Rick Perry Takes His Chances on Florida Straw Poll
EmailORLANDO — Texas Governor Rick Perry delivered his plea for delegates’ votes in the Florida straw poll this morning, expressing his belief that other campaigns made a blunder by not campaigning for a straw poll win.
“There are number of folks and some campaigns who have spurned this tradition of the Florida straw poll,” Perry told an estimated crowd of 2,000 at a delegate breakfast hosted by his campaign. “I think that’s a big mistake. I think the Florida straw poll is very important.”
Perry shared with the delegates his personal experience from 2000, as the then lieutenant governor awaited the Florida results from the presidential election to determine his next step in Texas.
“There was a little notoriety out here about a thing called a hanging chad,” Perry said. “I just wanted to share with you what was about a month and a half – my hopes of being the governor of Texas were kind of in the balance during that same period of time and here we are eleven years later, and I’ve got my hopes on Florida again.”
“It’s great to be in the state that picks presidents. That’s what Florida does.”
Florida’s Presidency straw poll bears a strong history of picking the Republican nominee as delegates chose Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bob Dole in each of the years they won their party’s presidential nomination.
Perry has invested heavily in promoting himself for the Presidency 5 straw poll of 3,000 Republican candidates.
Other candidates, such as Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney, said they are not actively pushing to win the poll.
Perry’s campaign rolled out a bevy of endorsements in the week prior to the straw poll and assembled a strong leadership team for P5, which includes Florida state Speaker of the House Dean Cannon serving as the chairman and other Florida state legislators as part of the team.
In a mailer obtained by the Miami Herald which was sent to delegates this week, Anita Perry vouched for her husband’s humble upbringing and his ability to translate his economic record in Texas onto the national stage.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Perry told ABC News said the campaign understands the importance Florida plays in the election.
“We always hope for the best outcome,” Mark Miner, spokesman for Perry, said of the straw poll.
Perry’s trouble at the debate on the issue of immigration sparked concern over the Texas governor’s ability to appeal to true social conservatives.
William Breazeale, a delegate from Orlando, said he respected the Texas governor’s military service and job creation record in Texas but decided to throw his support to Herman Cain because of Perry’s approval of providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants in Texas.
“Rick Perry as you’ll see has lost a lot of conservatives in here by being pro-illegal immigration and he can say he’s against it all he wants, but if you give benefits to any illegal aliens, you have lost the support of true conservatives,” Breazeale told ABC News. “I’d be very surprised if he wins the straw poll tomorrow because of that.”
Neil Curley, an undecided delegate from Naples, Fla., attended Perry’s breakfast to observe the Texas governor’s body language and demeanor in person after saying he “stumbled” during the debate.
“I think he needs to move on from nitpicking back and forth with another candidate doesn’t do any good,” Curley said. “Just go on with what he’s doing and present his ideas without going into the nitpicking because that detracts from the situation and especially for the Republicans we need a lot of independent voters to be successful and we don’t want to present that nitpicking thing as a discouraging factor.”
The Texas governor heads to Mackinac Island, Mich. for an afternoon speech at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference.
Romney will deliver a speech to the conference later in the evening.
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Perry is still, the leader, and has the most potential of being the person the voters prefer.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 24, 2011, 10:08 am 10:08 am
It is so sad that you don’t even mention RON PAUL!!! He is first in 60% of the polls so far, yet you mention everyone but him, and give the headline, once again, to this ridiculous Jesus freak puppet. If you’re supposed to be a news writer, then write the news instead of this media driven cover up!!!
Posted by: Bryan J | September 24, 2011, 10:52 am 10:52 am
With Perry and the rest of those far right fanatics sniping at each other, it makes Obama look better and better!
Posted by: musquash2 | September 24, 2011, 11:24 am 11:24 am
These “true social conservatives” (who boo a gay soldier via satellite for asking the candidates position on repealing DADT, cheer allowing an uninsured young man to die, and reject Perry because he believes that if a child is brought here illegally by parents and grows up here, attending public schools, she or he should be able to attend college at the in-state tuition rate) are going to be the death of the Republican party in 2012.
They are so extreme, so out of the mainstream, so out of touch with the majority of Republican voters on just about every issue, and so determined to either nominate a radical, unelectable candidate OR defect if an electable moderate is nominated, they are splitting the party in two.
Posted by: raven | September 24, 2011, 11:26 am 11:26 am
Perry is a failure with illegal immigration. Very disappointed.
Posted by: Kathy M. | September 24, 2011, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Americans, please see through the giant corporate greed and propaganda machine. They are peppered with retired politicians who hold jobs as consultants and hold our country hostage by manipulating our government. Look at Fox news and the media puppets who work for Australian Rupert Murdoch. They are telling you who you should vote for by the publicity they give their favorite candidates like Perry and Romney. Stop the war profiteers who are killing our soldiers under the guise of keeping our country safe while you and I are made their scapegoats and disliked around the world. Read the 5 point extract from Saif al-Adels document, “Al Quaeda’s Strategy to the year 2020″ published in 2005. THIS HAS HAPPENED AND IS STILL HAPPENING! We must bring all our troops home NOW! We must stop the corruption by the FEDERAL RESERVE, THE FDA, THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY and control the impudent actions of the IRS. WE need RON PAUL NOW. Don’t listen to those who say he is unelectable. They are either part of the propaganda machine or are brainwashed by it. ‘A VOTE FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN IS NEVER WASTED”!
Posted by: Louis Pelosi | September 24, 2011, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
Why wasn’t Perry skipping the California GOP straw poll a mistake? Gee, who wonder who won there?
Posted by: Jay | September 24, 2011, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
MANY YEARS AGO PEOPLE TRAVELED TO FLORDIA BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. ENJOYED EATTING PLACES, HOMES, SHOPPING EACH OTHER. IN THE PAST YEARS FLORDIA HA BECOME THE GOVERMENT CORRUPTED STATE. THERE ARE GROUPS TAKING OVER LIKE KILLERS, POLITICS, NFL LAW PROBLEMS, MURDERS, RAPIST, PEDOPHILES, GANGS, GUNS, ILLEGALS,YOU NAME IT.. THESE ARE TO A DEGREE OF OVER KILL, MORE THEN MOST STATES. FLORDIA IS IN THE NEWS CONSTANTLY OVER ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS. CONSTANTLY…SO TO HAVE GOP THERE FOR A STRAW POLL IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF CORRUPTION TO SHOW UP TO GET A PAT ON THE BACK. PERRY IS NOW KNOWN AS A CROOK. BUT THIS ALL COMES OUT WHAT IS BEING DONE UNDRER THE RUG. THIS IS WHEN PEOPLE WILL OOPEN THE CLOSET DOOR, AN IT JUST FALLS OUT. WHEN HE TELLS YA HE CAN’T BE BOUGHT FOR $5,000.00, HE WAS INSAULTED. OMG HELPED HIMSELF TO THAT ONE DIDN’T HE???? SHOWED ALL HIS RICH BOOTS, BELTS BRAGGING AS GIFTS. HOW HE CATTERS ONLY TO THE RICH. WHO GOT HIRED, AN OVER PAID. NOW IS RUNNING TO ALL HE BIG BUSINESS’S TO GET MONEY. THE JOKE WAS TRUMP WHO DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS NAME. LOL BACK PEDDLES ON SOCIAL SECURITY PONSY. AN THINGS HE WROTE IN THE BOOK THAT PEOPLE ARE POINTING OUT TO HIM THEY WON’T VOTE FOR. SOME GOP DON’T EVEN LIKE THE LYING BASTARD. BUT FOUND THEY DON’T HAVE MUCH CHOICE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR THE PRESIDENT’S JOB.. OMG THERE AREN’T ANY GOING TO WIN. YOU CAN’T VOTE ANOTHER SOB FROM TEXAS. LOOK WHAT THE LAST SOB DID TO US. AN DON’T THINK BUSH LIKES HIM LIKE PERRY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOU THINK. ANOTHER LIE. BUT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE. THERE BOTH LOOSER, BUT ONE WILL BE VOTED, ONLY TO TAKE THE FALL IN 2012…….
Posted by: sam | September 24, 2011, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm
Perry this, Perry that. It’s getting old! By the way Ron Paul already gave his Florida CPAC speech friday. You can find it on youtube. Definately worth hearing! You know ABC News ( and media in general ) there are other candidates than just Perry.
Posted by: keredte | September 24, 2011, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
“With Perry and the rest of those far right fanatics sniping at each other, it makes Obama look better and better.” —————— Only Jimmy Carter can make Obama look better. And even that’s debatable…
Posted by: Logicsgood4 | September 24, 2011, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Maybe Florida wants a toxic waste dump too.
Posted by: overandover | September 24, 2011, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
Only Jimmy Carter can make Obama look better. And even that’s debatable—there will be much pulling of hair and nashing of teeth when Obama wins his second term, and everyone will say ‘how????? How did this happen???? he was so weak! ” ah yes. But nobody seems to take a moments notice that the Tea Party, who is so strongly represented in Congress, is polling at 12% approval rating. 12%. There is your barometric reading of how voters consider the Tea far right wing right now. YOu either chose Romney, or live with another four years of Obama. You hate Obama so much you are BLIND to thefact that voters DO NOT TRUST or want, the far right wing, and certainly not someone as dumb as Perry. You think ‘anyone’ can beat Obama????? LOL!! He has 40% approval rating. Congress has 12%.
Posted by: Johnnyboy | September 24, 2011, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
Perry said, ““I think that’s a big mistake. I think the Florida straw poll is very important.”
WHY is it important, Rick? What, specifically, makes this completely useless exercise important?
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
It is so sad that you don’t even mention RON PAUL!!!
Posted by: Bryan J | September 24, 2011, 10:52 am
I just heard that Ron Paul will be the guest on The Daily Show Monday night…..
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
Perry is still, the leader, and has the most potential of being the person the voters prefer. Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 24, 2011, 10:08 am
Which voters? Tea Baggers? Sure. Texans? Probably most. Religious Conservative Fundamentalists? Yep. The rest of the world? That’s a big ‘hell no’! He fails miserably with the Independents and moderates. His front-runner status is dwindling. His dirty, ‘pay to play’ style of Texas politics is getting more and more scrutiny and condemnation. The shine is wearing off this guy pretty rapidly………….
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
Ron Paul has dominated the Straw Polls so far. Your silence about him speaks volumes. What are you afraid of?
Posted by: Deamtime | September 24, 2011, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
@Raven
The rejection of illegals getting in-state tuition is very mainstream.
Why should an illegal get to pay a lesser rate than than a citizen from Oklahoma?
The booing of the gay soldier was quite bad. I agree with you on that one.
The hypothetical let the uninsured man in a coma die question was just stupid.
He asked Ron Paul that question in a failed attempt at a gotcha.
Ron Paul has treated people for FREE, yep FREE.
The hypothetical question is quite far from reality.
Was this 30yr old homeless with no job or family?
If he had a job that offered medical insurance, did he decide not to enroll.(Like Myself)
I have NEVER EVER been asked for payment or turned away from any hospital I’ve ever been treated at.
I always get billed pretty hard later and need to make payments but it is MY CHOICE.
Posted by: the truth | September 24, 2011, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
Rick Perry looked like an idiot in the last 2 debates. He is going down today.
Rick Perry’s job plan = Fire 49,000 teachers.
Rick Perry was barely ahead of Mitt Romney before the last debate by 4%. That was before they hammered him on letting illegals go to Texas College’s on in-state tuition.
Rick Perry’s accomplishments/failures
Office of the Texas Comptroller
2nd Teen Birth Rate
1st Toxic and Cancerous Manufacturing Emissions
1st Percentage of Uninsured Children
1st Number of Executions
1st Number of Gun Shows
2nd Rate of Incarceration
5th Total Crime Rate
1st Number of Registered Machine Guns
7th Poverty Rate2nd Percentage of Population that Goes Hungry
3rd Percentage of Population that Is Malnourished
45th Per Capita Spending on Public Health
46th Mental Health
49th Water Quality
50th High School Graduation Rates
46th Average Hourly Rate
43rd Income Distribution Inequality
Fired 49,000 school teachers
3.5 million acres burned and 2,000 homes destroyed while Rick Perry is running around the country
2.2 GPA – 5 D’s, an F, and a ton of C’s
Texas will have a projected $25 billion dollar budget deficit in 14 months (2013)
Texas Unemployment rate is about the same as the rest of the nation at 8.5%
Republicans answer to Unemployment – Lower Minimum Wages.
Posted by: Rick Perry | September 24, 2011, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Rick Perry is done. Stick a fork in him.
Posted by: Rick Perry | September 24, 2011, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
The first major media source to recognize Ron Paul will be seen as a god, but nobody wants to touch him. Eat that you corrupt media dogs!
Posted by: Anna | September 24, 2011, 6:10 pm 6:10 pm
Someone other than Perry just won the Florida straw poll and not a word about it. What a surprise.
Posted by: keredte | September 24, 2011, 6:29 pm 6:29 pm
Did Herman Cain BUY his votes like Bachmann did in Iowa? All the repub “candidates” are laughable!!
Posted by: Pete | September 25, 2011, 10:23 am 10:23 am