Romney wins Iowa straw poll

[nutshell]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20228687/

Well, Romney won the straw poll as was expected. Do you think it means anything other than he spent a lot of money?

May first impression? So what.

It's like a pre-season NFL game. Wins and losses mean nothing to how I team will actually perform when it counts.

Your thoughts?

 

[Smoke]

He was expected to win; he was, in fact, virtually certain to win. If he hadn't won, it would have knocked his campaign flat.

 

[MaddLlama]

I don't think it means all that much, especially since not all of the potential candidates were there.

 

[Blindinglight]

As you said, it's like the NFL pre-season. It doesn't mean anything.

 

[jonny]

10% of the Iowa caucus goers were there. It was a mistake for Thompson and Rudy to pass it up. I think they knew they were going to lose anyway, so instead of look like "losers" they decided to look like they didn't care.

The winner of the Iowa caucus has a good chance of being the presidential nominee. He or she might have to spend a lot of money in Iowa to win the nomination, but it will be money well spent because winning Iowa & New Hampshire = Free advertising throughout the country just before everyone else starts the primary process in their states.

What is better press - "Candidate A just won Iowa and New Hampshire" or "Candidate B just lost Iowa and New Hampshire"? The last thing you want in the press right before the country starts the nomination process in their states is that you are a loser.

 

[nutshell]

10% of the Iowa caucus goers were there. It was a mistake for Thompson and Rudy to pass it up. I think they knew they were going to lose anyway, so instead of look like "losers" they decided to look like they didn't care.

The winner of the Iowa caucus has a good chance of being the presidential nominee. He or she might have to spend a lot of money in Iowa to win the nomination, but it will be money well spent because winning Iowa & New Hampshire = Free advertising throughout the country just before everyone else starts the primary process in their states.

What is better press - "Candidate A just won Iowa and New Hampshire" or "Candidate B just lost Iowa and New Hampshire"? The last thing you want in the press right before the country starts the nomination process in their states is that you are a loser.

You make a nice argument, but I still think it's like an exhibition that doesn't mean anything. An early straw poll is not the same as the real thing. Like you said, only 10% came out. Maybe it was the 10% Romney bought.

 

[jonny]

You make a nice argument, but I still think it's like an exhibition that doesn't mean anything. An early straw poll is not the same as the real thing. Like you said, only 10% came out. Maybe it was the 10% Romney bought.

Mitt Romney was on national TV this morning as a "winner." They will be talking about him "winning" for the next week or so. The money was money well spent.

 

[powder21]

From what I heard, he won with 32% or something like that and the media is saying that with all the money he spent, he should have won by a lot more.

 

[jonny]

From what I heard, he won with 32% or something like that and the media is saying that with all the money he spent, he should have won by a lot more.

Does it really matter? He still won by a large margin, and he's getting the publicity he bought. Someone sent me an article today from a newspaper in Germany on the straw poll. The event was picked up internationally and included a profile of Romney. Not bad for an exhibition that doesn't mean anything.