:41:35 PM PDT by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by Perry and his fellow democrats.)
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Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: iowamark

I like Cain, also like Perry so either way, it looks like a win.


33 posted on 09/24/2011 5:42:06 PM PDT by MizSterious (Apparently, there's no honor when it comes to someone else's retirement funds.)
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To: Free Vulcan

> Sarah’s my #1, Cain #2. If Sarah doesn’t jump in I’m on the Cain Train.

DITTO !!!


34 posted on 09/24/2011 5:42:16 PM PDT by BuffaloJack (Defeat Obama. End the War On Freedom.)
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To: umgud
I don’t think Cain has a chance

At this point in 2007 McCain was the one of the three bottom candidates and 0 was a virtual unknown. At that point "everyone knew" it was going to be "Hillary vrs Giuliani IN 2008.

35 posted on 09/24/2011 5:42:36 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (Giving more money to DC to fix the Debt is like giving free drugs to addicts think it will cure them)
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To: MNJohnnie

Good point. Maybe there is still hope.


36 posted on 09/24/2011 5:43:49 PM PDT by umgud
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To: dirtboy

Raising Cain!!!!

I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Bachmann either. As more and more issues thicken the race, Bachmann’s outsized tiff over a rare side effect of Gardasil will be forgotten. Bachmann gets so much other stuff right.


37 posted on 09/24/2011 5:44:19 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (There's gonna be a Redneck Revolution! (See my freep page) [rednecks come in many colors])
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To: umgud

“BUT GOD.....” is a common phrase throughout scripture used where the situation is beyond desperate - and then God sovereignly intervenes.....

And that’s exactly the situation now, and exactly what we need.

Yes, outwardly he doesn’t have a chance.....”BUT GOD....”

So we need to pray.....remember, our battle IS NOT AGAINST FLESH & BLOOD!


38 posted on 09/24/2011 5:44:43 PM PDT by Arlis (- Virginia loghome/woods-dweller/Jesus lovin'/Bible-totin'/"gun-clinger")
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To: dirtboy

Ricardo Perry lost it when at first he went on the states rights when it came to the homo agenda when homo’s are trying to get even more special laws and now openly serve along with cross dressing freak but then blew it when it came on to the immigration and then called many bigots


39 posted on 09/24/2011 5:45:10 PM PDT by manc (Hannity admitted he's socially liberal on his show, another phony cashing in,marriage =1man +1 woman)
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To: umgud

“I don’t think Cain has a chance”

Change your way of thinking then. Haven’t you read an old childrens story about the Little Train That Could? I think I ca(i)n, I think I ca(i)n-—and he DID!


40 posted on 09/24/2011 5:45:46 PM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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