Ron Paul supporters mistakenly 'hijack' unsanctioned Republican event

I think it is unfair to characterize Paul supporters as 'stacking' local straw polls. Getting people to show up and vote for a candidate that they feel passionately about is nothing nefarious. It is simply how the voting process works. No one accuses any other candidate of stacking when they energize their base to show up for a vote, why Paul?

"That probably comes as news to a lot of Paulsters, who have made stacking local party straw polls a specialty."

I'm completely amazed at this statement. How is organizing supporters to show up "stacking the polls?" If Ron Paul supporters show up en masse on election day, would they be "stacking the polls?" No one paid then to go there, they weren't trying to vote more than once, there was no foul play. It's pathetic when a candidate has so much support that others resort to calling it "stacking." The only stacking I have seen has come from Romney paying to have people bussed in to Ames or people voting more than once for him at the Florida straw poll. It doesn't matter who sponsored the event; if a poll is canceled because someone has so much support, that is obviously a move to keep the winning candidate from getting credit for his support. Do you really think that poll would have been canceled if a bunch of people had shown up with Fred '08 signs?

Journalism like this is directly responsible for the erosion of the democratic process in the US.

I don't agree with everything Paul says, but at this point a vote that is not for Ron Paul is a vote for Hillary and socialism. Needless to say Ron Paul has my full support.

"Stacking" the straw polls? That means voting right? What kind of terminology will you use to replaceoutdated words like "Democracy"? If Ron wins a primary will it be called fraud?

What Neira wants to have is called a MEETING, not a Straw Poll. She can invite people who only support her favorite candidates, and they can talk, etc. But to have a Straw Poll that excludes people who want to vote for other candidates rather invalidates the whole point of having a poll. Calling it off because she didn't like what the outcome would have been? That's low.

This article doesn't tell the whole story. While the woman may be hard to deal with, an open invitation was sent out for this event. There was a Google cache for an events page on the Contra Costa County Republican Party site at http://www.contracostagop.com/events/

The Google cache doesn't seem to be working anymore, but the following was the full text of it. Especially of note is when she says bring your friends and make it a party. The fact that they posted it to their county party site shows that they are at least somewhat involved with her. It was a party that the public was invited to.

San Francisco Republican Alliance
Sparkling Winter Holiday Party for Republicans

Where: Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf, Columbus & Northpoint

When: Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 6:45 PM

San Francisco Republican Alliance
Grassroots leadership development since 1999
Only think tank resource to upgrade Republiicans into 21st century
P.O. Box 31005, San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 820-1430;

Reserve now for December 4, Tuesday
evening. Our holiday party breaks from routine traditions. Republicans like you brave enough to remain, vote or volunteer as Republicans deserve admiration. Enjoy the company of other Republicans. Or Bring your friends to make it your party. Only we treat guests like VIP, not audience props as elsewhere.

Sparkling Winter Holiday Party for Republicans!
San Francisco Republican AllianceŐs Common Sense Supper Club is hosting the only 2007 party sparkling with warm, gracious hospitality where getting-together, encouraging new friendships are priority with generous buffet, convenient parking, music, and complimentary gifts for all guests. For price of a bargain meal elsewhere; and unlike pretentious, aloof & cliquish receptions at other political events, we treat guests like VIP.

Meet an influential current Republican State Senator and presidential campaign strategists. Results from guests voting for favorite presidential candidates in only local straw poll will be publicized. Prizes for best holiday attires. Quality auction and raffle prizes perfect for gifts. We even provide complimentary hotel parking.

When: December 4, Tuesday evening, 6:45 p.m.
Where: Holiday Inn FishermanŐs Wharf, Columbus & Northpoint
Remit checks by 12/30 - $28. each. Walk-ins with phone/email reservations
before 12/03 required: $33. each.

Chairperson and Host: Gail E. Neira, 415-820-1430; direct: 415-821-4452.
Remit mail to: S.F.R.A., P.O. Box 31005, S.F., CA 94131 Id. 753155437

Name(s):
contact ph/email:
No. attending: Payment amt.: Donation only:

It was also posted publicly as an invitation with no qualifiers to the Alameda GOP site.

http://www.alamedagop.org/files/Dec.%204%20Rep.%20party.pdf

This notion that they "crashed" it is ridiculous.

Paultards? Is that the best you can do? You mock Americans who support Ron Paul because they don't understand all the machinations of a corrupt political system that survives because of a misinformed, ill-informed, and ignorant public where citizens talk more about what a candidate is wearing than any issues of substance. You seem to think that because one does not understand some obsure polling organization or group that a person is ignorant. However, if you want to see ignorant I suggest you ask Dems and Reps about fractional reserve banking, money supply, fiat money, petrodollar recycling and imperial spending.

You are obviously another yahoo sent to bad-mouth the Doctor.

Your a fucking idiot. Watch your back at night asshole.

I don't understand. For years, the media and the political parties decried how people weren't participating in the political process enough, that they were staying home, not voting. So along comes someone like Ron Paul, and people are rallying behind him. So it's a bad thing now?

The obituary is being written for politics and politicians as usual and the media mouthpieces that shill for them. The establishment thought they were going to have their little Hillary vs Rudy death match and keep dividing the country. Got news for ya'll - this election is paradigm-shifting. People are no longer identifying themselves as liberals or conservatives, red staters or blue staters. We're all Americans now, and we are uniting behind Dr. Ron Paul.

It's interesting to me that the event was advertised on the Web sites for GOP committees in neighboring counties (Contra Costa and Alameda), but not by the San Francisco Reep Central Committe. In fact, the SF GOP distanced itself from Neira's event on its web site (www.sfgop.org), issuing this statement: "The straw poll was not authorized, sanctioned or in anyway affiliated with the San Francisco Republican Party. The straw poll was conducted by a non-affiliated organization that is not recognized by either the California State Republican Party or the San Francisco Republican Party."

Well, I think this column is way off. First of all why are people like Joe Eskenazi slandering Americans for being interested in who our next president is? Of course you will see the majority of the people who show up to vote at straw polls, and primaries supporters of Dr. Ron Paul. We are tired of the being scammed, lied to, and having OUR name drug through the mud! We are AMERICANS who want OUR COUNTRY back! Ron Paul or who ever would have been talking about the real issues that concern the average American! We are the "Majority" why do you think no other candidate has so many people working for them for free, and doing so much! Just because the main stream media won't cover this campaign properly, doesn't mean he doesn't have the most support! Why not write an article about Mitt having his campaign buy tickets in Florida, and having his people vote dozens of times. Oh no... no story there! You people call yourself journalists...ha...ha...ha! You have no clue. Be FAIR nothing more, nothing less!

If she can invite whom she wants (and she can), then her poll results should not be released or published anywhere, because her "straw poll" is not a poll. A poll is a method of sampling a general population, and if you only invite Fred Thompson supporters, knowing that in the first place, then your "poll" will be at or near 100% for Fred Thompson, but will not reflect anything other than the fact that you invited only Fred Thompson supporters.

You know, they said we "bussed" folks in for the Virginia Straw Poll. What a crock. I gave the speech for Paul at the straw poll. I had two days' notice. I converted Thompson folks.

But don't you know, the most interesting thing was how we planned it. I'll let you in on a massive secret. Here's how we Pauliticians go about stacking straw polls:

1. Heard about a straw poll? what is it? Ohhh. We get to practice voting for Paul? Cool.
2. When is it? (2 weeks from now...wow....hmmmm?...)
3. Send out an email....do it again in a couple of days....
4. I wonder how many Paulites are going to show....?????

That's how we win straw polls folks....I know you hate this but we are a motivated crew. Sore losers.

I don't think Ron Paul supporters complaining about Gail Neira's attempts to rig a straw poll for Fred Thompson was a waste of outrage. Maybe she doesn't see eye-to-eye with the rest of the local GOP, but she shouldn't have done it. If you want to host an event for Fred, fine -- not that it makes sense when you have Ron Paul running, but whatever. Just don't try to pretend it's a straw poll.

Word to Joe Eskenazi -- Please don't regurgitate the crap that the MSM is shoveling. You're smarter and edgier than that. Ron Paul is not a "fringe" candidate any more. By most yardsticks except the mainstream pollsters -- Internet polls, grassroots contributors, activist support, level of popular enthusiasm -- Ron Paul is *the* leading Republican candidate! And he is gaining in those mainstream polls, despite numerous attempts to exclude him and despite polling methodology that often downplays his support (e.g. polling "likely Republican primary voters" as those who've voted in previous Republican primaries, when many of Paul's supporters are young people who haven't voted before, or newly registered Republicans who were previously independents or belonged to other parties).

P.S. - I liked the cartoon by Aaron Farmer of the army of Ron Pauls. That's kind of how it is. Like the army of ordinary folks wearing Guy Fawkes masks at the end of the film "V for Vendetta." People in the United States are waking up.

Oh I see. So it was a private straw poll. So these people got together to have a straw poll, but didn't actually want the public opinion. Apparently, they wanted essentially "stack the straw poll" themselves. How? you ask. Well, if Ron Paul supporters were not allowed to vote then they were effectively "stacking the vote" for the people that "were allowed". How exactly is this ok? Obviously if the poll had gone to plan, the people that were "allowed" to vote would have published the results, would they not? Paul supporters were only supporting their candidate. Just because the other candidates supporters were "outnumbered" doesn't mean that they were stacking a poll. It means simply that the other candidates supporters weren't as active and Ron Paul's supporters. When the Paul supporters unexpectedly showed up in support, they decided to cancel the straw poll because the people that were "allowed" to vote were vastly outnumbered. I don't see how this is unfair. No one was required to show up so this was the free will of the people. I'm sorry if the real support for the other candidates is so weak that they can hardly muster a small crowd in a city the size of San Francisco, but you certainly cannot blame Paul supporters for doing what every candidates supporters should be doing.

The Ron Paul folks knew that this was not an event sponsored by the SFGOP. They were invited there by Gail Niera at the GOP Meeting. The 40-50 supporters who came to the event was not even on the Ron Paul Meetup Calendar. No one had thought to go until that morning. It was not planned, it was simply heartfelt support. Why this writer has a problem with inspired grass roots supporters is beyond me. Sort of showing your corporate colors, eh?

Since when is following the rules, paying your money, and actually SHOWING UP to a Staw Poll 'Stacking' the poll? By your definition, when supporters of ROn Paul showed up, voted ONCE (Unlike many Romney and Giuliani supporters, who vote multiple times!) and actually owon the majority of Straw Polls across the country, that is unfair?

I guess when someone you don't favor gets out the vote, has more supporters show up to the polls and wins, that's also 'Stacking the Polls'? Your ad-hominem 'Paultard' reference coined by the snarky and biased Wonkette blogsite shows your bias. Equating a highly educated cross seciton of voters with a derogatory term for the mentally handicapped is not only reminiscent of the 'cool kids' sitting in the back of the Junior High lunchroom, it is also hurtful to those who themselves suffer from disability or a have a loved one with this affliction.

Unfortunately, many people can only see bias and huirtfullness in others, and when it comes from themselves they usually can rationalize it away as 'all in fun', when the original intent was to be hurtful in the first place.

xtrabiggg
+++++++++++++++++++++

I hardly think Ron Paul is a fringe Candidate. Anyone who says that is plain ignorant.

Regards,
Karina DeBeers

Uh Ron Paul will outraise Rudy Giuliani this quarter to the tune of $5M at least.

If Ron Paul is 'fringe' what does that make Rudy?

You've missed the story here.. Ron Paul is a front runner because he's the only one who has supporters who are actually excited about voting for him. This is a story in and of itself.

Wonkette is another Blogtard...it's not even a serious website.

Articles of this sort are now passe since the serious press is now doing serious reporting, because they know they had better.

Thank heavens for the comments. I was wondering who "Wonkette" was, and thought perhaps it was the wife of the so-called reporter. I was also wondering why turning out straw poll voters was stacking it. I'm still not sure, but at least I know I'm not the only person who thought the whole tone was odd.

Why don't reporters report anything, like issues, any more?