SRLC Straw Poll: Frist Wins; Romney Second
After five hours of voting and with more than 1,400 ballots cast, The Hotline SRLC Straw Poll has come to a close with a tremendous turnout. Sen. Bill Frist (TN) led the pack with nearly 37% of the vote, followed by MA Gov. Mitt Romney with 14%. Sen. George Allen (VA) was tied for third place with Pres. Bush (10%), despite Bush being a write-in candidate.
Hotline Straw Poll Unofficial Results
Candidate Raw %age
Bill Frist 526 36.9%
Mitt Romney 205 14.4
George Allen 147 10.3
Pres. Bush (write in) 147 10.3
John McCain 66 4.6
Mike Huckabee 54 3.8
Write In (Not GB/CR) 43 3.0
George Pataki 38 2.7
Condi Rice (write in) 32 2.2
Sam Brownback 22 1.5
Rudy Giuliani 15 1.1
Newt Gingrich 13 0.9
Chuck Hagel 3 0.22nd Choices Of Frist Voters (%age Only)
George Allen 18.4%
Mitt Romney 12.0
Rudy Giuliani 12.0
John McCain 10.6
Pres. Bush (write in) 7.0
Mike Huckabee 4.0
Newt Gingrich 3.4
Sam Brownback 2.7
Condi Rice (write in) 2.1
Chuck Hagel 1.0
George Pataki 0.8
None 24.1
Other 3.0Some notable info from the unofficial results:
Total ballots cast now: 1427
Total non-spoiled ballots cast: 1311
Total ballots cast in '98: 858
Spoiled ballots 116 (8.1%)
Total TN voters: 742 (52%)
Number of Frist's votes outside TN: 97
Percent of Frist's votes from TN: 82%
# Of TN voters who did not choose Frist first: 313 (42%)
Among the 526 voters who made Frist their top choice, Allen was the leading second-place vote getter with 18.4%. He was followed by Romney (12%), ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (10.8%), John McCain (10.6%), Bush (7.0%) and AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (3.4%). Nearly one in four Frist voters, though, indicated no second-place preference.
With more than a 66% increase in voter turnout from the '98 SRLC straw poll, these results set the stage for the GOP WH battle that lies ahead. Stay tuned to The Hotline and On Call throughout the week for continued results, methodological notes and insider analysis.
With respect to the straw poll I am not sure it told me anything. I was surprised at how well Mitt Romney played with this crowd. His showing should send a few shockwaves through a couple of candidates, particularly George Allen and Bill Frist. Frist won it but the overwhelming advantage of the Tennessee favorite son was expected. Yet I would have guessed Allen for the #2 slot and Romney beat Allen fairly handily. I know Allen was the favored pick for second, and I also realize Allen did not come down to TN with an organization. Yet Romney, as pointed out on last week's Meet The Press. had national numbers that were barely microscopic and questioned by Tim Russert about how he might change that. Well, he sure changed it pretty quickly. This will do wonders for his fundraising efforts. I always felt George Allen was sitting in the catbird seat in that the base of the party could always show their teeth if they objected so harshly to John McCain. Allen was their go to guy if and when the party decided to try to derail McCain's bid. But now George Allen probably needs to reassure some base regulars that he is the choice. Romney may be an LDS which ordinarily doesn't play well for Christian conservatives but, as was pointed out on MSNBC/Hardball tonight, the Mormon religion is the fastest growing religion in the south. Sam Brownback's backhanded religious slur may be something for the party to watch out for. Brownback said "marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman" clearly taking a slap at Romney and Mormons. That is the part of this party I really resent. Here is Brownback, a self admitted devout Christian, and he violates the principles of respect, tolerance, decorum, and love of fellow man with that comment. Does Sam Brownback know something we all don't know about Mitt Romney's marital situation? If not...shut up! It is the exact type of intolerance that will drive people away from the party but then again Sam Brownback may want a Republican party of only G_d fearing (to his level of acceptance) white Christians who fear his wrath, stay in line (the one he draws), and seek to abolish all laws in the country not endorsed by the Christian church. That is not my idea of why I joined the Republican Party here in Florida.
Thanks!
obviously frist was favorite...but he got a fairly respectable 97 votes from outside tn and you have to presume frist folks didnt try to get outside votes...because they didnt need them...how many george allen votes were there from va? how does bill frist outside tn count compare to george allen's outside va count? that would be a really interesting number...
i think allen is the biggest loser...mccain needs these folks to a degree...allen really needs them...because he has no name id...and needs media/activists to carry his water...plus he has a money problem...because webb/miller are going to make him spend it...and they didnt vote for him...btw...i saw allen says he didnt care about vote...but both he and his wife voted...all that said allen an dhis organzation are still very formidable...
frist campaign saved itself from disaster...which counts...it is one thing to be hometown favorite...quite another to deliver on it...and it seems he can raise money...a campaign with money and organization in say iowa is a potentially successful campaign...especially when mccain will not focus on iowa...
a big winner is romney...for the obvious reasons...he projects appeal in a room of red staters...wisecup aside...good day for mitt...
congrats to frist and romney...
McCain - You are a media darling; and just because Tweety can't quit you, doesn't mean the rest of the country wants a damn thing to do with you. The fundies hate you, Rush hates you, Drudge hates you, liberals hate you, I hate you. You running as the Republican would even force me to vote for Hillary.
Romney is all Hair and no Chowder. He's been flip flopping on issues ever since he started courting the religious right. 'My stands on abortion, gay rights, and the role of religion in politics? I had to say those things in Massachusetts because I'm a red speck in a sea of blue.' He never mentions the things that make him a conservative while he's in the Boston metro area, he saves those for speaking engagements in the south.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to govern. I'm looking at the record, and all I see is executive excellence with Romney. Turns around companies, turns around the Olympics, turns around Taxachusetts without raising taxes. Plus he has a message that isn't just platitudes and invoking Reagan's name. Sounds Presidential to me.
As posted on my blog:
Mitt Romney Will Not Win GOP
Have you ever seen Mitt Romney in an interview? He is sharp, very well spoken, and confident, dare I say Presidential. But he cannot win the GOP nomination.
Why do I say that? Too many Right-Wing-”Christians” to be exact. These “Christians” who put Bush into office will not tolerate a Mormon to be President. The anti-Mormon campaign…”LDS are not Christians”…has proven a very effective marketing campaign of the so called “Christian” community. Non-LDS Christians will not put their faith, money, and vote behind a member of a “cult”.
They have been fully brainwashed to distrust all-things-LDS. The bias of all-things-LDS runs too deep for them to overcome. This is true because of the nature of their shallow evangelical mindset, theological errors, and especially their anti-intellectual blinded-by-the-faith-of-bigotry perceptions.
Given that sad reality, Romney will not win the GOP nomination.
We will not have a Mormon President until God brings forth the Political Kingdom of God, which can only happen after America fully implodes from within, meaning, the end of the federal and state government. Only then will the America, and the rest of the world, ready for a Mormon to lead them politically.
http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/
Permalink http://ldspatriot.wordpress.com/2006/03/08/mitt-romney-will-not-win-gop/
I would like for it to be disclosed how many write-in votes Cong. Tom Tancredo received.
As someon who is currently living through the Romney administration in Massachusetts, I have to correct 'Dave'. If your idea of executive excellence is telling your team to put powerpoint presentations together and then never follow up on them, then sure, that's Mitt to a T. Leadership is more than a powerpoint presentation or a press release. It's actually rolling up your sleeves and doing something to make this a better place to live.
Oh, and as for 'not raising taxes'? That is only true on a technicality. When Romney raises taxes, he calls them 'fees'. And fees have skyrocketed, along with property taxes during Mitt's tenure.
I would like for it to be disclosed how many write-in votes James Hardin received.
A U.S. Senator can't win. From Bob Dole to Barry Goldwater elections have shown that.
So the governors to look at are Romney and Huckabee. Romney is from the bluest state in the nation and has taken positions on gun control and abortion tht can't win in the South.
Huckabee is right on all the Republican issues.
Will Hotline be publishing a full cross tabs section? I am curious who all the Other Write Ins were. And what about Rick Perry, he's a southern Governor?
This just in, LDS Patriot:
Mormons are a minority, a sub-culture in America. It is inappropriate for the national leader to come from a cultural minority and not from the mainstream majority culture.
On a personal note, I find anyone who participates in LDS temple ceremonies as creepy.
But that is neither here nor there, as we have common enemies and a common good.
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Jared Woods:
How ignorant can one person be? Can't elect a minority? CAN'T ELECT A MINORITY???? Hmm ... well then I guess a black person can never be president, or a woman, or anyone else who is not a white, Christian male (WHICH ROMNEY IS!).
Inappropriate for a candidate from a minority sub-culture to become president?
And about you thinking certain Mormon ceremonies are creepy - I'm sure there are a lot of people who think that the traditional taking of the Sacrament, a VERY MAINSTREAM ceremony where one literally partakes of Christ's flesh and blood, is, I dare say, even MORE creepy.
And I don't know about you, but my enemy is 'evil' and my advocate is 'good.' I know Mormons are the same, and I hope you're right along side.
This election will be a big eye-opener for you. Whether it's a Mormon, or a woman, or an African-American, you will come to learn we're all not as closed-minded and as bigoted as you.
wow no ron paul votes included again what a lack of surprise
jared i dont think your head can be farther up you @&& minoritys are just as mutch a part of this country as any one eles if you can get the votes yuo can get elected
unless you are silenced like ron paul was on this page
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