Posted on 10/20/2007 1:41:59 PM PDT by freespirited
Mitt Romney won the Family Research Council Values Voters' Summit straw poll in Washington Saturday, barely beating out Mike Huckabee with just 30 more votes.
Romney garnered 1595 votes to Huckabee's 1565 in the poll of conservative activists. Ron Paul was third with 865 and Fred Thompson was fourth with 564 votes. No vote count has been announced for Rudy Giuliani.
Romney spoke at the summit Friday and called for ending the "marriage penalty" and decreasing out-of-wedlock birth.
In a veiled hit at his rival, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and his more liberal positions on gay rights and abortion, Romney said, "We won’t win the White House with only two out of three or one out of three… We’re not going to beat Hillary Clinton by acting like Hillary Clinton."
Romney reiterated his belief that "two parents are the ideal setting for raising a child." On abortion, Romney declared he would be "a pro-life president," acknowledging that he was a "convert to this cause," referencing his 2005 change from an "effectively pro-choice" position to a pro-life stance.
More than 2,000 conservative activists attended the summit and heard from the Republican presidential field over the last two days.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said 5,776 votes were cast in the straw poll by voting in person, online or by mail. Romney's campaign actively petitioned supporters to vote online whether or not they had attended the conference.
The straw poll is non-binding, unscientific, and does not necessarily reflect the social conservative movement as a whole.
The following three questions were on the straw poll ballot:
1. Which of the following candidates for president would you be most likely to vote for?
RESULTS: Romney-1595 Huckabee-1565 Paul-865 Thompson-564
2. Who of the following candidates would be least acceptable to you as President of the United States? (results not yet announced)
3. Please indicate which issue is the most important in determining your opinion of the candidate that you will most likely vote for – choose one: RESULTS: -abortion -defending marriage -tax cuts -permanent tax relief
Another stupid, wortless poll. How much money did the sponsoring organization make?
Fred is still my choice and I believe he will be the choice of Conservatives. Be patient...he just got started. Look at all the polls; he is second or third in almost all of them (RealClearPolitics). Not that far off Rudy Nationally and not that far off Romney in Iowa. I'm still delighted with my choice. God Speed Fred!
You said: “Romney is just not real.” Wow, his wife and family would probably be surprised to find out that he is not real. You know, that is a really silly statement.
And as for Fred Thompson, the more people see him and hear him, the more unimpressed they are. Why else do you think he cancels appearances, won’t talk to reporters after his campaign stops and really doesn’t even want to talk to the people he speaks to? His campaign is terrified he is going to continue to make gaffes, so they are keeping him safe.
I think you will be disappointed when Conservatives do not make Fred Thompson their choice.
Sorry, but Fred Thompson is a rusty uninspiring empty suit. The fact he did so poorly in this poll screams ‘DUMP ME NOW’.
I agree with you. It’s my impression that Huck is a big-government guy, too, which is unappealing to me.
I’m starting to have doubts that the Reagan coalition is going to be able to unite around anyone this election. Collectively, these candidates are all over the map on almost every important GOP issue.
You had to donate a dollar to sign up. How do you think Ron Paul came in third?
There is still 3 months to go before the first primary. Romney has been campaigning for over a year, and spent millions of dollars. Look where he is. Thompson just got started and will get better and better as he goes.
Let's keep it nice shall we?
I think I'll be more disappointed if Republicans nominate a still Liberal Giuliani or a Romney that still appears Liberal to me under that fresh coat of Conservative paint.
finnman69 wrote: “Sorry, but Fred Thompson is a rusty uninspiring empty suit. The fact he did so poorly in this poll screams ‘DUMP ME NOW’.”
Get back to us when Romney’s real poll numbers (you know, independent scientific polls that he can’t buy) rise up to somewhere McCain’s level... LOL!
Tancredo is seen as a divisive figure wih no shot at the nomination. though, so is Ann Coulter. LOL I’m not condemining him, just stating reality. He garnered more votes then Rudy. Consider the statement that makes about Rudy’s progress with these voters.
My personal views about Tancredo are that he can irritate, annoy, and go too far in rhetoric at times. But he IS a conservative and valuable in the amnesty fight and therefore not an enemy even if his personality is such I’ll never be his warmest fan.
I’d still vote for him over Rudy in a heartbeat.
And yet he will still win the nomination while your turd of a candidate, Rudy, will become a footnote in the history books.
Which of the following candidates for President
would you most likely to vote for?
| Mitt Romney | 1595 | 27.62% |
| Mike Huckabee | 1565 | 27.15% |
| Ron Paul | 865 | 14.98% |
| Fred Thompson | 564 | 9.77% |
| Undecided | 329 | 5.70% |
| Sam Brownback | 297 | 5.14% |
| Duncan Hunter | 140 | 2.42% |
| Tom Tancredo | 133 | 2.30% |
| Rudy Giuliani | 107 | 1.85% |
| John McCain | 81 | 1.40% |
| Not Voting | 67 | 1.16% |
| Barack Obama | 9 | 0.16% |
| Joe Biden | 5 | 0.09% |
| Hillary Clinton | 5 | 0.09% |
| John Edwards | 4 | 0.07% |
| Dennis Kucinich | 4 | 0.07% |
| Christopher Dodd | 2 | 0.03% |
| Bill Richardson | 2 | 0.03% |
| Mike Gravel | 1 | 0.02% |
| Total | 5,775 | 100% |
Onsite Straw Poll Results
| Mike Huckabee | 488 | 51.26% |
| Mitt Romney | 99 | 10.40% |
| Fred Thompson | 77 | 8.09% |
| Tom Tancredo | 65 | 6.83%% |
| Rudy Giuliani | 60 | 6.30% |
| Duncan Hunter | 54 | 5.67% |
| John McCain | 30 | 3.15% |
| Sam Brownback | 26 | 2.73% |
| Ron Paul | 25 | 2.63% |
| Undecided | 11 | 1.16% |
| Not Voting | 7 | 0.74% |
| Barack Obama | 5 | 0.53% |
| Christopher Dodd | 2 | 0.21% |
| Dennis Kucinich | 2 | 0.11% |
| Joe Biden | 1 | 0.11% |
| Hillary Clinton | 0 | 0.00% |
| John Edwards | 0 | 0.00% |
| Mike Gravel | 0 | 0.00% |
| Bill Richardson | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 952 | 100% |
I’ll call her opinion silly. Wanna see me do it? :)
Whoopee! the mittwitts bought another straw poll, what bunch of con's!
The Brody File
Romney Wins Value Voter Straw Poll...Wait. Is Huckabee the Winner?
October 20, 2007
I'm not sure how to explain this. Let's start with this. Technically, Mitt Romney won the big Value Voters Straw poll but it’s not that simple. The vote was open to people online and in that sense, Romney won with 1595 votes compared to Mike Huckabee’s 1565 votes. It was just a 30 vote difference. But for the people that actually voted onsite, it was no contest. Huckabee won 488 votes to Romney’s second place 99. That’s called a thumpin’. Look at the results here.
Here’s what I make of all of this. Romney might be able to claim victory but the onsite voting is a better barometer. Still, the press release the Family Research Council sent out says it's Romney and doesn't even mention the onsite polling. Read it here. We should point out that there's already stories about emails circulating to pump the online vote for Romney. Read more here. Clearly, the people that actually heard the speeches thought Huckabee was the best candidate there. It would be one thing if Huckabee and Romney were neck and neck for onsite voting but for Huckabee to be such an overwhelming onsite winner, that is saying something.
Here’s what it says. It says that you have social conservatives that are ready to embrace him and he’s ready to embrace them. That speech he made on Saturday was electric. I was there. I saw the crowd. They ate it up. See more on Huckabee's speech here. But let’s call a spade a spade. You have Evangelical leaders that are reluctant to back him because he’s having a hard time raising money and putting what they see as a top notch organization in place. He needs their support. He’s going to have to earn it. If social conservatives really want Huckabee so bad, then they'll need to put their money where their mouths are.
Having said all that, Huckabee is poised now to really take off. Why? Two words: Sam Brownback. With Brownback out of the race, many of the votes may go to Huckabee. That could translate into some marginally better poll numbers. Plus, Huckabee can claim victory here and go around the country saying that social conservatives have spoken and that he’s the guy. Romney will make that same claim but don't tell me for a second that the onsite margin differential doesn't have some in the campaign concerned. Maybe because Huckabee is financially challenged, they're not too worried.
It’s going to be interesting to watch the spin coming out of both the Huckabee and Romney camps. Each will claim victory. Each campaign will be right. Read more here and here.
By the way, in terms of onsite polling, Fred Thompson finished with 77 votes after people heard him speak. Rudy Giuliani finished with 60 votes. I think the Giuliani team will take that number and as for the Thompson number, I’m sure they were hoping to do better than that.
The story today is Huckabee.
“Does this mean anyone could vote? If so, you could make an argument that the ballot box was stuffed—and the real winner was Huck.”
In order to vote, you had to be a member of the FRC, and to become a member of the FRC, you need to make a monetary contribution. I doubt ballot-stuffing was an issue.
..I misunderstood the numbers in the beginning—Romney didn’t win, Huck did...
In order to vote, you had to be a member of the FRC, and to become a member of the FRC, you need to make a monetary contribution. I doubt ballot-stuffing was an issue.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/253694.aspx
Romney Wins Value Voter Straw Poll...Wait. Is Huckabee the Winner?
October 20, 2007
I’m not sure how to explain this. Let’s start with this. Technically, Mitt Romney won the big Value Voters Straw poll but it’s not that simple. The vote was open to people online and in that sense, Romney won with 1595 votes compared to Mike Huckabee’s 1565 votes. It was just a 30 vote difference. But for the people that actually voted onsite, it was no contest. Huckabee won 488 votes to Romney’s second place 99. That’s called a thumpin’. Look at the results here.
Here’s what I make of all of this. Romney might be able to claim victory but the onsite voting is a better barometer. Still, the press release the Family Research Council sent out says it’s Romney and doesn’t even mention the onsite polling. Read it here. We should point out that there’s already stories about emails circulating to pump the online vote for Romney. Read more here. Clearly, the people that actually heard the speeches thought Huckabee was the best candidate there. It would be one thing if Huckabee and Romney were neck and neck for onsite voting but for Huckabee to be such an overwhelming onsite winner, that is saying something.
Here’s what it says. It says that you have social conservatives that are ready to embrace him and he’s ready to embrace them. That speech he made on Saturday was electric. I was there. I saw the crowd. They ate it up. See more on Huckabee’s speech here. But let’s call a spade a spade. You have Evangelical leaders that are reluctant to back him because he’s having a hard time raising money and putting what they see as a top notch organization in place. He needs their support. He’s going to have to earn it. If social conservatives really want Huckabee so bad, then they’ll need to put their money where their mouths are.
Having said all that, Huckabee is poised now to really take off. Why? Two words: Sam Brownback. With Brownback out of the race, many of the votes may go to Huckabee. That could translate into some marginally better poll numbers. Plus, Huckabee can claim victory here and go around the country saying that social conservatives have spoken and that he’s the guy. Romney will make that same claim but don’t tell me for a second that the onsite margin differential doesn’t have some in the campaign concerned. Maybe because Huckabee is financially challenged, they’re not too worried.
It’s going to be interesting to watch the spin coming out of both the Huckabee and Romney camps. Each will claim victory. Each campaign will be right. Read more here and here.
By the way, in terms of onsite polling, Fred Thompson finished with 77 votes after people heard him speak. Rudy Giuliani finished with 60 votes. I think the Giuliani team will take that number and as for the Thompson number, I’m sure they were hoping to do better than that.
The story today is Huckabee.
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