Ron Paul Wins Newton County Missouri Straw Poll

Results of a Straw Poll conducted by the Republican Party at the Newton County, Missouri Fair July 11-14, 2007:

UPDATE: 10/23/2007
It appears that our initial information was somehow inaccurate, and it turns out that
Ron Paul actually WON this Poll!
See this post's comments for details and the long-awaited OFFICIAL results:

For the record, here is the original post:
Ron Paul fell just 8 votes short of winning the poll, closely following actor Fred Thompson. But still far ahead of Giuliani, Romney, McCain, and all the other Republican candidates.

Although it wasn't a first-place victory, the fact that it was very close says something - and shows that Ron Paul's name recognition is finally approaching that of "the elitist-superstar-candidate" Fred "Law & Order" Thompson - at least here in our rural part of the SW Missouri Ozarks.

The results were announced at the Republican Watermelon Feed in Neosho, Missouri on July 25th.

Photos of Parades, Fair Booths, & More

The past two weeks were very busy... And very productive.

We've met and talked at length with hundreds of people. Many who had never heard of Ron Paul before, but know about him now!

We have several photos from these events. Some of the most interesting are posted on the Ozark Voter Info website's Photo Gallery:
http://www.ozarksvoter.info/photos/

And if you'd like to browse ALL the photos of all the recent events, you can find them here:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x155/ozarksvoter/

(Note: On the PhotoBucket archive site, all photos are organized into "Sub Albums" by event - so remember to click on each sub album (folder) to find the photos.)

More Good News - Ron Paul Poll Info:

Update 7-21-2007 from:
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/articles/ron-paul-best-q2-fundraising-from-soldiers.html

The breakdown of military contributions to Presidential Candidates:

This is from Q2 2007 fundraising for the Republicans AND Democrats. The majority of the money went to Republicans as is expected, but the winner is Ron Paul.

	Army	Navy	USAF	USMC	VET	TOTAL
Ron Paul	6975	7765	4650	1500	1250	22140
McCain	6225	6480	1570	1600	800	16675
Romney	2051	0	1500	0	1000	4551
Giuliani	1450	370	250	0	250	2320
Hunter	0	1000	0	0	0	1000
Richardson	50	750	0	0	0	800
Huckabee	250	0	500	0	0	750
Tancredo	350	0	0	0	0	350
Brownback	71	0	0	0	0	71
Thompson	0	0	0	0	0

Ron Paul was #1 in contributions from military personnel.

The sum of the money contributed to pro-war candidates exceed the amount going to anti-war candidates but because Ron Paul is the lone anti-war Republican, he comes out the winner. This is precisely the reason why Ron Paul can not be discounted in the primaries. By being the only voice in opposition to the war, he does not need a majority but rather more votes than everybody else. With more voters siding against the war, Ron Paul has got to be looking like a more attractive candidate.

Source: Federal Election Commission (Q2).

---

Update 7-19-2007 from:
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/candidates/Ron-Paul.html

Fundraising Poll: McCain Gets 38% of Small Donors, Ron Paul at 14%

(Submitted to USAElectionPolls.com with a Ron Paul slant by blogger Alex. USAElectionPolls.com added in the blurbs about McCain and posted it.)

In response to Small Donors Love Ron Paul. Many consider fundraising to be one kind of voluntary straw poll. If we were to count the total number of donors a candidate receives as a "vote", we have our fundraising poll.

Let's make an assumption for the average size of the small contribution pool, we can estimate the number of small contributors.

Regardless of our average small contribution estimate, we can get a good picture of where the small contribution "votes" go. I find:
McCain 38%
Romney 23%
Giuliani 19%
Paul 14%

In other words, 1 in 7 Republican small-size contributors gives to Ron Paul impressively larger than Ron Paul's poll numbers. Much has been said about John McCain's poor fundraising but he received 38% of the small donors based on our approximations. In a statement, he charged the other candidates for pandering to the large donors. He is partially right in that he was the candidate to receive the most contributions from small donors.

This article has been brought to you by Alex and edited by David Terr.

Ron Paul features on LewRockwell.com

The good folks at Lew Rockwell have collected their most popular Ron Paul information on this new page, entitled:

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ron Paul"
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/rp-everything.html

Good stuff... Pass it on!

Below are just a couple of the interesting articles you may be interested in...

--------------------

I Know Who "None of the Above" Is
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/bothwell3.html

Excerpt:

"The latest AP-Ipsos poll has found that the leading Republican presidential candidate is "none of the above." According to the related Associated Press report, "More Republicans have become apathetic about their options over the past month," during which time the number of those polled who are indecisive has jumped from 14 to 23 percent.

Maybe this is sheer speculation on my part, but I'm guessing that "none of the above" is actually a guy by the name of Ron Paul.

That’s right, the candidate who’s cultivated widespread grassroots support – he relies primarily on speaking engagements, appearances on counter-culture television shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and Internet resources like Facebook, MySpace, and Meetup to get his message out – is still struggling for inclusion in many traditional public opinion surveys. After all, how well can you be expected to poll when even pollsters in your home state refuse to put your name on most ballots?"

--------------------

Ron Paul Leads in Polls of People Who Have Heard Him Speak

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/haman1.html

Excerpt:

"Just as Ron Paul spoke of blowback in the context of military interference in foreign affairs, unless the mainstream media ends the Ron Paul blackout and misinformation drive, they will lose the next generation who is seeing it as a biased, manipulating, election-fixing force not to be trusted.

When Ron Paul gets heard or seen, he is liked. As soon as people who do not own computers are able to see him or read his message his numbers in the national polls will rise just as they have done on the Internet. In general, the American people are saying they want liberty and freedom: Now, if only the MSM would listen."

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~ John Quincy Adams

Update on Iowa Outreach

I must take my hat off to the group members who have been participating in the recent events, and devoting their time and resources to same. The Newton County Fair booth looked great.

Last week, I signed up with the Ron Paul Iowa Volunteer Phone Bank. Was unable to participate because The Ron Paul Campaign has begun their own, professional phone banking operation.

Received the following e-mail from the Volunteer coordinator, Chuck Young.

"Hi all,

The Ron Paul Campaign has started a dedicated phone banking operation targeting Iowa! We're overjoyed to see this commitment from National; guess we were out ahead of the curve?

We apologize for any time or effort you feel you might have wasted on this grassroots initiative; we did proceed with the Iowa coordinator's full knowledge.

In order to avoid any duplicity of effort, we're shutting down this operation immediately.

We'd like y'all to email:

calliowa@ronpaul2008.com

to get more info about this exciting new development!

Thanks all,
Chuck Young"
______________________________________


Ron Paul held a significant rally in Mountain View, California, this past week end. Justin Raimondo links to some U-Tube videos of this portentous event.

We're meeting lots of folks at the Fair!

Through the hard work (and generous donations) of many of our local group members, we've put together a very colorful and attention-getting booth at the Netwon County Fair (Neosho, Missouri); to promote both Ron Paul and the Property Rights Congress.

We're actually reaching a lot of people... Many of whom have never heard of Ron Paul (and some that have). This is proving to be an excellent outreach to our neighbors that aren't online much (or at all). These are the folks that need to hear about Ron Paul, and we're happy to get to talk with them.

If you are in the neighborhood this week, please drop by and say "Hi" - We love to meet new people!

Operation Spooner- Iowa Outreach

Ozark Voters:

This post is outdated, and therefore removed...

Operation Spooner has been replaced by a formal phone bank effort from the Ron Paul campaign!

This is GREAT NEWS... It means that the national campaign is listening carefully and moving quickly to adopt good ideas started by our grassroots organizations.

And if you're looking for the original information, it is still available at the Ron Paul Forums:
http://ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=5537&highlight=spooner

On Ron Paul

I traveled to Springfield, on business and was gratified to see four or five large Ron Paul Revolution banners along the James River FRWY.

A couple of these banners, in key locations at intersections and stoplights had not been lashed tight. They were drooping and not completely visible to the passerby.
I will be contacting Mr. Palmisano to ascertain whether he is aware of this development.

Posted Mr. Robert's excellent research into the Ed Failor/Iowa Forum debacle, at several websites to spread the word about this new information.
Some positive feedback regarding Mr. Robert's efforts.

Upcoming Events

Thanks to Virginia Waggoner for submitting this information about upcoming opportunities to get the word out. Please add these events to your personal appointment calendar...


PARADE SCHEDULE:
Support Ron Paul by participating in any or all of the parades listed...

July 7^th – 10:00 a.m. - Weaton, MO – Line up about 8:30 a.m. at the Rodeo Grounds

July 21^st – 10.00 a.m. - Fairview, MO Centennial Celebration – Details later

August 18^th – Time later – Jesse James Days – Pineville, MO – Details later

September 8^th – Time later – Gem City Days, Diamond, MO – Details later

FAIR SCHEDULE:
Volunteers needed! Support Ron Paul and the Ozarks Property Rights Congress - plan to drop by and spend a couple of hours helping at the booth by spreading the news to your friends and neighbors at the local fairs...

July 11^th – 14^th – Newton County Fair – Set up time Wed. 9:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m.

July 19^th - 21^st – McDonald County Fair – Set up time Thurs 9:00 a.m.

September 8^th – Rocky Daze – Details later

As time for each event draws closer, we'll post more details on all these events. Stay tuned to this channel!

Ron Paul Speaks to 1,000 in Iowa

Thanks to Brooke Scott for bringing news of the Iowa rally to our attention:

DES MOINES, IOWA – Presidential candidate Ron Paul held a rally today celebrating life and liberty at the Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa. The event was held immediately after and next door to a Republican candidates forum sponsored by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief.

Dr. Paul was the only GOP candidate excluded from the forum, so his campaign organized an event of its own. Despite being planned in less than a week, Dr. Paul's event singlehandedly outdrew the other forum and its six participating candidates by several hundred attendees.

"Today, Ron Paul demonstrated how deeply his message of freedom and limited government is resonating across the nation," said campaign manager Lew Moore.

Dr. Paul, addressing a packed room, received thunderous applause many times and as well as several standing ovations. Observers believe that this event was the biggest rally for a Republican candidate in Iowa during this campaign cycle.

"Ron Paul has generated more grassroots excitement and support than any other candidate in the race," continued Moore. "The campaign is building on this momentum around the country as we drive toward the nomination."

Ed Failor Iowa Forum Update

Thanks to William Roberts for forwarding us his letter to Mr. Benton (reprinted below).


Dear Mr. Benton:

This is important information regarding the upcoming Iowans for Tax Relief Candidate Forum and should be discussed with Dr. Paul.

Wednesday, June 27, I received and read the July 2 edition of the American Free Press, particularly Mark Anderson's Rep. Ron Paul's Campaign Sabotaged in Iowa article on page 6.

I was baffled by Mark's article, especially with the tone of the article. I rarely accept that which I read, hear or see as truth until I verify it in my own research, so I called the number listed in Mark's article, spoke with a receptionist, was given a second number and called Ed Failor. I left a brief message on his answering machine stating my name and number and requested a position statement, if one exists, as to why Dr. Paul was denied the opportunity to participate in their forum.

Less than five minutes elapsed before I received a call from Mr. Failor. He began by stating that I was the first non-member and out-of-state caller whose call he had returned, because I was polite and seemed genuinely interested in understanding why Dr. Paul was excluded from the forum. He stated that the other calls and e-mails were filled with vulgarity and accusations. I thanked him for returning my call and inquired again if he had a position statement that he could send to me, or could he explain the reason why Dr. Paul would not be in the forum.

Mr. Failor stated that he was a Christian and a father of four and that he generally doesn't swear (as in an oath), now he stopped himself from what I assume was a swearing upon his children that what he was about to say was true. Then he said that the candidates selected for
invitation had to meet two criteria:

1. The candidates had scored 1% or better on a poll.
2. The candidates had formed an exploratory committee.

Mr. Failor stated that candidates were selected February 5th, which he immediately corrected to March 5th.

I asked Mr. Failor for the name of the poll and when it was conducted, but he could not answer that question.

Mr. Failor stated that each candidate considered for invitation met those two criteria, but that Dr. Paul had not formed an exploratory committee on the date the decision was made and therefore could not have been considered for inclusion. He continued by stating that the FEC
(Federal Elections Commission) had fined people (organizations) in the past for not using objective criteria in selecting candidates. He further stated that Democrat candidates had also been invited to the forum, but none were planning to attend, so far. He also stated that
their organization was founded in 1978, and that in 1995 they held their last forum.

We visited a few minutes longer and concluded what I can I only say was a very pleasant, cordial telephone call.


Still perplexed, I called American Free Press and spoke with editor Chris Petherick. I reviewed the above with Mr. Petherick, and during the process, he looked up and gave the date March 12, as the date of forming Dr. Paul's exploratory committee. Mr. Petherick viewed Mr. Failor's comments as well-rehearsed, or something to that affect.

Today, June 28, Mr. Alex Jones began his broadcast boldly stating that Iowans for Tax Relief had barred (or some similar strong terminology) Dr. Paul from their forum. I called in and disagreed with Mr. Jones on a point of information, attempting to share the above with
him and his audience. Naturally, Jones was unable to contain himself and my call was of little value to any.

SUGGESTION:
I strongly recommend that Dr. Paul take advantage of the fact that both he and Mr. Failor will be in the same building at the same time June 30, in Des Moines. This would be an excellent time to find out why Dr. Paul was not included in the forum--face to face with Mr. Failor.
Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa Christian Alliance likely contain many Ron Paul 2008 supporters, a little bit of strategy here may create many more converts and avoid alienating others! If Mr. Failor's story is out of alignment with the above, it would provide reporter Mark
Anderson and others a good story.

I am the organizer of the Rocky Comfort Ron Paul Meetup group (zip 84861) and we are growing rapidly.

Sincerely,

William Roberts