From Deseret News archives:
Mitt wins with ease in Iowa straw poll
Both former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain decided earlier this year to skip the daylong event that serves as a fund-raiser for the Iowa Republican Party.
Their names were still on the ballot, though, along with another no-show, likely GOP challenger, actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, and the eight candidates who did appear at the Iowa State University Hilton Coliseum.
The vote doesn't count for much other than as a test of a candidate's organizational abilities in Iowa, where residents are the first in the nation to name their presidential primary picks in a caucus vote that this election season, could come as soon as mid-December.
The big surprise Saturday was a second-place finish by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who pushed to position himself as Romney's toughest competition here, came in third, followed closely by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
With no presence at the fairlike event Saturday aside from a pair of Texas A&M students handing out bumper stickers, Fred Thompson came in seventh, ahead of Giuliani, who was eighth, and McCain, who was 10th.
Later, he told reporters that the low turnout was expected, given the day's extreme heat and humidity, which felt like triple-digit temperatures. The state party reported 33,000 people attended the straw poll and more than 14,000 voted.
As for his absent competitors, Romney said it was "too bad the other guys weren't competing here. If they thought they could have been successful here, they would have been here."
Kelly Patterson of Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy said Romney did what he had to do in the straw poll. "He had to do well and show he was capable of winning," Patterson said. "He won and he won by a huge margin."
Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said getting more than 18 percent of the vote "validates the importance of coming to Iowa because the people here weren't influenced by media or by money. They were ultimately influenced just by message and their own heart and will. ... Today shows we can win."
Recent comments
Mitt Romney is the best candidate for President. Giuliani and McCain...
Pete | Aug. 13, 2007 at 11:55 a.m.
I find it interesting that Peter is so quick to discount a number of...
Bill | Aug. 13, 2007 at 11:29 a.m.
I am a Utahn living in Iowa going to school. I was in Ames for the...
reader in iowa | Aug. 12, 2007 at 9:35 p.m.
- Seattle makes it 10 in row over Rams 2:37 p.m.
- Colts remain perfect with win 2:31 p.m.
- The joy of a baby's love 2:26 p.m.
- Holiday shopping mildly encouraging 2:17 p.m.
- Woods cancels meeting with police 2:09 p.m.
- Venezuelan banks to be nationalized? 2:02 p.m.
- USA Today Top 25 Poll 1:48 p.m.
- The AP Top 25 1:45 p.m.
- No. 1 vs. No. 2 in SEC title game 1:43 p.m.
- Illustrator is living his dream 1:30 p.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- BYU is champion of the state
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- Credit Coug defense for win
- Field goals, penalties doomed Utes
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Cougar defense rose to occasion
- Marriage definitions vary widely
- Jones' joy for life remembered
- Banged up Jazz get best of Blazers
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
593 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
458 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
117 - BYU is champion of the state
115 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
89 - Hall's legacy measured today
77 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
Please refer to any of the news reports that confirm that Jamie Whittingham...
AFTER HIS 15 TURNOVERS LAST YEAR. IT WAS PROBABLY A BYU FAN THAT DUMPED BEER...
Inarticulately angry or inappropriately angry. If some idiot fans did abuse...
Channel 2 covered the fact that Jaime Whittingham had been HIT in the mouth...
Max, thanks for taking all of the joy out of beating that school up north....
It's not a very bright kid who goes looking for his name in internet message...
I support you Max--100%!!!
spencer nelson is a scrub. not even close to NBA caliber
You are trying to soothe the accute pain of defeat by making remarks made by...
Let's take a poll: How many BYU fans are interested in attending a BYU/Utah...



