Niche Voters Giving Paul Momentum in Iowa Polls

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

VINTON, Iowa — Steve and Cindy Anders belong to one of Iowa’s most politically savvy movements — Christian home-schoolers, whose organizing on behalf of Mike Huckabee in 2008 was one of the secrets behind his upset victory in the state’s Republican caucuses. This year, the Anderses are behind Representative Ron Paul of Texas, who supports drastically shrinking the federal government and closing the Education Department.

In a year when the Republican field is unusually fractured, with front-runners coming around as often as carousel ponies, Mr. Paul’s ability to mobilize niche groups like home-schoolers may make a big difference. His campaign, which has won a number of straw polls and is picking up momentum, has demonstrated its ability to organize and mobilize supporters, which is particularly relevant in Iowa, where relatively small numbers can tip the scales in the caucuses. For his part, Mr. Anders was looking forward to a meeting with a Paul campaign staff member to strategize “how we can go to work for Ron Paul.”

“Home-schoolers are really independently minded,” Mr. Anders said, estimating that most of the 10 other families in his Saturday morning coffee club in Council Bluffs, Iowa, supported Mr. Paul. “He believes the federal government has no role in education, as most home-schoolers will agree.” Home-school families are among the lesser-known converts to Mr. Paul — along with small-business owners and voters well past college age — who have helped him build support beyond his fierce core of followers, often young people.

His support has usually added up to less than 10 percent in surveys of likely Republican primary voters. But now, thanks to the best organized grass-roots campaign in Iowa and heavy spending on television advertisements that portray him as consistent while other Republicans have flip-flopped, Mr. Paul is breaking through that ceiling, giving rise to a once far-fetched scenario — that he might win the state’s caucuses on Jan. 3.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/us/politics/ron-paul-gaining-momentum-from-niche-voters-in-iowa-polls.html?_r=1&hp

[BumRushDaShow]

1. So the NY Times is trying to manufacture the next "flavor of the month" candidate.

:eyes:

[sufrommich]

2. A libertarian winning the GOP primary would be big news, I don't

think the NYT is manufacturing his rise in the Iowa polls,it's the GOP primary voter running out of viable alternatives that is pushing his numbers up.

[Iliyah]

4. These caucuses

don't mean a hill of beans. Mittens is the gopers nom.

And I'm tired of so called Christians trying to control my life, plus true Libertarians are atheists who truly don't believe in shared sacrifice for anything. Ron Paul is a hypocrite like the rest of the political field.

[russspeakeasy]

3. Bachman leads polls among Monarch butterfly breeders, 98%.

[think]

5. dupe sorry

dupe

[think]

6. I would love to see Ron Paul and Obama debate rather than

the usual shop of whores that represent the Republican corpocracy.

Whether you like or hate Ron Paul, he would shake it up big time.

We'd actually get to have a strong debate on military spending.

[On the Road]

8. I Would Like to See That Too

Paul would never win the general election, but would air certain issues that badly need a public debate.

Human nature, however, pushes us to reinforce our own positions when we disagree with someone. So it's possible that on issues like military cuts, civil liberties, and marijuana legalization, Paul might actually entrench Obama even further.

[jwirr]

7. My God if Christian Home Schoolers are Iowa's most political savvy

movements we are doomed.

[alp227]

9. Niche Voters Giving Paul Momentum in Iowa Polls

Source: NYT

Steve and Cindy Anders belong to one of Iowa’s most politically savvy movements — Christian home-schoolers, whose organizing on behalf of Mike Huckabee in 2008 was one of the secrets behind his upset victory in the state’s Republican caucuses.

This year, the Anderses are behind Representative Ron Paul of Texas, who supports drastically shrinking the federal government and closing the Education Department.

In a year when the Republican field is unusually fractured, with front-runners coming around as often as carousel ponies, Mr. Paul’s ability to mobilize niche groups like home-schoolers may make a big difference. His campaign, which has won a number of straw polls and is picking up momentum, has demonstrated its ability to organize and mobilize supporters, which is particularly relevant in Iowa, where relatively small numbers can tip the scales in the caucuses.

For his part, Mr. Anders was looking forward to a meeting with a Paul campaign staff member to strategize “how we can go to work for Ron Paul.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/us/politics/ron-paul-gaining-momentum-from-niche-voters-in-iowa-polls.html?pagewanted=all

---

See also: "Secular Voters in Iowa are Supporting Ron Paul" by Hemant Mehta

[SoapBox]

10. Support away "niche" voters...

He's a nut and he's been sucking the teat of government since 1976.

I'm tired of the Limp Media, CONSTANTLY saying that "Iowa's voters" are supporting, *fill in the blank with any name you want from the GOPBagger Clown Car.*

It is NOT, repeat NOT, all Iowa (or United States) voters. It is a the GOPBagger registered voters...and of those even, only a minority will vote (as is with all registered voters).

Limp Media...stop trying to make it sound like 99% of ALL Americans will be supporting these nut jobs. Their support is from a minority of loony tunes.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cpwm17]

12. Yes, war mongers are worse than nuts

Nothing's worse than mass murder.

[BlueIris]

13. Ron Paul scares the shit out of me.

This man is literally one of the only reasons I will be voting Democrat in '12.

[ladjf]

14. Iowa and Indiana have become centers of political disgrace as they

have consistently moved toward the views of the lunatic right and Corporate interests. nt

[red dog 1]

15. Ron Paul: End Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid

Posted on Raw Story April 27, 2011 by Eric W. Dolan

"Speaking to MSNBC host Cenk Uygur, Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul said if he were elected President of the United States he would try to transition the country off Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security."

Watch video:.http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/04/ron-paul-end-medicare-