Word. That is obvious.

Why would any true conservative want to get into a money-burning
contest with a multi-millionaire?

I hope the reasonable citizens of Iowa are wise enough to slap this guy down in the caucuses.

Rudy's heart is not in this. It reminds me of his Senate race with Hillary pre-cancer.

Rudy blew off scheduled meetings in upstate New York to attend Yankee games.

As a former NYC resident, it is disheartening to see that Rudy just doesn't seem to get it.

Rudy showed disrespect to the state. He has all but conceded the Iowa primary.

P.S. I think the Yankees beat the Indians today. I'm sure Rudy watched.

Big deal. He bought this victory with his millions. We don't have a democracy to export anymore. We have shown the world how it can be bought.

I don't think so, The Iowa caucaus is a straw poll, basically seeing where everybody stands, and by the look of it half the rep. party don't which way is up, and the other part, haven't found a "true" conservative, and between a flip-flopper, and a couple moderates, I doubt they will find one with enough of anythimg to be considered a true conservative.

Some Conservatives talk about the need for a "true" Conservative, but there is no such thing. There are many groups of people with mutually exclusive agendas who call themselves Conservative, but they don't believe in the same principles. The religious right is obsessing over flag burning, christmas trees, and abortion. Corporatist Conservatives want no taxes on and no governmental oversight of corporation and they don't care at all about flag-burning or abortion. Libertarians are off living in their own dream world. The wealthy desire to maximize their wealth and have no desire to conserve anything. Conservatism is a charade, not a political philosophy.

I agree David, how many millions did he have to spend on this? This feel good moment will pass, and he'll be forced back into his own pocket for funds….I wonder how his donors feel about this..

Actually, there is a true Conservative in the race. But he doesnt talk in :30 sound bites & doesnt say what voters want to hear. He tells the truth, & it doesnt make voters feel good so they dont like it. His name is Ron Paul.

It is interesting to note that although all the candidates at the poll sweltered in over 100 degree heat, nobody was talking about global warming as far as I'm aware. They ignore the issue completely as a party just like they do anything else that might cause their huge corporate sponsors to start sweating. The republican party is trapped by their own greed and fear. They have become a party of backward thinking bullies who can think of nothing better to say about the last six years than "at least he's kept us safe for the last six years." Uh… what about 9/11? If I'm not mistaken, that happened under the current "tough on terror" president's watch, a few months after the President recieved a bold typed memo entitled, "OSAMA BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO ATTACK IN UNITED STATES."

If you want to watch the election, ignore these do nothings and watch the democratic primaries. They will determine the next president of The U.S.

To anyone out there who is sitting at home thinking that they can sit on the sidelines and wait for the candidate primaries to resolve so that the real election can begin…

We are having the next Presidential election of the United States RIGHT NOW, in forums like this one. We are now, in an immediate sense, choosing our next president, through discussion, through debate, through careful investigation and communication.

This is how our forefathers imagined a democracy to work. People coming together to say what they like and don't like about a candidate.

Barrack Obama has inspired the kind of passion that can win an election. He's been the only one to do so. Whomever wins the Democratic primary will almost certainly win the general election as well, unless the candidate picked doesn't inspire the kind of watchfulness and passion that Barrack Obama has inspired on this site and many others like it.

Do not wait to get involved. Do not wait to voice your thoughts and opinions. Do NOT let the media pick our next President because it is expedient, profitable and divisive of them to.

Take charge of our democratic process and the people that would drag this country further into mediocrity and greed, fear and hate, superstition and stereo-type, will not have a chance to rely on what they constantly depend upon… our inaction, our silence, our continued belief that there is nothing we can do to affect the goverment and through the government the future of our own country.

By engaging now you are winning the election. To wait, you lose it. For all of us.

I'm from Massachusetts. Mitt Romney is so phony and plastic. He will do and say whatever to get to the nomination. He came to liberal Massachusetts and adapted to what was necessary to become governor. He only used Massachusetts to lauch his presidential campain. The guy is the ultimate political candidate. He has since changed many of his core "beliefs". I think Iowans were hoodwinked. I hope the nation is not.

This was a great win by Mitt Romney who is probably the most qualified candidate to ever run for President of the USA.
Mitt won the Iowa straw vote with 31.5% of the vote in 1999 George Bush won by a slightly smaller percentage at 31.3%. Mitt’s margin of victory was even greater than Bush’s in 1999. There Mitt’s margin of victory was 13.4% and Bush’s was 10.5%.
Mitt also was impressive in that his average polling number in Iowa to date is at 24.8% according to Real Clear Politics.com. So taking nearly 32% of the vote shows that conservative Iowans like Mitt Romney’s message and where he stands on the issues. Mitt worked hard for this win and Americans like it when public officials work hard, he deserved to win. The fact that Rudy, John, and Fred were scare to compete with Mitt is going to send a message to all Americans that their organization and passion to win and compete in all States is lagging.
The Romney’s would make a great First Family and I believe if Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney!

If America's liberal wolfpack press and their followers want to continue with their negative sterotypes of this man and his family so be it.
Mitt has no skeletons in his closet and is as "solid" a candidate this country has seen in a long time.

Terry from El Paso, you are exactly right….as Digby said: "There is no such thing as a bad conservative. "Conservative" is a magic word that applies to those who are in other conservatives' good graces. Until they aren't. At which point they are liberals.

Get used to the hearing about how the Republicans failed because they weren't true conservatives. Conservatism can never fail. It can only be failed by weak-minded souls who refuse to properly follow its tenets. It's a lot like communism that way."

"He bought is win"…is your vote up for sale? Don't minimize the people of Iowa. Their vote was not up for sale.

Romney is an incredible candidate. Get used to it. Congrats Mitt! I have yet to read one good reason why Mitt should not be the next President.

11,000 people who were paid to come carry signs for a group of candidates who have no chance for the party's nomination doesn't exactly equate to "crucial" to me. The turnout was WAY lower than expected because the main Republican candidates decided to bypass the event for strategical reasons.

Giuliani didn't participate in this event because he knows that it is most important for him to win the big states like Florida, California, et al. These states have many more moderate Republican voters (as well as many more people obviously) and these are the states that will most likely be open to a candidate with moderate social values at this point.

An Iowa win for Romney would do even less for him than McCain's win in New Hampshire in 2000. Republican's are all coming to realize that the party's only chance for a win in 2008 is uniting behind Giuliani who is ahead or within the margin of error in national polling against the top Democratic candidate.

In the end, Romney is wasting a HELL of a lot of his own money for a campaign that has little chance of finishing better than 3rd.

I agree with Romney and with what Huckabee said as well which is that those who did not participate basically lost or forfeited the fight. Whatever bad press they get for it is deserved and warranted.

Allen, you think Mitt Romney is one of the most qualified people ever to run for President? Just curious, what do you consider "qualifications needed for the Presidency?"

I hope, truly hope, that Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination. I pray for it, I really do. Because if you guys decide he's The One, this man who lives by the "non-answer answer" and the "I changed my mind" creed of political discourse, I have no fear of him being elected. I give Americans a bit more credit than that.

Go Mitt!

It is disturbing that the press is acting as little more than an amplifier for the strongest, most well funded candidates, like Romney or Obama. By covering the strong candidates BECAUSE they are strong, the snowball effect simply feeds more money and power into those campaigns.

The press would serve this country better by making every effort to equally cover all candidates so as to give the people of this nation a complete picture of those would lead it.

I don't know why everyone is whining that Romney bought his votes. Yes, he has a lot of money, but how much of his money did he spend on campaigning? Just because he could spend money on his campaign doesn't mean that he did. If you had a half a brain, you would have thought about that.

Its Iowa folks, who cares?

As I see it, there are two reasons Republicans don't talk about climate change:

1) They and/or their constituents don't believe in it. So be it.

2) If they talk about climate change and put it on people's minds, they know it will only hurt them. Democrats are much stronger on this issue.

Haha Romney spent MILLIONS to buy everyones' votes by busing them in, making them steak, and then buying their registration. LOL I don't know what is more pathetic: Romney paying millions to buy votes or the people that were suckered in to do this.

Ron Paul got 9% of the vote and he was only in Iowa for 2 days and spent very, very little money.

Yeah you had to pay to vote… $35. Nice that the article "forgets" to mention that little tidbit.

Oh well, at least a Romney nomination would all but assure a Democrat President.

Yeah, spin it, Mitty!

You won because you spent $2400.00 per vote, and for no other reason.

It just proves that uber wealthy people who seek even more power, and are willing to pay for it, are NOT TO BE TRUSTED!

Mitt Romney has spent a lot of money to get his name known in Iowa (about $4 M), but it wasn't just for the straw poll. It's also taken him from 7% to 30% in Iowa polls of likely caucus goers. When Romney wins in Iowa and follows that up w/a win in NH, his momentum will be unstoppable.

In 2004, Kerry was polled at 7% nationally the day before the Iowa Caucus. Two days later he was up to 29% nationally. After he won NH, his national number shot up to 53%. Romney is an intelligent man. He realized the concept of momentum in presidential politics. Winning early is the key to winning it all. Rudy's national popularity will flame out when Republicans see him lose the first two states by double-digit margins and Romney will carry the torch all the way back to D.C.

What's this climate change that you speak of?

Romney bought almost all of his votes. He had a barbecue, paid the registration fees and bussing fees, as well as paid I think it was $60 to anyone who promised to vote for him. He is up there with the Clinton's when it comes to being a professional liar.

I believe that Mr. Romney should enjoy his "win", just for the time being. As soon as a pragmatic conservative from the South shows up, his candidacy will lose most of it's steam. I have discarded McCain, Giuliani is a lightweight, and Brownback doesn't have "it". If Fred Thompson joins the race, I would bet my money on his candidacy. And if Hillary Clinton becomes the democratic candidate, that would unify the republicans behind Thompson. Hillary is the best thing that can happen to the republicans in 2008.

A sad day for America - Mitt Romney, renown dog-abuser, wins/purchases a popularity contest. Aren't we just a bastion of democracy the world should follow.
Only one candidate in the republican race is worth listening to for longer than it takes to change the channel: Ron Paul.

I was there. I watched bus after bus after bus come in with only a handful of people on them… maybe 3 or 4. Mitt's supporters were an army of golf carts and CHILDREN - and they had no problem with heckling, namecalling, and basically being rude to other people who weren't wearing their pre-paid yellow t-shirts. I braved the tough corwn and listened to two of his speeches. I heard his wife talking about what a great family she has. I heard his sons talking about how his wife would make a great first lady because they had a wonderful family. And when Mitt FINALLY spoke - i heard "oh, what a wonderful family i have." The ONLY thing he said that actually had anything to do with politics or our nation was "we're going to change things in Washington" and i think he said "We need to support our troops!" Well, you know what Mitt? If kissing babies is your thing - great. But i'd prefer a candidate who actually THINKS and DISCUSSES the ISSUES. And doesn't have to pay for his support. Or bus in senior citizens, promise them free food, and then bus them out before they had the opportunity to hear the other candidate's speeches. Slick Mitt, real slick.

Mitt Romney set out to win the Ames, Iowa straw poll and he did. The other candidates had the same opportunity to win, but they didn't. An unwilliness to compete is not an admirable trait. The dismissiveness of the results ring hollow. Any other candidate would trade places with Mitt in a second.

To those bashing Romney. Ever heard of the Aesop's fable of the fox and the sour grapes? Romney won because he is a go getter and he had the drive to do it. Grind your teeth and spit out all kinds of epitaphs for other candidates, the reality still is: Romney won.

Nice to see Mitt can buy the presidency.

Changing ones mind would be considered a flip. Everyone does it. Changing back and forth (John Kerry) is a flip-flop. Mitt Romney flipped, but there was no flop.

Frankly, I think Romney had to manufacture a victory of any sort to stay in contention. This is not a very significant event - too far from the real meat of the campaign. Bear in mind that the impact, if any, of this victory will dissipate in about a week, if it lasts that long. As for the real campaign, Romney remains high second-tier at best. He's thrown a certain amount of money and time on the straw poll, because it is his only slight chance to gain some credibility. However, if you remember what charges of flip-flopping did to Kerry in '04, how do you think Romney will survive even a brief review of his total inconsistency? Forget the straw poll in Iowa - everyone else already has!

"…and Romney will carry the torch all the way back to D.C."

Yep, and then he'll hand it off to one of the Democrats.

This is a unique year for caucuses and primaries considering the heavy front-loadingin January and February. Traditionally, the winner in Iowa and New Hampshire has been propelled into first and enjoyed subsequent successes on Super Tuesday and beyond (see John Kerry, etc.) McCain and Giuliani are breaking this trend and assuming that, because there are so many other primaries and caucuses so early in the season, wins in Iowa/New Hampshire won't carry the same weight as they have. Romney and company disagree. This will undoubtedly be a fatal error one of the three.

Hey Lance, its called "summer time", and it happens every year. Global warming is not the cause of this SEASONAL rise in temperature. In 6 months, are you going to claim "global cooling"? - I didnt think so.

Willard "Mitt" Romney spent, by some accounts, $6M on campaigning/buying votes for the Iowa Straw Poll. That is more than a third of what was spent on the 9/11 Commission ($15M).

Now you tell me where this country's priorities are.

Congrats Mitt! Congrats Mike! You two would make a GREAT ticket! Leave Rudy "Just fight the easy fights" Guiliani in New York where he belongs. Leave Fred aka "Arthur Branch" Thompson in Hollywood where he belongs. I'm telling you, Mitt and Mike would make an excellent ticket!

Quite the arrogant comment for a victory that really doesn't amount to Jack. Don't put that feather in your cap just yet, Mr. Romney - you know what they say about pride…

Why is the main stream media is blocking or boycotting Ron Paul. I am a life long Republican. I am also an Iraqi War veteran and disabled veteran. Is this America or a conspiracy state. He is the only candidate. The rest are all the same. I can't tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans any more. I beg you please help Ron Paul save our great Republic. To me my friends and family he is our only and best hope. For our children for our future, we must have a tomorrow . The country cannot go on as is. I beseech you to more robustly cover this great American. Restorer of the Republic and possibly the last defender of the Constitution.
1. Sincerely,
RFD