Jon Keller
Reporting

(WBZ) BOSTON Giving the little people a chance to face off with "big people" is what makes the New Hampshire primary famous.

Rudy Giuliani is the latest candidate to get caught off guard by a cut-to-the-chase question from a voter.

I spoke with the Derry, New Hampshire woman who brought him up short, and she's feeling the heat for her question.

Katherine Prudhomme-O'Brien says she was just curious about the apparent lack of support for their father's candidacy by Giuliani's son and daughter from a previous marriage, but that query and Giuliani's dismissive reply have been the buzz of the political world all weekend.

"I asked him how he'd expect the American people to give him loyal fellowship if he was having a hard time getting it from his own family."

Giuliani's response: "There are complexities in every family in America. The best thing I can say is kind of leave my family alone, just like I'll leave your family alone."

Keller: What did you think of his answer?

Katherine: I thought it was a little defensive. I guess he's still not ready to talk about the whole thing because it's very uncomfortable for him.

And apparently for others, as well. Katherine's question has been criticized by some pundits as inappropriate.

Katherine: When George Stephanopolous said I was a professional heckler, that was crazy, because I don't recall every heckling anybody.

She did once ask then-candidate Al Gore to comment on Bill Clinton's personal misbehavior, a fact that's been used to discredit her.

Keller: You're not a kook or a wacko?

Katherine: I don't think I'm a kook or a wacko.

Keller: You're not a plant by some other campaign?

Katherine: No, this is a plant (pointing to a nearby plant), I'm not a plant.

In fact, Katherine wonders why she had to be the one to raise long-simmering questions about Giuliani's personal character. "I'm very frustrated by the media. I think maybe they want to maintain access, so maybe they're selling their soul for access and not doing their job."

How true. Concerns about Giuliani's temperament are one of the key barriers he faces in his run for president, and stories about his estranged son and Obama-supporting daughter have been out in public for awhile.

It's outrageous Katherine has been taking heat for politely asking about it. And it's testimony to the value in forcing candidates out of their media bubble once in awhile to take blunt questions from fearless voters, New Hampshire style.

Katherine Prudhomme-O'Brien

Katherine Prudhomme-O'Brien says she was just curious about the apparent lack of support for their father's candidacy by Giuliani's son and daughter from a previous marriage.

CBS

'IF YOU CAN'T RUN YOUR OWN HOUSE, YOU CAN'T RUN THE WHITE HOUSE'...

'IF YOU CAN'T RUN YOUR OWN HOUSE, YOU CAN'T RUN THE WHITE HOUSE'...
Michelle Obama: 'One of the most important things that we need to know about the next President of the United States is, is he somebody that shares our values? Is he somebody that respects family? Is a good and decent person? So our view was that, if you can't run your own house, you certainly can't run the White House. So, so we've adjusted our schedules to make sure that our girls are first'...

OBAMA WIFE SLAMS HILLARY?

"Exceptional" Radio Ad

Paul Schmitt from the daily Alini: "Mitt Romney: The best solution to America's ills"

Mitt Romney: The best solution to America's ills

By Paul Schmitt

Posted: 8/21/07 Section: Opinion Columns

When your daughter is lost in Manhattan, overdosed on ecstasy, where do you turn? While the NYPD and other run-of-the-mill solutions are probably a safe first choice, I suggest another option - Mitt Romney. Sure, Mitt Romney doesn't wield an M9 or wear a sleek uniform, as far as I know, but he has proven himself again and again at handling crisis situations. Perhaps by the end of this column, you'll be nominating him to handle our country's current crisis situation.

According to NewsMax Magazine, a bastion of respected journalism, Romney handled such a crisis in 1996 when the 14-year-old daughter of his business partner went missing in New York City. Romney sprang into action assembling a crack team of more than 20 of his employees and friends from Bain Capital, his multibillion dollar venture firm, to find the girl. While the girl was perhaps saved only hours from death thanks to Romney's quick thinking and vast resources, what's more impressive is that this story is a concentrated example of the types of wonders that Romney has been working throughout his life.

Many in Illinois, infected by Obama Fever (symptoms include: hyper behavior, uncontrolled enthusiasm and an inability to name any of the candidate's accomplishments), may wish that the Republicans would play dead this election cycle. However, upon reviewing the credentials of those in the race on both sides, the Mormon from Massachusetts (of all places) deserves a second look. Though Mitt Romney faces a long road with Giuliani and Thompson as adversaries, his ability to surprise and achieve may carry him further than most expect.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, has proven himself as a leader, in and out of government. In 2002, Romney was called on to save the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, which had been scandal-ridden and destined for financial chaos. The Olympic Committee had accepted more than $1 million in bribes before Romney was called in to clean things up. When he was done, the projected deficit of $379 million was transformed into a profit of $56 million. While Romney's miracle could be attributed to his savvy business skills, he has brought similar success to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

While the Republican governor of a state claiming only 13 percent of her population as registered Republicans, Romney balanced the state's budget and eradicated a deficit of $3 billion. NewsMax reports that Romney even left the governor's office with a "rainy day fund." Additionally, Romney labored over landmark legislation that created a statewide health care program that covers 99.5 percent of Massachusetts' residents. Not only has Romney accomplished some very un-Republican objectives in a partisan state, he accomplished it all without ever raising taxes or driving businesses from the state - perhaps our grandiose-goaled governor could take a tip from Romney's style.

Though many have questioned Romney's record as a social conservative, after all, he did once support a woman's right to choose regarding abortion, it may be important to remember that even Ronald Reagan was once pro-choice. Romney's conversion to the pro-life cause is likely legitimate; he claims the importance of the sanctity of life on abortion dawned on him during a debate in Massachusetts over cloning. Perhaps it takes some extreme madness to show us how far we've drifted from our roots.

Giuliani and Thompson would probably both serve effectively in the Oval Office. However, Romney's accomplishments in an executive role make him tailored for the challenges faced by a president. Working in the severe minority with a legislature in Massachusetts also gives Romney the skills to unite a country long polarized by political ideology.

He may not be the media darling that Obama is, or the dynasty candidate that Hillary Clinton is, but Romney leads with a type of modest confidence that has been lacking from the White House for many years.

Romney's efforts in the campaign could be fruitful for America. Even if he isn't the perfect choice for conservatives or isn't progressive enough for moderates, for Republicans, Romney brings with him the cure to Obama fever - practical experience.

Hedgehog Report: Romney Surges In Gallup Poll

Romney Surges In Gallup Poll

Who says the Iowa straw poll didn't matter? A new poll from the people at Gallup shows Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee gaining while the other top three candidates dropped (difference from Aug 3-5 in parentheses).

PRESIDENT - NATIONAL - GOP PRIMARY
Rudy Giuliani 32% (-1)
Fred Thompson 19% (-2)
Mitt Romney 14% (+6)
John McCain 11% (-6)
Mike Huckabee 4% (+2)
Ron Paul 3% (+1)
Duncan Hunter 2% (+1)
Chuck Hagel 1% (NC)
Sam Brownback 1% (NC)
Tom Tancredo 1% (NC)

This latest poll was done August 13-16 among a bunch of registered voters. Even better news for Romney, his favorable ratings have improved among the General public, and more importantly in the short term, among Republican voters. He went from net -9% favorable rating to +7% favorable rating among the public at large. Among Republican voters, his favorable rating is at 49% in this poll, up 13% form the previous Gallup poll. But before the Romney crowd starts wonder, he still trails Giuliani, McCain and Thompson in favorability ratings.

Favorable-Unfavorable Opinion (among GOP voters)
Giuliani 77%-14%
John McCain 59%-28%
Fred Thompson 50%-7%
Mitt Romney 49%-16%
Mike Huckabee 30%-8%
Sam Brownback 14%-13%

Regardless, it is clear Romney continues to make gains from his victory in Iowa. While he didn't have to contend with the other top candidates, it has clearly given him a boost.

Posted by Dave Wissing at 1:04 pm
Filed under: Election 2008 - Polls |

Comments:

I think its about time that the candidates not getting 5% of the vote should drop out entirely.

Also, Obama was a very big winner in the most recent debate.

Comment by Tina — 8/19/2007 @ 1:17 pm
In my opinion, it was not the Straw Poll, at all. What is making the difference for Gov. Romney is that he has infused his campaign with a lot of cash, and has spent it in Iowa and New Hampshire.
And, he has put a good organization on the ground. Very important. Ground organization translates into votes.

Comment by Tim — 8/19/2007 @ 1:51 pm
Agree with BL on F. Thompson. I also think that his appearance at the Iowa Fair (shown on Fox with Carl Cameron) was a disaster. Wearing Gucci loafers, and being shuttled around in a golf cart? Get real.

Comment by Tina — 8/19/2007 @ 3:40 pm

Mitt Romney's Mormon Religion Hurting Him?

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Mitt Romney's Mormon Religion Hurting Him?

A funny thing happened to Mitt Romney, one of the most conservative candidates in the GOP field, on the way to the Republican nomination for President. What? The fact that he is a Mormon is hurting Mitt Romney with some hardcore conservative evangelical Christian voters and even after months of trying to change there minds, Mitt Romney is still having a tough time moving his poll numbers up to the area of Rudy Giuliani and the yet to announce Fred Thompson.

What Mitt Romney is going though with a certain segment of the GOP is something other mainstream Christian Republicans have learned the hard way too and that is many social evangelical Christian voters are just as stubborn in their extreme conservative political views as the liberal kooks with crazy ideas in Hollywood are in the democratic party. However, with Mitt Romney there is another added problem and that is his Mormon religion has been criticized in some churches for years as being more akin to a cult than a real religion.

If Mitt Romney was not a Mormon, I believe he would be leading Rudy Giuliani is the race for the GOP nomination. However, Mitt Romney is a Mormon and in a small way he might be a winner even if he does not win the GOP nomination next year. How? He is paving the way for future Mormon candidates for high political office in the future. John Kennedy made it possible for Catholics to seek the presidency and win, just like Jesse Jackson is helping Barack Obama this year because he first tired and failed to win the job of President of the United States in the past.

I have met many Mormons in my life and I have yet to meet a person that has been raised a Mormon that was not kind to me and also every single person I have met that follows strict Mormon teachings have very high levels of personal moral values and integrity.

Read more about Religion:

Church State Issues
Religion Gone Wrong
War About Religion
Following Blind Faith
So Much Extremism

Posted by Mark Hutcherson at 10:35 AM

People bored at a Barack Obama event...

IMG_1862, originally uploaded by Barack Obama.

He actually put this on his flickr account. Click the picture to see more people being bored!

"Fred Thompson Does Not Support A Constitutional Amendment To Ban Gay Marriage."

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:56 AM That's from the Thompson Campaign, as reported by K-Lo at The Corner.

Which makes Romney the only top tier candidate who does support the Federal Marriage Amendment. (Romney's very public campaign on behalf of the Amendment is detailed in A Mormon In The White House.)

Thompson leaves the door open to supporting the amendment in the future, but proponents of the amendment have long pointed to the threat of sudden, judge-imposed changes in the law that would see DOMA struck down without warning.

This is a huge issue in the GOP primaries with a crucial segment of the electorate --the segment that hates court-imposed social engineering. Fred Thompson's lassitude on this issue will undercut the enthusiasm some in the evangelical community have expressed for his possible candidacy.

If the defense of traditional marriage is one of your key issues, Fred Thompson can't be your candidate.

Fred Thompson Acts Lazy and Wears Gucci Loafers at Iowa Fair (Sez Fox Video)

[thompsonfredgucciloaferscountryfair.jpg]

Lazy Gucci-Wearing Fred Thompson Goes To The Iowa Fair

With friends like Fox News, Fred Thompson doesn't need Democrats. Fox reports that Fred Thompson played like he's a real candidate by motoring around the Iowa State Fair in a golf cart and taking lots of breaks in the VIP tent, all the while wearing his Gucci loafers at the country fair. Says Fox News in another video (48 sec) clip: "He's been motoring around in a golf cart, something that no other presidential candidate has done throughout the entire two weeks of the state fair." (Video clip below is 4 minutes.)

What was it that Jim Cooper said about Fred Thompson back in the 1990s? Oh, yeah, Fred Thompson is a "Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon–spreading millionaire Washington special-interest lobbyist."

Fred Thompson Tries To Get It Right - Again

by bigjolly | 08/08/2007 11:38 am | Alert moderator

Good ol' boy, regular American guy Fred just can't seem to figure out who he wants to run his non-campaign campaign. Maybe the third time's a charm .

Fred Thompson on Wednesday tapped the man he credits with saving his 1994 Senate campaign to take over his likely presidential bid.

Bill Lacy, a former strategist for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and Republican National Committee, will run day-to-day operations of Thompson's committee to "test the waters" for a presidential run.

"He turned around my campaign for Senate in 1994

Someone better turn this ship around. Lately it's been more like one of those subs in the Hunt for Red October, sinking fast.

The all-but-declared candidate collected about $1.5 million less than the $5 million backers had hoped to bring in during June, his first fundraising month. In July, Thompson sidelined his campaign-manager-in-waiting, Tom Collamore, and watched a few other aides follow him out the door amid consternation inside the operation about the active role of Thompson's wife, Jeri.

Perhaps Mr. Lacy will fare a bit better than he did in his last stint as a presidential campaign manager.

A White House political director in the Reagan administration, Lacy was Dole's political strategist for 10 years, including during the Kansas senator's failed 1996 presidential run. Lacy resigned shortly after Dole lost the New Hampshire and Delaware primaries.

I'll say this for Mr. Lacy, he sure nailed the reason for ol' Fred's turnaround in his Senate race.

"Fred isn't Superman. His style has some similarities to President Reagan, but he hasn't been around as long and proven himself as much," Lacy wrote. "But he has been tested: In the darkest hours of his political career, when the wheels were about to come off his first campaign, he figured out how to scoop them up, put them on a red truck and drive off into the sunset."

You could write a book from that statement. Certainly, his style is similar to Reagan's, give him that much. But even though his Senate career wasn't exactly stellar, you have to give him credit where credit is due. He did manage to get McCain/Feingold passed, even got a loving note from Russ for his efforts.

But I like that last one best, about scooping up the wheels, renting a little red truck and driving into the sunset. What little red truck ?

Although some of his campaign staff protested the move as cheesy, they leased Thompson a red Chevy pickup and he hit the road. Cooper attempted to paint Thompson as phony, calling him a "Gucci-wearing, Lincoln-driving, Perrier-drinking, Grey Poupon–spreading millionaire Washington special-interest lobbyist." But voters loved the truck. They didn't seem to mind that the candidate often switched from a sedan to the truck just miles from his appearances. "We couldn't believe anyone was buying it ," says Kopp.

There are a lot of good, hard working conservatives running for the Republican nomination in 2008. Hunter, Romney, Tommy Thompson, Giuliani and others. Why settle for style over substance?

New Gallup Poll

August 17, 2007

New Gallup Poll: Romney Posts Modest Gains

Majority of Republicans unaware of his Iowa victory, however

by Frank Newport

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has posted modest gains over the last two weeks, both in his favorable rating and in his positioning in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. One presumption is that Romney's gains reflect the visibility that followed his win in the Iowa Republican Party straw poll last weekend, although data in the new Gallup Poll show that only a third of Republicans nationwide are directly aware that Romney won this unofficial contest.

Republican Horse Race

Romney now receives 14% of Republicans' votes when they are asked whom they would like as their party's presidential nominee, up from 8% in each of the two previous Gallup Polls conducted in July and early August. Romney's current positioning puts him slightly behind front-runner Rudy Giuliani and unannounced candidate Fred Thompson, but slightly ahead of John McCain, who slips to 11% in this poll.

Which of these candidates would you be most likely to support for the Republican nomination? among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents
	2007 Jun 11-14	2007 Jul 6-8	2007 Jul 12-15	2007 Aug 3-5	2007 Aug 13-16

Giuliani	29	32	33	33	32
F. Thompson	21	21	21	21	19
Romney	8	9	8	8	14
McCain	20	16	16	16	11
Huckabee	3	2	2	2	4
Paul	2	*	3	2	3
Hunter	2	3	1	1	2
Hagel	1	1	*	1	1
Brownback	2	1	2	1	1
Tancredo	1	2	*	1	1
T. Thompson	2	2	1	2	n/a
Gilmore	1	*	*	n/a	n/a
Pataki	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Other	*	*	1	2	1
None/No opinion	8	10	11	10	11
* Less than 0.5%

Romney's positioning is not a new high point for the former Massachusetts governor; he was at 14% in a Gallup Poll in early June. At that time, however, McCain had a clear claim on second place, while Romney was roughly tied with Thompson for third. The accompanying graph shows the relative positioning of the four leading candidates since February.

These data are based on the Republican ballot and do not include preferences for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. When the ballot is further re-calculated to reflect only the currently declared candidates (thus excluding not only Gingrich but also Thompson and Chuck Hagel), Giuliani is supported by 39% of Republicans, Romney by 17%, McCain by 15%, and Mike Huckabee -- who finished second in the Iowa straw poll -- by 7%. Giuliani and McCain did not participate in the straw poll.

Favorable Rating

Romney's favorable rating has jumped from 22% to 33% over the past two weeks, while his unfavorable rating has fallen from 31% to 24%.

Romney's favorable rating had been in the 22% to 23% range over the previous three polls conducted in July and August, with a higher unfavorable than favorable rating in each of these polls. Although his favorable rating had been as high as 27% in May, the current 33% is his highest to date.

Forty-nine percent of Republicans now have a favorable opinion of Romney, compared with 36% in the prior poll. At the same time, Romney's unfavorable rating among Republicans dropped from 20% to 16%. All in all, Romney's name identification among Republicans -- the percentage who have an opinion of him -- jumped by nine points over the last two weeks.

Still, despite these gains for Romney, his favorable rating among Republicans remains below Giuliani's and McCain's, and although he shares similar favorable ratings with Thompson, his unfavorable rating is more than twice as high. Romney is, however, better known than Thompson (despite the latter's film and TV exposure), and much better known than Huckabee or Sam Brownback.

Opinion Ratings Among Republicans of Six Republican Current or Potential Presidential Candidates Aug. 13-16, 2007
	Favorable	Unfavorable	Don't know/ No opinion
	%	%	%
Rudy Giuliani	77	14	9
John McCain	59	28	13
Fred Thompson	50	7	43
Mitt Romney	49	16	35
Mike Huckabee	30	8	62
Sam Brownback	14	13	73

Awareness of the Iowa Straw Poll Victory

Romney won the Iowa straw poll a week ago with 32% of the vote of Republicans who cast their straw-poll ballots, followed by Huckabee with 18%. One could assume that Romney's image and vote gains in the Aug. 13-16 Gallup Poll reflect in part the positive visibility he received as a result of that victory. That may be the case, but a separate question asked at the end of the poll shows that only a third of Republicans could name Romney as the winner in Iowa.

The change in Romney's positioning in the current poll could in theory have occurred only among Republicans who were aware of his victory in Iowa, but there is no way to know that for sure because there is no way to trend this group to the pre-straw poll survey.

The sample size of Republicans who were aware that Romney had won the Iowa straw poll is quite small (n=178), but it is of interest to look at the vote preferences among this group. The data show that Thompson has a slight lead over Romney among this group, with Giuliani slightly further behind. This finding may reflect the pre-existing characteristics of the group most likely to follow GOP politics closely, or it may be a result of the characteristics of those who were paying attention to the Iowa straw poll specifically. But it is true that Romney (and Thompson) does better among Republicans who were aware of Romney's victory in Iowa than among those who were not.

Summary

All in all, the general finding is that Romney has enjoyed a modest improvement in his standing among Republicans, and that this improvement coincides with the time of his victory in the Iowa straw poll.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,019 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Aug. 13-16, 2007. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

From Michael Tam's Blog

The Big Show

The American Federalist Blog

Latest Victim Of Racial Bias: John Edwards

By LARRY ELDER | Posted Friday, August 17, 2007 4:30 PM PT

Elizabeth Edwards, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' wife, wants affirmative action — for white males. OK, she didn't put it exactly that way. Here's what happened.

In explaining why her husband relies so heavily on the Internet — as opposed to traditional media — to get his message out, Mrs. Edwards said:

"In some ways, it's the way we have to go. We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars. Now it's nice to get on the news, but not the be-all and end-all."

So the strong campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., reflects nothing more than her gender. And the competitive campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., rests primarily on his race. Hey, any black guy could pull this off — whether Barack Obama, rapper Snoop Dogg or television personality Mr. T. What's the diff?

If, according to Edwards, gender plays such an important role, what happened to the 2000 presidential candidacy of now Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina? Or what about Carol Moseley Braun, the former senator from Illinois whose 2004 presidential campaign went nowhere? She represented a two-fer, both black and a woman.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who ran for president in 2004, complained that because of his race, the media ignored him. "I think when you look at the lack of diversity in the newsrooms," said Sharpton, "when you look at the lack of diversity from the editors and those in power, then you see them as automatically dismissive of anything that is not like them, which is white males. I think we've seen some very blatant racial insensitivity in the coverage of this race so far."

Tell that to Mrs. Edwards.

What about Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, with his Hispanic heritage? He served as President Clinton's secretary of energy and ambassador to the United Nations. Richardson also helped turn around the economy of New Mexico with tax cuts.

In that state, he enjoys a popularity rating of 65%. Yet as a Democratic presidential candidate, he finds himself mired in single digits in the polls. What happened to his benefit?

How many Democrats know that their hero, their very own John Wayne — President Kennedy — opposed preferences? According to a 1963 U.S. News & World Report story, JFK:

"I don't think we can undo the past. In fact, the past is going to be with us for a good many years in uneducated men and women who lost their chance for a decent education. We have to do the best we can now. That is what we are trying to do. I don't think quotas are a good idea. I think it is a mistake to begin to assign quotas on the basis of religion or race — color — nationality. . . . On the other hand, I do think that we ought to make an effort to give a fair chance to everyone who is qualified — not through a quota, but just look over our employment rolls, look over our areas where we are hiring people and at least make sure we are giving everyone a fair chance. But not hard and fast quotas. . . . We are too mixed, this society of ours, to begin to divide ourselves on the basis of race or color."

Ward Connerly, the man who pioneered California's Proposition 209 — the successful effort to abolish state-sponsored race- and gender-based preferences — makes an interesting point. Defenders of affirmative action say we need it because "the playing field remains unlevel."

Mrs. Edwards' husband supports affirmative action — that is, preferences for the "disadvantaged." Yet according to her, the playing field no longer tilts against disadvantaged minorities. It now tilts against people like her white male husband.

She may be on to something. An examination of a select group of 28 colleges and universities shows that when a black applicant scored 1,250 to 1,300 out of 1,600 on the SAT, the student stood a three-in-four chance of getting admitted.

When a white student scored 1,250 to 1,300, he or she stood a one-in-four chance.

And in "Civil Rights," economist Thomas Sowell writes: "Black college-educated couples with husband and wife working had by 1980 achieved incomes higher than white couples of the same description."

The Supreme Court in 2003, in a 5-4 decision, upheld the use of race as a criterion in college admissions. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing the decision for the majority, said society needs racial preferences for another 25 years to right past wrongs.

Mrs. Edwards apparently thinks society paid the mortgage off early.

http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/gamebirds/images/wild_turkey.jpg

Governor Mitt Romney On India's Independence Day

"On the 60th anniversary of India's independence, we celebrate the contributions of Indian-Americans to the United States. Throughout my career, I have seen first-hand how the Indian-American community has enriched our nation with its values and culture. Many Indian-Americans are also at the forefront of building our nation's vibrant economy in various sectors including health care, business, education, science and technology.

"As the world's two largest democracies and as partners in fighting terror, India and the United States have a historic opportunity to forge a more powerful partnership based on our shared values and strategic interests. Together, India and the United States can serve as twin beacons of freedom against those who preach intolerance and extremism. We should strengthen our nations' ability to advance our mutual interests internationally in the United Nations and elsewhere, while working closely to build security and prosperity for our peoples and the world."

Mitt Romney wins Illinois straw poll

August 16, 2007

Mitt Romney wins Illinois straw poll

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney

(CNN)–Mitt Romney added another straw poll victory to his resume Thursday.

Illinois state Republican party chairman, Andy McKenna, said Romney won the Illinois Straw poll at the Illinois State Fair. "Congratulations to Mitt Romney, whose strong showing today indicates he has begun to put together a strong statewide organization," McKenna said. "There's no question that Illinois' demographics closely match those of the United States and this could be an indication as to whom Illinois voters are leaning toward this coming February."

Romney secured an overwhelming victory with 40.35 percent of the vote. Former Senator Fred Thompson, who is expected to formally enter the race for the GOP nomination next month, came in second with 19.96 percent of the vote.

The Illinois Republican party sponsored the straw poll during its Republican Day festivities at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

To be included, participate candidates were required to have participated in one of the previously held debates with other Republican candidates, or have polled above 5 percent in a national, independent poll.

Final results of Thursday's Illinois straw poll:

1. Mitt Romney – 40.35%

2. Fred Thompson – 19.96%

The Big Win At Ames

August 14, 2007 07:27am

The Big Win At Ames

A lot of people have written their stories about the straw poll victory we enjoyed at Ames. Having seen the effort and the triumph from the inside, I thought I'd share a few of my own thoughts and photos.

1. Why do you think that Governor Romney won?

He won for two reasons. First, my Dad is the best candidate in the race. But the fact is that as the people in Iowa have gotten to know my Dad, they have liked him and his message. He has traveled extensively across Iowa (over 200 events total) and answered hundreds of questions in dozens and dozens of townhalls open to the public and the media. And he has risen from about 5% in Iowa to 28% and first place in the polls in only a few months.

The second reason he did so well was the fantastic campaign organization that was built in Iowa. Some journalists have called it the deepest, most organized campaign team ever assembled in Iowa. Matt Lewis from Townhall.com wrote a piece today that touches on the organization on the day of the straw poll. In addition to that the campaign staff did an extraordinary job of organizing and motivating voters to come out to a straw poll that many were saying had already been won. Which leads to question number 2.

2. Without some of the other top tier candidates there, does this qualify as a win?

Yes. As my Dad has said, if the other guys thought they could have won or even done well, they would have been there. Which makes the win all that more extraordinary. Do you know how hard it is to motivate voters to hop on a bus on a Saturday morning and drive several hours each way so they can wait around for hours more in 100 degree sticky heat, all for the privilege of voting for a candidate who has everyone says is a shoe-in to win?

We offered barbeque sandwiches to folks there, which was the least we could do for our supporters who braved temperatures reaching 100 degrees. And do you think that holds a candle to what they could have had a few miles down the road at the state fair? Fried twinkies, fried snicker bars, pork chops on a stick, fried Oreos... Yes, I tried them all and heavenly doesn't begin to describe them. And you think offering them a bus ride and a pulled pork sandwich is what got them to Ames?

This was an extremely dedicated bunch and some of the most conservative voters in the country. We had to overcome several obstacles to win but the win shows that my Dad's message is resonating with conservative voters.

3. How does this help?

This will help with my Dad's name ID. He was the number one blogged about muggle the last few days, beaten only by Harry Potter. The straw poll also helps us get ready for the critical Iowa caucus in January. We put our campaign organization in Iowa through a full-body workout. We identified thousands of voters as Mitt Romney supporters. And we showed commitment to the political process and to the people of Iowa.

With a win in Ames, the race is far from over. Our strategy is to do well in the early primary states and to build momentum nationally as a result. The Straw Poll victory is the first step on our road to the GOP nomination and eventually the presidency. It's great to have you all on board with us! See Craig's post below on signing up 48,000 new Team Mitt supporters in 48 hours - please pass the word along.

Content Image

My Mom and Dad and all 5 boys on the stage at Ames

Content Image

Even our campaign manager, Beth Myers, was working hard at that day

Content Image

Me with Gentry Collins, the mastermind behind the Iowa organization (don't ask about my wrist brace, it's a long and embarrassing story)

Content Image

In the Mitt Mobile escaping the heat for a few minutes with Peter Flaherty and Beth Myers. Ben and Ande are in the background.

Posted at 2007-08-14 07:27:50 by Tagg Romney

From a Mitt Romney fan...

The Romney campaign had a great weekend, and I want to be sure to share the news with you. First, on Saturday, we won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll with 31.5% of the vote, a greater percentage than George W. Bush received in 1999.

Also, this just in … the American Research Group released their latest nationwide poll this afternoon. 16% support Governor Romney, up 6 points from 10% last month. Here are the full results:

	Jul.	Aug.	Jul./Aug. Change
Giuliani	30%	27%	-3
Gov. Romney	10%	16%	+6
F. Thompson	17%	16%	-1
McCain	14%	13%	-1
Other	16%	15%	-1
Undecided	11%	14%	+3

Wow - a 6 point pick up in 30 days nationally.

Best Regards, david

P.S. By the way, the Giuliani camp has tried to diminish Mitt's victory in Iowa by saying Rudy chose to not participate. Three quick points:

1. Giuliani was on the ballot, people could have voted for him

2. If Rudy would have had any shot of beating Mitt in Iowa, believe me, he would have shown up.

3. As Winston Churchill said:

"Wars are not won by evacuation . . ."

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Romney Surges In Gallup Poll

Comments:

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