Elections Bachmann Wins Iowa Straw Poll, Cements Her Top-Tier Status in GOP Race
Published August 13, 2011
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Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks during the Iowa Republican Party's Straw Poll, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, in Ames, Iowa.
Ames, Iowa – Rep. Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw Poll Saturday, affirming her status as a top-tier candidate in the Republican race to challenge President Obama in 2012.
Bachmann received 28 percent of the vote. Texas Rep. Ron Paul was a close second with 27 percent. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty came in a distant third with 13 percent of the vote, followed by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with 9 percent and businessman Herman Cain with 8 percent.
Republican presidential candidates, from left to right: former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas; Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich.; businessman Herman Cain; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. pose for a group photo at the Republican Party's Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011.
The daylong political festival was the first indication of how these Republicans are faring with the GOP base. Nine candidates were on the ballot, and voting ran for six hours on the campus of Iowa State University.
Most of the buzz had revolved around Bachmann, whose supporters were a huge presence at the outdoor circus before the votes were cast.
But Pawlenty arguably had the most on the line as his aides had said that if he didn't finish at least second or third, they would have to evaluate whether he can move forward.
It remains to be seen how the third-place finish would affect Pawlenty's campaign. Poor showings usually force some candidates, mostly those who are not well-known and are struggling to raise money, to abandon their bids, and that could happen this year, too.
But Pawlenty, whose heated exchanges with Bachmann was the highlight of Thursday's debate in Iowa, immediately congratulated his Minnesota rival.
"We made progress in moving from the back of the pack into a competitive position for the caucuses, but we have a lot more work to do," he said in a statement. "This is a long process to restore America -- we are just beginning and I'm looking forward to a great campaign."
Paul, who has had the most devout and loyal following at the event this year, got the surprise showing he was looking for in hopes that it would convince Republicans that he was more mainstream than not in his second shot at the GOP nomination.
"Dr. Paul is surging in this race, and today's results show the strength of his grassroots support and top notch organization," Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton said. "These straw poll results, our growing poll numbers and our strong fundraising shows that our message is resonating with Iowans and Americans everywhere."
In the last few weeks, Santorum has been making noise with a family tour of the entire state of Iowa. And having barely registered in public polls for months, he got fourth-place finish he was seeking.
Two major Republican players -- former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- are not on the ballot but their supporters were still trying to make a splash for them at the straw poll because for the first time, Iowans were able to submit write-in votes.
Perry, who announced his candidacy earlier Saturday, came in sixth place with 3.6 percent of the vote, ahead of GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, all of whom didn't compete in the contest.
The poll results are nonbinding, amount to a popularity contest and offer candidates a chance to test their get-out-the-vote organizations.
Those willing to shell out $30 for a ticket were eligible to vote, though some campaigns paid for tickets they distributed to backers. Some also organized bus caravans to bring backers to the event. Turnout in the past has ranged from 14,000 to 23,000.
Bachmann's victory may provide a road map for the Iowa campaign heading into the caucuses that are just four months away. But the straw poll has a mixed record of predicting the winner of that contest.
In 2008, Romney won the straw poll, but the big news was the surprising second-place showing of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses, but dropped from the race soon after. McCain, who eventually won the nomination, didn't compete in the straw poll and finished in 10th place.
Fox News' Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Lefty Leftist 0 minutes ago
They like me......they really like me!......sniff...sniff
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one4themoney 0 minutes ago
THIS is the KIND OF THING....all the LEFT
WING LIBERALS ....want to SEE......INDEPENDENTS...and the GOP .... fighting
AMOUNGST OURSELVES.....SOOOO .... we LOOSE SIGHT of the NEED TO GET RID OF ....
that AMERICA HATING COMMUNIST out of OUR WHITE HOUSE....SHAME on US....
.........................I will LITERALLY
VOTE for ANY ONE....who the GOP PUTS on the BALLOT....as long as president
GEORGE SOROS/obama IS EXTERMINATED in 2012!!!!
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bushthetorturer 0 minutes ago
" DON'T LET THE GOVERNMENT STAND BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR DOCTOR" the
republicon rant for years ...yes republicons want you to believe a CEO
of an HMO who is making 100 million dollars a year on a profit driven
health system , has your health as number one priority.. ha ha!..AMERICA
you have dropped to 50th in the world in life expectancy.. you have
secong WORST infant mortality record in the modern world. ( a child
under one year has a better chance of survival in Cuba)...Despite having
the worlds most EXPENSIVE health care system , you are rated 37th in
the world in health delivery...SO RIGHT WING AMERICA TELL US MORE
STORIES...All the facts quoted are from your own CIA fact book...the
same republican politicians that are telling you government health care
is wrong... guess where they get their health care... you got it the
government..you know why big business and the republican party don't
want government , single payer health care? because corporate america
has discovered decades ago . that there is billions to be made
extorting money , from the sick and dying
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spud1 0 minutes ago
Sarah will probably jump in, but I could never vote for her anymore than I could for Romney..perhaps because of her association with that moron mccain. Anybody else in the field is preferable to obama and his czars, but the one who can set this country on the path to a glorious future is Ron Paul. Too bad both parties prefer politics to integrity.
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bushthetorturer 0 minutes ago
THE GOVERNMENT OF AMERICA WILL NEVER IMPROVE OR CHANGE , UNTIL THEY TAKE
THE MONEY OUT OF THE ELECTIONS.. THESE POLITICIANS ARE FORCED TO DANCE
WITH THE DEVIL INORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING TO BE COMPETITIVE AND TO
SURVIVE, SO THE RICHEST AMERICANS UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS BE
ABLE TO CONTROL THE POLITICAL AGENDA BECAUSE THEY HOLD THE PURSE
STRINGS.. THE INDIVIDUALS WITH THE MOST MONEY OWN AMERICAS SO CALLED DEMOCRACY
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1 person liked this.Flag
one4themoney 0 minutes ago
THIS is the KIND OF THING....all the LEFT
WING LIBERALS ....want to SEE......INDEPENDENTS...and the GOP .... fighting
AMOUNGST OURSELVES.....SOOOO .... we LOOSE SIGHT of the NEED TO GET RID OF ....
that AMERICA HATING COMMUNIST out of OUR WHITE HOUSE....SHAME on US....
.........................I will LITERALLY
VOTE for ANY ONE....who the GOP PUTS on the BALLOT....as long as president
GEORGE SOROS/obama IS EXTERMINATED in 2012!!!!
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rp20122020 0 minutes ago
Ron Paul 2012!!!
Because, he actually thinks about the value of the lives sent into combat zones!
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2 people liked this.Flag
azchuck 1 minute ago
Agreed Repubs...you are all running because you do not agree with OUR current President. Now - America awaits your own INDIVIDUAL enlightened specific programs to enrich the lives for 80% of working American Families. You all are now "officially" on the clock. We The People Await - Fillibusters not allowed in your reponses.
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BoehnerDrunk 1 minute ago
I get so excited and proud for human evolution and intelligence. We split the atom, we can cure diseases, we can create things that aid in our daily lives that we could never imagine. We are really progressing as a race! Then I hear Michele Bachmann open her mouth and get many followers and votes and I get depressed. I realize that, nope, we are still simple cavemen.
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one4themoney 1 minute ago
THIS is the KIND OF THING....all the LEFT
WING LIBERALS ....want to SEE......INDEPENDENTS...and the GOP .... fighting
AMOUNGST OURSELVES.....SOOOO .... we LOOSE SIGHT of the NEED TO GET RID OF ....
that AMERICA HATING COMMUNIST out of OUR WHITE HOUSE....SHAME on US....
.........................I will LITERALLY
VOTE for ANY ONE....who the GOP PUTS on the BALLOT....as long as president
GEORGE SOROS/obama IS EXTERMINATED in 2012!!!!
Like
Flag
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