Herman Cain wins Florida Straw Poll!
Fifteen members of the Palm Beach County Tea Party along with several members of the South Florida 912, the Palm City Tea Party and many other groups across the state traveled to Orlando for the Presidency V and Florida CPAC conferences this past week. With over 3000 registered Republican delegates voting in the straw poll that culminated the three days, the hype from the media before and during the conferences focused on the significance of the outcome in the presidential race. Historically the winner of this straw poll has won the Republican nomination.
This historical precedent and significance was quickly forgotten by the mainstream media when Herman Cain was the clear and decisive winner of the straw poll, amassing many more votes than Rick Perry and Mitt Romney put together. Mr. Cain took 37% of the votes with Gov. Perry a distant second at 15%. Nipping at Perry’s heels was Gov. Romney at 14%.
In fact, most of the major media outlets have essentially ignored this outcome with little or no mention. “Fair and balanced” Fox News announced Mr. Cain’s win but, but not without immediately discounting his win by declaring that this continues to be a two-man race between governors Perry and Romney.
Not mentioned, too, is the fourth place position of Senator Rick Santorum beating Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, John Huntsman, and Michelle Bachman who finished in that order.
The delegates who voted for Herman Cain did so because of his plan for implementing a flat tax called 9-9-9 that will provide the tax revenues and the economic growth engine needed to put the brakes on our failing economy and begin a true economic recovery.
The delegates were also impressed with his business experience as CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and his common sense solutions approach to improving our economy. He was adamant in his support of our military, his staunch defense of the the free-market system, and recognition of the need for a long-term energy plan. The voters were also impressed with his strong support of “legal” immigration, and equally strong stance against amnesty.
The 15% of the delegates who voted for Rick Perry were impressed with his job growth record in Texas. However, the majority were unimpressed with many of his responses in the Presidential Debate on Friday night. He ignited voters against him when he said that those who did not like his pro-illegal immigrant actions “did not have a heart,”
Many of the Florida straw voters, liked Mitt Romney’s performance in the debate on Friday night. The 14% of the voters who chose Romney in the straw poll did so because of that performance and because they feel he is “presidential” and will be a formidable candidate against Barack Obama. The majority, however, are concerned that he will not work to repeal Obamacare based on his support of a similar healthcare system in Massachusetts. This is despite his declaration in the debate that he will abolish the misguided legislation.