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United States News Title: Iowa caucus entrance polls: Romney, Paul and Santorum in 3-way race Doors have closed at caucus precincts across Iowa, and early results from CBS News entrance polls show a three-way race for the Republican presidential nomination among Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Entrance polling reveals that Paul's voters are male, younger, and many are first-time caucus goers. Romney's voters are looking for someone who can beat President Obama, while Santorum's voters looking for a true conservative. Much data has yet to be collected, and those arriving earliest may not reflect the total caucus voters. The precincts closed their doors at 7 p.m. CT, leaving Republican voters in the Hawkeye State to be the first to weigh in on this year's presidential contest. Mitt Romney took the lead among the early entrance polls four years ago, but finished second in the caucuses to Mike Huckabee, who was then the choice of evangelical conservatives. The caucus process is straightforward: Registered Republicans at the caucuses pass around paper ballots or may just write their choice on pieces of paper. The results are tallied and called into party headquarters. The contest for the Republican presidential nomination has been hard fought over several months, with just about every candidate taking a turn leading in the polls. In both Iowa and nationwide polls, Romney has maintained the support of 20 percent to 30 percent of GOP voters. His GOP rivals, meanwhile, each enjoyed a temporary surge only to lose momentum. Technically speaking, the caucuses are largely symbolic -- the results will represent the viewpoints of just a fraction of the American population. Iowa will send just 25 dedicated delegates to the Republican National Convention in Florida, where a candidate will need the support of at least 1,143 to win the presidential nomination. On top of all that, the Iowa delegates aren't officially chosen on caucus night -- they're selected at a state convention in June. (There are also three undedicated delegates who will also attend the June convention.) What to watch for in Iowa results: John Dickerson reports at left That said, the caucuses have the potential to change the race. A strong showing from Romney could solidify the notion that the former Massachusetts governor is the inevitable nominee. Or former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum could gain the momentum to expand his appeal beyond Christian conservatives, siphoning support from other candidates. And a poor showing could cast serious doubts about how much longer Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann or Texas Gov. Rick Perry can last, providing new pools of potential supporters to other not-Romney candidates. Romney's strong standing in Iowa defies the low expectations he set early in the year by paying the state little attention, but he has campaigned there vigorously in the past week. If he can win Iowa, Romney will have greater momentum -- but also higher expectations to meet -- in New Hampshire, where he already holds a double-digit lead. No non-incumbent Republican has ever won the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, which falls this year on January 10, so back-to-back victories would be a significant symbolic score for Romney. After finishing second in Iowa four years ago, Romney is prepared for a drawn out nominating contest with strong organizations in several states this year, but he's also looking ahead to the general election. In the final days of Iowa campaigning, Romney's rivals have sought to derail his lead. Newt Gingrich unequivocally called Romney a liar on CBS' The Early Show, while Paul launched an aggressive radio ad calling Romney a liberal. Paul has attracted an ardent base of supporters with his libertarian views and has the organization to carry his campaign beyond Iowa. Santorum, meanwhile, is finally reaping the benefits of more than 100 days of campaigning in Iowa. He was swarmed by press from all over the world Monday, CBS News political director John Dickerson reports. Perry and Bachmann have been busy making a final appeal to Iowans, both arguing they are authentic conservatives -- unlike the frontrunners. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: buckeroo (#0)
Well...... you know the MSM whores had already decided that the Iowa results should be ignored.... ;)
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