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| Bachmann wins Republican Iowa straw poll | |
| 2011-08-14 | |
| [Al Jazeera] US Congresswoman and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has won the Iowa straw poll, in an early boost for her campaign for the White House. Bachmann came out on top as expected after campaigning hard in the heartland state, with 28.5 per cent of the 16,892 votes cast in the early test for Republicans. Libertarian congressman Ron Paul came in a close second, followed by former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty in third.
Nine candidates were on the ballot. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #46 Glenmore, they are planting pretty big fans to keep the cattle cool ;) |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 23:58 |
| #45 Voting for someone you don't want a little less is still voting for what you don't want. That is one way to look at it. Here is another. Think of it as an optimization problem. One of those two guys (simplest case) is going to win. Which one is closer to where you want to be? Who do you want appointing judges and such? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2011-08-14 23:43 |
| #44 Voting for someone you don't want a little less is still voting for what you don't want. You are sure to get it too. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2011-08-14 21:05 |
| #43 There isn't one candidate running for president I'd vote for I can't remember the last time I voted *for* somebody as opposed to voting *against* the other guy. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2011-08-14 20:13 |
| #42 There isn't one candidate running for president I'd vote for. that's just sad. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2011-08-14 20:02 |
| #41 JEB! Prepare for Columba-Palin-Bachman Catfight! |
| Posted by: S 2011-08-14 17:59 |
| #40 the variable is how many of them will have something else to do that day. Yeah, but they can sign over their absentee ballot to somebody for a can of Colt 45 malt liquor. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2011-08-14 17:51 |
| #39 so Americans can have their pretty little trees. Andy you, swksvoff, don't get any pretty trees no matter what Washington does.... |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2011-08-14 17:41 |
| #38 I suspect an awful lot of people just won't bother to vote next November, choosing the "A pox on both their Houses!" route. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-08-14 17:21 |
| #37 Yes, but the variable is how many of them will have something else to do that day. Its one thing to stand in line for 3 days for free Jay-Z tickets, quite another to pull a wagon full of bullshit, downwind. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 14:53 |
| #36 Dr. Steve, will beat Obama-Biden as long as Obama's positive rating stays under 43 or so Never lose track of the fact that Zero's negative ratings include a large number from people who think he's not being enough of a socialist, but who will vote for him against ANY Republican, Conservative, or Libertarian. So maybe what is needed is a credible Socialist candidate.... Al Franken's ego is big enough, maybe he could be encouraged to run. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2011-08-14 13:58 |
| #35 Bachman is more qualified than Obama (but that is an admittedly VERY low bar). |
| Posted by: CincinnatusChili 2011-08-14 13:55 |
| #34 Romney-Bachmann smells a lot like McCain-Palin. And the results would be the same. Romney is a Rockefeller Rino. Republicans want a choice, not an echo. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-08-14 13:54 |
| #33 newc, nope, not me but glad to see I'm not alone in my assesment. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-08-14 13:39 |
| #32 My own take is that the nominee will be either Perry or Romney. I can't figure out which of them it will be. Neither will have the other as a VP, so the VP slot goes to Bachmann. Having her allows the nominee to get the Tea Party folks on board and energized, and she's a damned good fund-raiser -- not that either Perry or Romney have a problem with fundraising. Bachmann won't be the nominee, I think, because the media will do to her what they did to Sarah. It's shameful and it will result in the death of the old media, but they'll take her down. Romney-Bachmann or Perry-Bachmann will beat Obama-Biden as long as Obama's positive rating stays under 43 or so. I think Obama's current 40 is a ceiling, not a floor, but it's over a year to the election so who knows? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-08-14 13:28 |
| #31 rjschwarz, was it you I had a 30 minute conversation with on the phone last night? What you typed here was the exact conversation. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-08-14 13:27 |
| #30 Wishful thinking? Naw, libtard taste. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-08-14 12:35 |
| #29 that would be the extent of your knowledge of America. Wishful thinking? |
| Posted by: Frank G on the road 2011-08-14 12:27 |
| #28 "Again - I don't give a f*ck what a Canuck wants or says about our politics" Then shut the f*ck up. When I read your pathetic scrit, I think of 'Deliverance'... |
| Posted by: Shakey Steve 2011-08-14 12:25 |
| #27 Sorry Bachman supporters but face it - she's unelectable. It's not that she's stupid but, like Palin, she speaks mostly in platitudes. Bottom line, politicians that only speak in cautious talking points tend to come off as shallow thinkers - even if they're not. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2011-08-14 12:11 |
| #26 There were also 3 other major candidates in the presidential election, which helped him immeasurably. Magnificent Michelle would need that kind of help. I doubt that will be the case this time. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-08-14 11:47 |
| #25 Ominous bit of history that. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-08-14 11:40 |
| #24 The last time we elected a president from the house was 1860. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-08-14 11:36 |
| #23 I see Palin as the head of the GOP, being a face and choosing which campaigns to push money into. I'm not sure if anyone else sees her that way but she tends to get press with minimal effort, she certainly fires up the crowd and gets the money rolling in, but I think her negative numbers after four years of constant bashing make her unelectable. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-08-14 11:34 |
| #22 Bachman comes from the House of Representatives. When was the last time we had an elected President from the house? That is without doing time as a Vice President or something. Yes, we've recently elected someone who barely had any experience at all, but we should have learned from that. I think Bachman might make a decent VP candidate but I just have trouble imagining her at the top of the ticket. Same problem with Newt except his experience was over a decade ago. He's in it to sell books and increase his speaking fees, or maybe to get a promise of some position from the frontrunner. I never was able to imagine Pawlenty or Huntsman with there low name recognition, or Caine with his zero political experience. Ron Paul is the modern Ross Perot, in it for the ego and unelectable despite his occasional high poll numbers. That leaves Perry and Mitt. Both wear halos that could be a problem, both have fiscal track records and resumes that look promising (except Romneycare). Unless I'm forgetting someone I think they are the true choices for the top of the ticket. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2011-08-14 11:32 |
| #21 I despise my own spelling ability whilst typing. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-08-14 11:30 |
| #20 Again - I don't give a f*ck what a Canuck wants or says about our politics With the possible exception of Mark Steyn. But then, he was essentially driven out of Canada for having 'American' views. As for Canada is two lands and each one dispises the other, if Quebec was on the edge (geographically, I mean) rather than the middle, they would have split off long ago. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2011-08-14 11:25 |
| #19 #18 *no offense to Canadians. Posted by: swksvolFF They've gutted their military and many of the troops that remain are unfit, overweight, and excessively filled with quasi french speakers! Canada is two lands and each one dispises the other. There will be trouble there someday. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-08-14 11:09 |
| #18 *no offense to Canadians. I'll tell ya, the hardest most efficient workers I've seen are the harvesters from Canada. They do some damn fine work, and anyone who plays a sport as tough as hockey is ok with me, unlike that prissy soccer game where the women bitch less and wear less eyeliner than their male counterparts. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 10:46 |
| #17 Yes, agreed Frank, assuming he is not a corporation posting as a nym. But hey, you know, all the police there have smelted their badges for plowshares and public transport is plotted about like an old spice commercial, and everyone drives canadian cars, and feel quite secure with the cornering of the dryer sheet market though they would not object to anyone else giving it a shot. Not that I hate ya Steve, kinda remind me of me when I was in high school trying to pick up college chicks. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 10:42 |
| #16 two comment about the results: 1) Michelle officially becomes the Tar Baby of American politics. Both the dems and the Rinos have tried to demonize her for the past 3 elections - and they have all lost badly (see Pawlenty). If Barack and the MSM want to demonize her, bring it on. They will overplay their hands. They can't help themselves. 2) Alot more voters took part this time. This means Republicans are alot more energized than last time. It looks like Obama's in alot of trouble this time around. |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2011-08-14 10:37 |
| #15 He also packed the house, it sounded like. At least he is genuine and believes in what he says and does it without a teleprompter, just like all of the other candidates. Paul may have his batteries in backwards (to say sanctions do not work is total bullshit, a navel blockade which goes back to pre-classic Greece is by definition sanctions as well as the city siege. Now, argue that these sanctions as they are being practiced are not working...) but you know what, unlike what we have, I believe what Paul says and that he will do it. I'm with Cain, I liked everything he said. What we have here is total uncertainty and not just in the business disctrict. Seriously, how can you be a bigwig doner to obama, knowing that since he has thrown out the private jet owner is evil meme that eventually he will have to play that base card...do I believe hime when he says, oh no not you I'm just talking to the volks. I am having a difficult time chalking up what el prez has accomplished. Bailouts, done before he took the oath. Obamacare, all he did was sell and sign, still do not know what is in it but it does not matter because it is completely illegal no matter how long the admin works the clock. Binny Laden, both no brainers. Golf, check, though I theorize at this point that is to avoid the white house guest list. Beer summit, check. Guns for Cartels, check. Backend payoffs to companies and unions, check. Bowing to every asshole in the world, check check. So tell me, with all that gaffe and chaf, what is a goofy view of carbon dioxide? Obama does not seem to have a problem smoking Brazil's oil. No problem buying wind gens from overseas. No problem buying electric from Mexico. Seems to me that the efforts of this administration and the greens is exactly the thing that dissidents of the USA have been carping about for years, and that is they have other people do all the dirty work so Americans can have their pretty little trees. You have got to admit (and hence play as) a total imbalance in media coverage. Joe 'stand up for me' Biden is who he is and for good reason. I started to not like obama when he went to that bowling alley, and bowled something like a 40. No, not because of his obvious noob skillz or awkard quotes, but because he quit. Fucking quit. I hate quitters in games, total lack of character, like a little kid throwing a fit because they played monopoly and landed on a hotel. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 10:36 |
| #14 Paul is CRAZY and that's from someone who voted for him for him for president in '88. |
| Posted by: Beavis 2011-08-14 10:23 |
| #13 Again - I don't give a f*ck what a Canuck wants or says about our politics |
| Posted by: Frank G on the road 2011-08-14 10:19 |
| #12 That's 'conservative'...damn. |
| Posted by: Shakey Steve 2011-08-14 09:13 |
| #11 I must say I have a lot of respect for Ron Paul. I like the fact that, unlike most American politians (Canadian too), he is a pragmatist and isn't afraid to cross both liberal and concervative lines when warranted. Unfortunately, this makes him unelectable in the political system as it currently exists...too bad. |
| Posted by: Shakey Steve 2011-08-14 09:10 |
| #10 It's early days, and most people aren't paying attention yet. This one is about name recognition, or in other words about media exposure. After all, Dr. Paul consistently has gotten votes in the low single digits in national elections vs. placing second in this thing, despite being a strong libertarian. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-08-14 08:28 |
| #9 Prediction: If [insert name here of any candidate you have problems with] gets the GOP nomination for 2012, Barack will be relected in 2012. I predict - many of these postings. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-08-14 08:26 |
| #8 I have to agree with Shakey Steve here. If Bachmann is the GOP candidate, most likely we will get another 4 years of 0bama. Bachmann appeals to the core of the Republican base and the tea party faction. That might be enough to win the nomination but it's not enough to win the general election which requires a candidate that can appeal to independent voters. The media plays a huge role, for better or WORSE, in shaping the voting behavior of independents and they will stop at nothing to demonize Bachmann; it's already begun in gusto. It's her more conservative social positions that will get her into trouble with independent voters, who tend to be more socially liberal and fiscally conservative (I guess it could depend then on how hard they are hurting from the economy come election time). |
| Posted by: eltoroverde 2011-08-14 07:56 |
| #7 Prediction: If Michele gets the GOP nomination for 2012, Barack will be relected in 2012. Once the media has a field day with some of her more, oh how should I say, wingbat views especially on carbon dioxide, she may be laughed off the ballot... |
| Posted by: Shakey Steve 2011-08-14 07:10 |
| #6 Bachmann may be my President any day of the week and twice on Sunday. She is a Good Girl. I prefer Cain, but this gives me hope for America. That stupid ass Paul does not. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-08-14 05:00 |
| #5 but he has nice hair that looks good with his pointy boots. |
| Posted by: texhooey 2011-08-14 03:49 |
| #4 I am from Texas, but he is too right wing for even me. |
| Posted by: texhooey 2011-08-14 03:47 |
| #3 Stupid neither can get elected. The next pres will be a former Governor with some exeutive experience. |
| Posted by: retired LEO 2011-08-14 03:15 |
| #2 Paul, as second, is the oi. Otherwise, its preseason game. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-14 01:03 |
| #1 Oi vey. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-08-14 00:40 |