Des Moines Register
07-20-07
Financial woes for McCain help straw poll's status
By THOMAS BEAUMONT
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
The Iowa Republican Party's presidential straw poll, wounded when the two
national front-runners dropped out, has regained some of its significance, in part
because of John McCain's campaign struggles, GOP observers said Thursday.
But the event's relevance to the 2008 presidential nominating campaign remains
in doubt, as it appeared that former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson will wait
until after the high-profile Aug. 11 Iowa GOP fundraiser to enter the race.
McCain, an Arizona senator, said his decision last month to skip the straw poll
was based on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's plan to bypass the event.
McCain aides said the straw poll would "not be a meaningful test" without
Giuliani, who has led in most early national polls of Republican preference.
Since then, McCain has reported serious financial difficulty and has shaken up
his campaign. Those developments have prompted many Iowa GOP activists to
conclude his straw poll decision was financial.
McCain's fundraising trouble "shows that he did not have the organization to
participate meaningfully in the straw poll," said Ann Trimble Ray, Sac County
GOP chairwoman. "He backed away from the challenge of the straw poll, in my
opinion."
Sen. Charles Grassley agreed that a weakened McCain skipping the event was
less a blow to the straw poll than if McCain had continued to rank near the top of
national and Iowa polls, as he did earlier this year.
"There are still eight or nine Republicans trying to be president going to be there.
Just the sheer numbers makes the straw poll very, very significant," Grassley, an
Iowa Republican, said in a Des Moines Register interview.
The straw poll results have in the past given legitimacy to little-known candidates
and forced better-known candidates out of the race.
Iowa Republican Party officials announced details Thursday for the 2007 straw
poll, saying they expected it to draw a record crowd of roughly 40,000.
Candidates planning to attend the daylong political festival in and around Iowa
State University's Hilton Coliseum are Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, Chicago
businessman John Cox, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, U.S. Rep.
Duncan Hunter of California, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado and
former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
All eight names, as well as those of Giuliani, McCain and Fred Thompson, will
appear on the ballots that ticket-holders will be able to cast throughout the day.
Chuck Laudner, Iowa GOP executive director, said Fred Thompson's name
would be on the ballot although he had not formally entered the race.
Reporter Thomas Beaumont can be reached at (515) 286-2532 or
tbeaumont@dmreg.com