Mitt Romney is poised to run away with today's Iowa Strawpoll - an early and informal checkpoint for Republican Presidential candidates. The results of today's strawpoll (I don't care to wait for the returns as the outcome is not in doubt) should be carefully interpreted, given the logistics of the voting event. There is only one polling station - Ames, in the center of the 300x200 mile state - in all of Iowa, and in order to cast a ballot, voters must pony up $35 to pay for a fundraising dinner (to benefit the GOP of Iowa). Romney's campaign is even going so far as to pay voters' poll fee in exchange for a vote.
Rudy Giuliani and John McCain's campaigns both bailed out of strawpoll contention (and for the moment, Iowa as a whole) as it became clear that Mitt Romney (and his endless bundles of personal cash) would be the clear-cut victor in today's nonbinding contest. A consultant on Fred Thompson's campaign cited fear of a poor showing in Ames as a contributing factor for Thompson not yet officially declaring his candidacy.
This may be Romney's biggest victory today: forcing the other top tier candidates to clear out of Iowa while his campaign digs in. Also significant is the media exposure Romney will experience in the days after the vote. Mitt has made it clear: his (personal) money is his campaign's money, and he's not hesitant to spend either.
Ron Paul (to the surprise of everyone who doesn't post in politics-related internet forums) is also expected to have a strong showing.
EDIT:
"The straw poll was held on the campus of Iowa State University and is viewed as a test of organizational strength in Iowa. In almost every case, the candidates paid the $35 per person fee charged to vote in the straw poll. It's a major fundraiser for the state Republican Party." --CNN
I implied that Romney's paying voters for their support is extrordinary. In fact, it is not.
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