San Francisco Straw Poll Canceled After Paul Supporters Stream In
December 7th, 2007 by SMiles
SF Straw Poll
NOTE: The complaints only started after the poll was cancelled. I paid my $33 for the dinner and vote. A $5 option was also offered to vote after the festivities. We patiently listened to the guest speaker support Fred Thompson and talk on the issues of water and budget problems in California. They then held a raffle, while all the "cheap" voters waited in the lobby. When they finally let them in, the room was flooded with Ron Paul supporters and the organizer notified us the poll was cancelled. I started the video after the initial announcement and pandemonium broke out. The sudden cancellation and an attempt to change the rules, understandably, upset quite a few people. A Short segment closer to the podium:
youtube.com/watch?v=IcNK3zYc5ts
San Francisco Straw Poll Canceled After Paul Supporters Stream In
The San Francisco Republican Party straw poll was canceled Tuesday, after a majority of attendants showed up to vote for Texas Congressman Ron Paul.The San Francisco Republican Alliance hosted the event at the Holiday Inn on Fisherman’s Wharf with featured speaker, Republican State Senator Sam Aanest (CA 4th SD).
Aanest reportedly discussed his support for former
Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, before a flood of Paul supporters, paying the late comer $5 non-banquet fee, entered the room to join those supporters already in attendance.Event organizer, Gail Neira, then canceled the poll citing issues of fairness.
An argument ensued between Neira and Paul supporters, with one backer calling her, “a disgrace to the Republican party.”
As informal measures of candidate’s popularity, straw polls have been increasingly controversial this election season.
The Florida Republican straw poll, held last Saturday, became increasingly chaotic as Paul supporters sparred with those of
former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney over the amount of votes individuals cast.Though individuals were allowed to purchase up to ten voting tickets for $20 apiece, Paul supporters actively displayed their single tickets while Romney supporters reportedly cashed in multiple stubs.
The tickets were a fund raiser for local Republican parties.
Romney won the poll with 893 votes to Paul’s 534, while Rudy Giuliani came in a distant third with only 39 votes.
Paul did win the Virginia GOP straw poll held the same day.
Posted in ParaPolitics, Parapolitical Friday, Politics, Corruption, Activism Protest, President, California, San Francisco, Elections | No Comments »
