Talk about cold comfort. Mitt Romney, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race on Thursday, won a straw poll of conservative activists on Saturday, edging out likely nominee John McCain.
Ballots for the straw poll conducted at the Conservatives Political Action Conference were collected Thursday morning through Friday afternoon. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, quit the race in a midday speech to the conference on Thursday.
In the straw poll vote, Romney got 35 percent and McCain 34 percent. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas tied with 12 percent.
Romney won the straw poll at the conference last year.
On another question, two-thirds said they would vote for McCain if he's the eventual nominee, two in 10 said they would vote for someone else and about one in 10 said they would not vote.
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Senator Hillary Clinton confounded public opinion polls to pull out a surprise victory Tuesday in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. New Hampshire voters also gave a dramatic comeback victory to Republican Senator John McCain, leaving a wide open race for both parties as the candidates fan out across the country to continue their campaigns for the presidential nomination. VOA's Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
Supporters cheer as Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton takes the stage in Manchester, New Hampshire, 8 Jan 2008
A beaming Hillary Clinton appeared on the national television talks shows on the morning after the primary, trying to explain how she defied the polls and political analysts to narrowly defeat the presumed front-runner in New Hampshire, Barack Obama.
Many experts pointed to an emotional moment on Monday when the normally tough Clinton let down her guard and her eyes welled with tears when asked by a woman voter how she was coping with the stress of the campaign trail. Clinton said Wednesday the question reminded her of why she is running for president.
"When the woman in Portsmouth said to me 'Well how are you doing?' you know, it just flashed through my mind, I have asked that question to people in so many settings across our country, and even the world, for so many years," she said. "And I felt like we are finally understanding that that is what it is about, it is about what we do for each other, it is about how do we hear each other, what do we care about each other."
Read full story [VOICE OF AMERICA]
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DURHAM, N.H. – New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney edged out the competition in a straw poll taken at the University of New Hampshire Museum where an exhibit featuring political memorabilia runs through Jan. 22—the original New Hampshire primary date.
Clinton garnered 17 votes while her Democratic challengers Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama tied at 16 each. John Edwards received 10 votes; Chris Dodd, 4; Bill Richardson, 3; Joe Biden, 1; Mike Gravel, 0.
On the Republican side, John McCain followed Romney with 5 votes; Ron Paul 4;
Rudy Giuliani, 3; Mike Huckabee, 1; Fred Thompson, 1; and Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, John Cox, 0.
Write-in candidates included Stephen Colbert who received 2 votes while Al Gore, Al Sharpton, and Spongebob Squarepants received 1 each.
The museum exhibit "Up Close and Personal: A Look at the NH Primaries" presents a local collection of political memorabilia and offers a look at the unique access to candidates that New Hampshire people enjoy. The majority of the objects belong to Susan Roman (’74) and her husband, Chris Regan, both Durham attorneys.
One display case has a ribbon from 1840 bearing the names of President William H. Harrison, the first Whig elected to the office, and his vice president, John Tyler.
A campaign button reads, “Eleanor start packing. The Willkies are coming.” Wendell Lewis Willkie was nominated for president by the Republican Party in 1940 to run against Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Read full story [Seacoast Media]
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On Saturday, Republican presidential candidate and Texas
Congressman Ron Paul won the Nevada Republican Assembly's Straw Poll
with 39 percent.
Dr. Paul had more than double the support of John McCain who
received second place with 15 percent of the straw poll vote. Over
ninety people voted in the poll, which was held on Saturday afternoon
on the second day of the Nevada Republican Assembly's Presidential
Endorsing Convention. The straw poll was open to the public.
"Ron Paul supporters showed their dedication by coming out to vote
in the middle of a snow storm," said Jennifer Terhune, a Nevada-based
spokeswoman for the Ron Paul campaign. "Dr. Paul's message of freedom,
peace and prosperity is resonating with Nevadans."
Read full story [Reuters]
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The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.
This venerable publication, which has been an American institution since 1792, will host The Old Farmer’s Almanac New Hampshire Presidential Straw Poll on its Web site in the days leading up to the nation’s first presidential primary.
Vote online at Almanac.com/strawpoll . The 2008 Old Farmer’s Almanac New Hampshire Presidential Straw Poll is open to everyone in the United States regardless of age or state residency.
The polls are now open (as of January 1) and will close at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on January 7. Results will be announced on January 8. Hurry and vote!
Just because you may not live in Iowa or New Hampshire, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of early voting!
In The Old Farmer’s Almanac Presidential Straw Poll, one Republican and one Democrat will be selected as winners. Not only will the winning candidates be able to bask in the glory of their victory, but each will also have the following donations made by The Old Farmer’s Almanac in their name:
• A day’s worth of meals (snacks included!) for a donkey or an elephant (depending on the candidate’s party). The lucky animals, Matilda and Dulary, respectively reside at Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue in Tehachapi, California (www.donkeyrescue.org), and The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee (www.elephants.com).
• A copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids, Volume 2, for every child at an elementary school of the candidate’s choosing or one in the town they now call home.
The results of The 2008 Old Farmer’s Almanac New Hampshire Presidential Straw Poll will be announced on the afternoon of January 8. Candidates will be notified directly. Soon thereafter, the animals will be fed and the elementary school children will begin learning how to throw a forkball and that bats don’t swoop.
ABOUT THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, owned by Yankee Publishing of Dublin, New Hampshire, is North America’s oldest continuously published periodical. Founded by Robert B. Thomas in 1792, the book publishes four editions (three for the United States and one for Canada) and distributes 4 million copies annually. In addition to its weather forecasts, the Almanac is known for its stories on history, home, gardening, and cooking.
The Almanac product line also includes several themed calendars, cookbooks, and the annual All-Seasons Garden Guide.
The online home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is Almanac.com .
ABOUT THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC FOR KIDS
First published in 2005, The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids is a playground for a young person’s imagination and curiosity. Based on The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the kids’ edition spotlights the subjects for which the Almanac is best known—astronomy, nature, farming, gardening, history, and, of course, the weather. The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids features a full-color design and an easy-to-read format for its 8-years-old-and-up audience.
The second volume of the book was introduced in August 2007. For more information about The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids, please visit Almanac4kids.com .
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An AOL straw poll that is supposed to be spam proof shows both Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul winning their respective primaries. The poll records national as well as state-by-state results. At the time of this report over 57,000 Republicans and 56,000 Democrats have voted in the poll.
On the Democratic side the results somewhat mirrored media generated polls. Nationally Clinton has 46%, Barack Obama 27%, John Edwards 17%, Biden 4%, Kucinich 3%, Richardson 2%, Gravel 1%, and Dodd 1%.
Clinton leads in most states but Obama leads in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Wyoming.
In Iowa the race is tight where Obama leads with 31% followed by Clinton with 30%and Edwards with 24%.
In New Hampshire, Clinton has 46%, Obama 26%, and Edwards has 15%.
On the Republican side the results mirrored media generated polls with one exception. Ron Paul is placing first in most states and second in several others.
The results of the other candidates did mirror media generated polls. Giuliani is winning in New York and New Jersey and Connecticut but is being edged out by Paul in Florida and New Mexico. Florida and New Mexico have changed hands several times between Giuliani and Paul.
Romney is winning Utah, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Read full story [USA Daily]
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Let us concede at the start that Ron Paul is not likely to be elected president. He neither looks nor sounds particularly presidential. He has a tendency to wander away from his central message to discuss esoterica such as the gold standard. He lacks a professional campaign organization. He is an anti-war candidate in a pro-war party. And his campaign has attracted more than its share of conspiracy theorists and other fringe elements.
Yet it is undeniable that Paul has struck a chord with a large segment of disaffected Republicans. His fundraising over the last few weeks has been phenomenal. Paul announced Sunday that he expects to raise more than $12 million this quarter and possibly as much as $15 million. He's already set a record for the most money raised on a single day ($4.2 million) and has vaulted into third place for cash on hand among the candidates ($2.4 million before his most recent successes).
Little more than an asterisk in polls just a couple of months ago, Paul is running a respectable fourth in New Hampshire and closing in on double digits in other key states. As he spends some of the millions he recently has raised, that can only be expected to rise.
Where's the appeal?
Some of Paul's appeal undoubtedly stems from his opposition to the war in Iraq. Polls show that as many as a third of Republicans oppose the war, and many others are deeply troubled by the seemingly endless conflict. With all the other Republicans trying to outdo one another at being the most belligerent-toward Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and the world in general -- Rep. Paul stands out. If you want to register opposition to the Bush foreign policy, but aren't willing to support the Democrats' version of tax and spend government, Ron Paul is the perfect vehicle.
Read full story [postbulletin.com]
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U.S. Sen. Barack Obama won the Kansas Democratic Party email straw poll, party officials announced today.
Obama tallied 692 votes out of 1,904 votes cast for 36.3 percent. The poll was held this week and ended last night.
Second place went to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton with 504 votes, or 26.5 percent. Former senator John Edwards had 355 votes or 18.6 percent.
Read full story [The Lawrence Journal-World]
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Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, kansas straw poll, strawpollblog.com
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama narrowly defeated John Edwards in a straw poll held last night at Towson University.
The event, sponsored by the Towson University College Democrats and the Central Baltimore County Democratic Club, attracted about 120 people, of which 95 cast ballots, said Scott Sokol, vice president of the Baltimore County club.
Obama, a senator from Illinois, received 29 percent. Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, came in second with 27 percent. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York trailed with 16 percent. Four other candidates split the remaining votes.
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Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, straw poll, strawpollblog.com
Ron Paul won the annual Virginia GOP retreat straw poll by collecting 38% of the votes. Fred Thompson managed to collect 23% while Mike Huckabee, who was represented by his wife, finished a distant third with 11%.
Virginia GOP Retreat Straw Poll Results were: Ron Paul 182 (38%), Fred Thompson 112 (23%), Mike Huckabee 51 (11%), Rudy Guiliani 45 (9%), Mitt Romney 43 (9%), John McCain 23 (5%), Duncan Hunter 19 (4%), Tom Tancredo 4 (<1%)
Several long-time Republican leaders including conservative icon Morton Blackwell complemented the Paul campaign on their strong organization and mobilization efforts, according to Ron Paul National Field Director Dennis Fusaro, who spoke on Dr. Paul’s behalf at the event. Fusaro went on to say that, while this reflects the organizational strength of the Paul campaign around the country, it is essential that Virginia Ron Paul Republicans replicate this turn-out on a county-by-county basis at next year’s mass meetings. Fusaro went on to congratulation the grassroots for, once again, coming out to support Dr. Paul in an unprecedented manner.
Read full story [News Long Island]
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