Ron Paul Fifth in Iowa Straw Poll
The results of the Iowa Straw Poll are in, and they should be encouraging for Ron Paul supporters. He placed fifth with nine percent of the vote, ahead of absent "top tier" candidates Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson. He also placed well ahead of Tommy Thompson, Duncan Hunter, and John Cox. It should be noted that Tommy Thompson was a popular governor of a nearby state (Wisconsin), and had based almost his entire campaign in Iowa. John Cox was portrayed by the media as a fringe candidate, but had loaned his campaign nearly a million dollars, and had visited all 99 counties in Iowa.
There are several good results here for Ron Paul and his growing base of supporters. Tommy Thompson and Duncan Hunter are most likely finished as candidates, which will thin the field somewhat in future debates. Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback both did well enough to stay in the race, meaning they will continue to battle each other for support from social conservatives, and continue to criticize Romney and the other front runners. Tom Tancredo will probably stay in as well. Having a somewhat crowded field is a positive for Ron Paul, since it means more candidates to split the pro-war Republican vote, while he remains the only choice for the growing number of Republicans who want to bring the troops home from Iraq.
A fifth place showing is good enough to legitimize the Paul campaign, given his late start in Iowa, his lack of mainstream media coverage, and his two percent showing in scientific polls. Ron Paul supporters were several times more likely to make the trip to Ames to show their support than the polls predicted, just as they will be more likely to turn out in the caucuses and primaries nationwide. Duncan Hunter, by comparison, was polling at one percent according to ABC, and drew about one percent support at the straw poll. Mitt Romney fared only slightly better in the straw poll than in scientific opinion polls in Iowa, despite paying to bus people in.
The number of Ron Paul volunteers and their enthusiasm in Ames generated a lot of positive coverage for the campaign, and will prompt many more Iowans to learn about his policy proposals and his record in Congress. The more people learn about Ron Paul, the better they like him. The straw poll was also good on-the-ground training for the volunteer army forming behind his candidacy. The week-long visit by Dr. Paul, and the accompanying advertising on television, radio, and in the newspapers, will also help build support toward the event that really counts, the Iowa caucuses on January 14th.
Read more at Paul 4 Prez
Iowa Straw Poll Results (14,302 votes total)
31.6% -- Mitt Romney
18.1% -- Mike Huckabee
15.3% -- Sam Brownback
13.7% -- Tom Tancredo
9.1% -- Ron Paul
7.3% -- Tommy Thompson
1.4% -- Fred Thompson
1.3% -- Rudy Giuliani
1.2% -- Duncan Hunter
0.7% -- John McCain
0.3% -- John Cox
There are several good results here for Ron Paul and his growing base of supporters. Tommy Thompson and Duncan Hunter are most likely finished as candidates, which will thin the field somewhat in future debates. Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback both did well enough to stay in the race, meaning they will continue to battle each other for support from social conservatives, and continue to criticize Romney and the other front runners. Tom Tancredo will probably stay in as well. Having a somewhat crowded field is a positive for Ron Paul, since it means more candidates to split the pro-war Republican vote, while he remains the only choice for the growing number of Republicans who want to bring the troops home from Iraq.
A fifth place showing is good enough to legitimize the Paul campaign, given his late start in Iowa, his lack of mainstream media coverage, and his two percent showing in scientific polls. Ron Paul supporters were several times more likely to make the trip to Ames to show their support than the polls predicted, just as they will be more likely to turn out in the caucuses and primaries nationwide. Duncan Hunter, by comparison, was polling at one percent according to ABC, and drew about one percent support at the straw poll. Mitt Romney fared only slightly better in the straw poll than in scientific opinion polls in Iowa, despite paying to bus people in.
The number of Ron Paul volunteers and their enthusiasm in Ames generated a lot of positive coverage for the campaign, and will prompt many more Iowans to learn about his policy proposals and his record in Congress. The more people learn about Ron Paul, the better they like him. The straw poll was also good on-the-ground training for the volunteer army forming behind his candidacy. The week-long visit by Dr. Paul, and the accompanying advertising on television, radio, and in the newspapers, will also help build support toward the event that really counts, the Iowa caucuses on January 14th.
