Thread: Breaking: Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll

Just saw on Fox news. Will post more info as it comes in.

Herman Cain wins Presidency 5 straw poll

By Marc Caputo and Alex Leary, Times/Herald Staff Writers
Posted: Sep 24, 2011 03:56 PM



ORLANDO — In a stunning upset Saturday, Herman Cain won Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll, a vote of 2,657 Republican activists that in past years has predicated the party nominee.

Cain took 37 percent of the vote, with Rick Perry second.

As the voting got under way, Perry's camp started lowering expectations.

"I'm an old hurdler, and every once in a while you might hit the second hurdle but you can still get to the finish line before the rest of them," said Michael Williams, a former Texas railroad commissioner who served as a surrogate Saturday for Perry, who had already left for Michigan.

"Hank Aaron didn't hit a home run every time he got up to bat, and as much as folks down in Miami may like Reggie Bush, he's not going to get a touchdown every time he touches the ball," Williams said. "Sometimes things may not go the way you want them to. But he's going to be fine, he will be just fine."

Williams did what Perry did not in front of the CPAC audience Friday: Address the immigration issue. Williams told the crowd just before the vote that Perry's record had been distorted.

"He has opposed amnesty. He fought against sanctuary cities," and paid to secure border when federal government would not. "No illegal immigrant in the state of Texas has received a handout for a free college education," he told the crowd.

Leon County delegate Fred Gonzalez, now a Cain backer, said the longer Perry has remained in the race, the more he has looked elsewhere. Perry's answers on immigration and his executive order attempting to inoculate girls from the human papillomavirus just weren't satisfying. Perry's debate style was even worse.

"All these things add up. And then he fumbled on stage," Gonzalez said. "Why can't we get someone who can speak, who's articulate?" he asked, noting that there hasn't been a great GOP presidential communicator since, well, the great communicator Ronald Reagan.

Rep. Scott Plakon, one of the state House's most conservative Republicans, on Friday night became the first legislator to endorse Cain.

Saturday morning Perry hosted a throng of delegates at a morning breakfast where he worked the room and impressed people. The campaign said it served almost 1,200 (a third of the straw poll electorate).

"It showed he could come back strong after the debate, that he was still very much in this," said Pinellas County delegate Rachelle Warmouth.

Romney's campaign played the straw poll shrewdly, claiming he wouldn't "participate." That is, the didn't address the delegates immediately before the vote. But he debated Thursday and was at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday here and his supporters actively tried to get people to either vote for him -— or even for Cain to add a little extra buzz to that insurgent campaign and take more shine off Perry.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/n ... ll/1193524

I can not believe Ricardo Perry came in second!!

Florida Straw Poll Results

Cain 37.1%
Perry 15.3%
Romney 14%
Santorum 10.9%
Paul 10.4%
Gingrich 8.4%
Huntsman 2.3%
Bachmann 1.5%


http://politisite.com/2011/09/24/orland ... l-results/

37% to 15% I love it!

The Happy Dance!

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

37% to 15% I love it!

Me too!!

Originally Posted by OneNationUnderGod

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

37% to 15% I love it!

Me too!!

That's great ONUG!

Oh! yeah it was 22% to 15% still!!!

I am glad for him.....

Originally Posted by OneNationUnderGod

Me too!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH8_FWPUA_I