Romney Beats Santorum by 8 Votes and Ron Paul Finishes with Strong Third Place

[Guest ArmyVeteran37214]

[mcurrier]

This was an absolute win for Rick Santorum. Romney spent millions of dollars to get his votes. By comparison, Santorum spent 73¢ per vote. Santorum was barely even visible in polling in Iowa and came from behind to match Romney’s 25%.

My money is (literally) on Santorum. He’s the most conservative of the bunch. Bachman bailed and gave an exit speech that sounded great. Maybe she should have been saying those things while she was running. Santorum will be the only one left calling out Obama and telling it like it is.

Obama can balance out against Romney on Obama Care vs. Romney Care, and, Romney is a "rich white guy". Santorum is the best choice remaining.

[kieefer]

Oh great, here he is. I was beginning to worry.

Real happy with the Santorum WIN.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Ok, what did we learn from this? Romney got 25%, just like 4 years ago, and he is the front runner. He won by a mere 8 votes. 8. He did not expand his base from 4 years ago.

120,000 GOP voters. About the same amount as 4 years ago (in comparison, roughly twice that amount voted in the Democratic primary 4 years ago.) So much for getting a big turnout.

The more conservative Santorum was 2nd by 8 votes. This will push Romney to being more faux conservative to win more votes.

Ron Paul was a close 3rd. Which means, if he does run independent, as it has been highly suggested, he will be the spoiler for the GOP.

This was a win, for Obama, as there is no clear winner, no unifying candidate, which means the primary is about to get real dirty. Again, boon for Obama, because he doesn't have to "dirty his hands" to fling mud on the GOP candidates, they will do the flinging all by themselves.

Expect it to get down and dirty in South Carolina...

[Oh Shoot]

Ok, what did we learn from this? Romney got 25%, just like 4 years ago, and he is the front runner. He won by a mere 8 votes. 8. He did not expand his base from 4 years ago...

Oops, dupe, sort of:

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/national-politics-legislation/65955-2012-presidential-primary-poll-14.html#post841316

- OS

Edited January 5, 2012 by OhShoot

[seez52]

nobody has mentioned this that I've seen, but results look a bit out of whack to me. It wouldn't surprise me to see some GOP number doctoring behind the scenes to have gotten this outcome. Hell, Sanitorium wasn't even on the radar two weeks ago. Having Ron Paul in second place would have been a huge black eye for the establishment and the future of caucuses in general. By keeping him in third no one has to report on finish position they can jump right over and talk about Newt or Perry or whoever else.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Ok, what did we learn from this? Romney got 25%, just like 4 years ago, and he is the front runner. He won by a mere 8 votes. 8. He did not expand his base from 4 years ago.

120,000 GOP voters. About the same amount as 4 years ago (in comparison, roughly twice that amount voted in the Democratic primary 4 years ago.) So much for getting a big turnout.

The more conservative Santorum was 2nd by 8 votes. This will push Romney to being more faux conservative to win more votes.

Ron Paul was a close 3rd. Which means, if he does run independent, as it has been highly suggested, he will be the spoiler for the GOP.

This was a win, for Obama, as there is no clear winner, no unifying candidate, which means the primary is about to get real dirty. Again, boon for Obama, because he doesn't have to "dirty his hands" to fling mud on the GOP candidates, they will do the flinging all by themselves.

Expect it to get down and dirty in South Carolina...

I think it was a win for Santorum. He put the effort

into Iowa. He may actually get traction, especially

with Newt being pissed at Romney for the ads.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest 6.8 AR]

This was an absolute win for Rick Santorum. Romney spent millions of dollars to get his votes. By comparison, Santorum spent 73¢ per vote. Santorum was barely even visible in polling in Iowa and came from behind to match Romney’s 25%.

My money is (literally) on Santorum. He’s the most conservative of the bunch. Bachman bailed and gave an exit speech that sounded great. Maybe she should have been saying those things while she was running. Santorum will be the only one left calling out Obama and telling it like it is.

Obama can balance out against Romney on Obama Care vs. Romney Care, and, Romney is a "rich white guy". Santorum is the best choice remaining.

I'm with you! It would have been nice to see

Bachmann with some traction, too. I'd be fine

with Santorum against Obama.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest nysos]

I am hoping Paul can pull through in the end as it looks like Gingrich is fading away, but miracles can happen I suppose.

While Santorum wouldn't be my first pick, by gods he is a no-brainer to choose over Romney.

My view - Paul or Gingrich, I would like...

Santurum - I could live with...

Romney - I would hate...

...to be president.

Granted this is also just based off campaigning and political views. I didn't vote for Obama, but when he got elected I said if he could do half the stuff he claims he can, he might be a decent president but he is making some big claims. Behold, he hasn't done jack. My opinion of Obama pre-election, and post few years of serving like many others has dramatically changed.

I

Edited January 5, 2012 by nysos

[Oh Shoot]

.... I didn't vote for Obama, but when he got elected I said if he could do half the stuff he claims he can, he might be a decent president but he is making some big claims. Behold, he hasn't done jack. ..

You've been dozing, he's done plenty, too many to list.

But his scariest legacy may be putting two raving liberal dames on the Supreme Court. Four more years, and if the Senate stays Dem, he'll get to load it with as many as four more -- long standing legal precedents will be overturned over time. Including almost certainly what 2A progress we've made.

- OS

[Guest Lester Weevils]

A president Santorum in 2012 would about guarantee a president Van Jones or president Al Franken in 2016. If enough citizens would vote for Santorum in the first place. He would do at least one bad thing for every good thing.

So many of these pols are cut out of the same cloth as high school and college student council dweebs.

[Guest Spurhunter]

Sure, Santorum is more conservative, but I dont think he can beat Olbummer. I see Romney as the only one to get the independants away from the "Great Evil one". Having a super-conservative WILL NOT win this election.

[Guest nysos]

You've been dozing, he's done plenty, too many to list.

But his scariest legacy may be putting two raving liberal dames on the Supreme Court. Four more years, and if the Senate stays Dem, he'll get to load it with as many as four more -- long standing legal precedents will be overturned over time. Including almost certainly what 2A progress we've made.

- OS

I should have clarified, I meant forward progress when I said he hasn't done jack.

[RobertNashville]

Sure, Santorum is more conservative, but I dont think he can beat Olbummer. I see Romney as the only one to get the independants away from the "Great Evil one". Having a super-conservative WILL NOT win this election.

It's immaterial who the R nominee is.

If its Ron Paul, I don't believe he can win against Obummer...if its anyone but Ron Paul who gets the nomination then RP is going to pick up his marbles like a little school and run third party; again, assuring an Obummer win.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I sure am glad everyone has made their minds up. Only one caucus and Obama has won. It would be ashamed

if there was a Romney win and the Republicans took the Senate and retained the House. I wonder if Ron Paul

has thought of what clout he would have with the Fed, then? I also wonder how many of you have thought

about it like that. I could easily accept Santorum or Romney, in that case.

The GOP elite is only counting on a Senate and a retention of the House, from what I understand, and I don't like

there strategy but I guess I understand, based on the way things appear to happen, nowadays.

[mav]

...if its anyone but Ron Paul who gets the nomination then RP is going to pick up his marbles like a little school and run third party; again, assuring an Obummer win.

I honestly do not believe Paul will run third party. Rand Paul said the other day that it would not be a good thing to run third party and pretty much admitted that it would reelect Obama. However, Paul is not going to say he won't run third party. Why should he? He becomes more influential within the GOP by keeping the threat alive, which is a very good thing. His domestic agenda is second to none. The better he does in the primaries, the more influenece he gains. I don't blame him for not saying that he will absolutely not run on a third party platform.

I will say that it is more than likely that if Paul doesn't win the nomination he will not endorse the nominee. Being a man of prinicples over party, I don't think I could really fault him on that either. If Romney gets the nod, a lot of people will vote for him, but they won't endorse him. The same can be said for Santorum and Gingrich.

I think what a lot of people should be upset about is when Gingrich said it would be a tough decision if the general ended up being Paul vs. Obama. Seriously, WTF? I understand how a lot of people don't like some of Paul's views, but that is a no-brainer. Any of the candidates including Romney, whom I do not trust at all, would be better than Obama.

[RobertNashville]

It may seem like a no brainier yet I'm hearing a lot of folks, including on this forum, who say thy will either not vote or will vote for Obummer if RP or whoever their favorite candidate is, doesn't get the nomination.

I hope you are right about RP not running third party but its looking more and more to me as if RP is simply on a ego trip and if so he may well refuse to accept rejection. Another reason I think that is because it seems to me that sinc RP is actually a libertarian he is simply using the Republican structure and if that doesn't pan out he will have nothing to lose by running third party.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

There is hypocrisy regarding RP being a libertarian in republican clothing. For instance Mark Levin criticizes RP for daring to be in the R party, but in the next breath Levin brags that Reagan refused to leave the R party, instead choosing to change the R party!

Isn't that EXACTLY what Paul is trying to do? If it was OK for Reagan to try to change the R party, then why ain't it OK for Paul to do the same?

Reagan had some notable quotables which sounded quite libertarian. Not quite as libertarian as Goldwater but getting in the ballpark. Reagan had undesirable "conservative repressive" social inclinations along with the libertarianism. A weird mix. As always with all of em, Reagan did some good stuff and some bad stuff.

If RP does go third party, I think it would be a last-ditch strategem to earn libertarian principles at least a little bit of respect from one of the parties. With a closely-matched stalemate of socialist voters versus theocratic voters, at least one of the parties needs to realize that they can't win without the libertarians. The R party seems marginally more "salvagable" than the D party, but only marginally so.

I mean, the R party is hard-core anti-gay-marriage and hard-core anti-abortion just to lock-up a few percent of voters to tilt the balance one way. And the D party is hard-core pro-gay-marriage and hard-core pro-abortion to lock-up a few percent to tilt the balence the other way. But the libertarians don't get no respect from either party.

For decades libertarians don't get no respect, but they pay taxes just like everybody else. If lack of libertarian support causes one or the other major parties to lose an election or two, then eventually one party or the other might "get it".

Edited January 6, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[seez52]

amen, Lester

the fix is in and the nominee has been chosen. The Iowa caucus was a prime example. Everything else between now and the convention is just a dog and pony show. The R establishment has it all worked out, you just need to get over it.

The Rs have not learned their lesson. They require more time in the desert, lets see to it.

[Guest Spurhunter]

I voted for Mcain, so a vote for Paul OVER Obummer is coming if it goes that way.

It may seem like a no brainier yet I'm hearing a lot of folks, including on this forum, who say thy will either not vote or will vote for Obummer if RP or whoever their favorite candidate is, doesn't get the nomination.

I hope you are right about RP not running third party but its looking more and more to me as if RP is simply on a ego trip and if so he may well refuse to accept rejection. Another reason I think that is because it seems to me that sinc RP is actually a libertarian he is simply using the Republican structure and if that doesn't pan out he will have nothing to lose by running third party.

[kieefer]

amen, Lester

the fix is in and the nominee has been chosen. The Iowa caucus was a prime example. Everything else between now and the convention is just a dog and pony show. The R establishment has it all worked out, you just need to get over it.

The Rs have not learned their lesson. They require more time in the desert, lets see to it.

I don't think the "fix" is in because Santorum would not have gotten so close to beating Romney and IOWA is the first of many signs of who the country wants as president, it doesn't seal the deal.

Democrats also voted in this primary, which makes no sense to me but could be the reason RP placed 3rd.

And...RP is nothing like Reagan and sees his only chance of getting in office is by being on the R ticket. RP does not support the R party or seek to change it otherwise he would not consider a 3rd party run or have done so in the past. Paul is out for himself, he cares less whether BHO wins or not. I can't even recall where he has spoken highly of any of his co-workers in house or senate, he's an outsider and that's another reason why he's unelectable.

[sigmtnman]

Who does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program?

Who returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year?

Who has never voted to raise taxes?

Who has never voted for an unbalanced budget?

Who has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership?

Who has never voted to raise congressional pay?

Who has never taken a government-paid junket?

Who has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch?

Who voted against the Patriot Act?

Who is out for himself?

[sigmtnman]

[sigmtnman]

Santorum is nothing more than a blocker for Romney. He is being used to fly cover and divert attention.

[kieefer]

Santorum is nothing more than a blocker for Romney. He is being used to fly cover and divert attention.

Maybe if you're a RP supporter, but RP will never be in the same position.