The Results Are In: Straw Poll Highlights Lack of Excitement with Republican Presidential Field

August 14, 2007 -- This weekend's Republican straw poll in Iowa was mired by no-shows from the top-tier candidates, low turnout, subdued moods and voting irregularities. The straw poll highlighted the general lack of enthusiasm with the GOP field with recent polls showing that None of the Above is the leading choice for Republicans and only one in five Republican caucus-goers in Iowa are satisfied with their choices. [AP/Ipsos poll, 7/17/07; Los Angeles Times, 8/6/07] Last week, the Democratic National Committee debuted its website, www.imwithnoneoftheabove.com, which highlighted None of the Above as the only GOP candidate offering real solutions to the challenges facing America's working families.

Newspapers noted that Iowa's Republicans were less than pleased with their candidates, noting that the poll "reflected a decidedly different outlook of Republicans today compared with that of eight years ago," and that Mitt Romney's victory was "hollow" given that many Iowans didn't bother to show up on a hot summer day. And the candidates who didn't bother to show up were booed. In addition voting was off by 40 percent from 1999, despite attempts by second tier candidates who spent hundreds of dollars per voter to buy enough votes to make the victory worthwhile.

"Republicans had a chance to take their message directly to their base in a key primary state, but instead most of the top-tier candidates decided to pull a no-show," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "The Iowa straw poll is just another example of the general lack of enthusiasm for the GOP field. If they are too scared to compete for their own party's votes and can't generate energy within the Republican Party, the eventual nominee is going to have a tough time winning over Americans who are tired of eight years of Republicans putting their politics ahead of the country."
A Hot Day in Iowa Leaves Republicans Feeling Lethargic About GOP Candidates

Republicans Lethargic over Candidates: "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may have won the Iowa Republican straw poll here Saturday, but his victory was a bit hollow. There are signs he may not be the prohibitive front-runner in Iowa after all. Only 14,302 people voted in the poll, far fewer than the 23,685 who cast ballots in the last big straw poll in 1999. That's a sign Republicans are not happy with their choices. At least they aren't excited enough to brave the summer heat to vote for them. Republicans seem lethargic about their choices. The low numbers in the balloting also reflect some dissatisfaction among rank-and-file Republicans with their choices in the presidential race. Why go to Ames on a hot day if you're cool toward the candidates? A recent ABC/Washington Post poll of likely GOP caucusgoers showed only 19 percent were enthusiastic about their options. [Des Moines Register, 8/12/07]

Iowa's Republicans Subdued: "Still, the poll drew significantly fewer people than the 23,685 who voted in the last Iowa Straw Poll in 1999. And the mood here, inside the hall and on the grounds, often seemed subdued, reflecting the decidedly different outlook of Republicans today compared with that of eight years ago, when the party was hungry to replace Bill Clinton in the White House. Two hours before voting ended, the campus was largely deserted as workers folded tables and cars streamed out of the parking lot. [The New York Times, 8/12/07]

Iowans feel dissed: If there was one thing that was plain at Saturday's gathering of Republicans in Ames, Iowa, it was this: They don't like to be dissed. The GOP throng groaned and booed at any mention of the no-shows -- former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.) and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) -- and warned the missing candidates that skipping the straw poll will be remembered. "It's just like going out on a date," said Iowa GOP Chairman Ray Hoffmann. "If you want to meet someone, you have to make an effort to talk to them." As for this year's missing suitors, he added, "If they don't show up, we feel a little bit neglected." [The Washington Post, 8/12/07]

Straw poll only muddles GOP field further: The Iowa Straw Poll has left the Republican presidential contest as crowded and chaotic as the carnival-like crowd scene outside the building where the votes were cast. As expected, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the most votes in Saturday's symbolic test of campaign organizing strength in this first-in-the-nation caucus state. But in the more critical expectations game, there were so many other declarations of victory that the GOP field is likely to stay as muddled as ever. [Rocky Mountain News, 8/13/07]

Source: DNC

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