Sunday, August 19, 2007

Sunday Five Brother Blogging - Desperately Seeking Validation (L-R)Ntagg, Njosh, Nben, Ncraig, Nmatt

I spent the day yesterday at the Illinois State Fair where my dad won the Republican Presidential Straw Poll. It was exciting to see the campaign carry some momentum from the Iowa Straw Poll victory into Illinois. We don’t have a lot of paid staff or an extensive field operation in Illinois, but the efforts of the volunteers, particularly Senator Dan Rutherford, helped secure the win. Here I am pictured with Senator Rutherford and Illinois Finance Co-Chairman, Terry Graunke.

And here's a good article on the victory:

http://www.mittromney.com/News/In-The-News/Illinois_Straw_Poll

Romney wins straw poll at Illinois fair

By: Kevin McDermott
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Friday, Aug 17, 2007

"Not far from the cotton candy vendors, Illinois Republicans spun a small piece of political history at the Illinois State Fair Thursday, with a presidential straw poll that organizers hope could someday provide an Iowa-like influence in early primary campaigning."

...

"Fewer than 1,000 people voted in the event, which handed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney his second Midwestern poll victory in as many weeks. Primed by beer and a live band, fairgoers lined up at electronic voting screens on a muddy lawn near the fairground's goat barn. Media coverage was mostly local and subdued."

• The point of the Craig's post was to emphasize that DadMitt can too win a straw poll without buying all of the voters a pork sandwich and a gift card from Stuckey's.

• This all-important vote took place over by the goat barn. Yes, the goat barn. This would explain why the voters had to get liquored up to vote.

• Craig Romney doesn't know how to create an embedded link.

• Then there is the matter of Craig's selective block-quoting from McDermott's article. Here is Craig again:

"Not far from the cotton candy vendors, Illinois Republicans spun a small piece of political history at the Illinois State Fair Thursday, with a presidential straw poll that organizers hope could someday provide an Iowa-like influence in early primary campaigning."

...

Not far from the cotton candy vendors, Illinois Republicans spun a small piece of political history at the Illinois State Fair Thursday, with a presidential straw poll that organizers hope could someday provide an Iowa-like influence in early primary campaigning.

For now, though, even the event's boosters admit it was all fluff and little substance.

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