19
Dec
2011
Ron Paul Easily Defeats Competitors in Drake University Presidential Straw Poll
More than 1,200 students participate in online contest held alongside ABC News / RPI debate
ANKENY, Iowa - Ron Paul defeated his fellow competitors for the Republican nomination in a secure online straw poll held for students of Drake University in Des Moines yesterday, demonstrating his campaign's organizational muscle and his popularity among younger voters.
With 429 votes, first place winner Ron Paul garnered 35 percent of the 1,223 total. Second place winner Mitt Romney won 311 votes, or 25 percent, and third place winner Newt Gingrich won just 128 votes, or 10 percent. No other candidate won a double-digit percentage share.
The straw poll victory was announced early in the morning today. Voting occurred over 24 hours beginning December 10th, with Drake sending students a unique link to their university email address. Links, then, could not be duplicated and could not be shared on social media for the purpose of voting more than once or padding the online survey.
Students were able, however, to engage in conventional electioneering by communicating the importance of voting, and that of voting their preference. Thus, Ron Paul's victory at Drake demonstrates his official campaign's organizational muscle, as those getting out the vote were in fact members of the "Youth for Ron Paul" (YFP) core leadership team: Midwest Regional Director for YFP Ani DeGroot and Edward King, National Youth Director for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign.
In addition, the atmosphere for a Ron Paul victory at Drake was almost assured. Drake was the site of last night's ABC News / Republican Party of Iowa Debate, so Paul supporters were notably energized. In addition, during Paul's same three-day visit that concluded with the debate, he held two YFP rallies. More than 1,350 mostly-young supporters attended his Iowa State University rally and more than 700 students attended his University of Northern Iowa rally. In late October, Ron Paul spoke in Iowa City to 1,200 members of the University of Iowa and general community. ISU, UNI, and UI are YFP chapters, and so is Drake University, to name only a few Iowa YFP chapters in the Hawkeye State.
Youth for Ron Paul, an initiative of the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign, launched on Wednesday, September 7th and since its inception more than 18,000 people signed up to get involved, forming 355 chapters in 46 states.
To learn more and sign up for Youth for Ron Paul, please visit: www.YouthForPaul.com and "like" the Facebook page found at: www.Facebook.com/YouthForPaul.
For the full Drake University straw poll results, please click here.
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Ron Paul Issues Statement on NRLB-Boeing Resolution
LAKE JACKSON, Texas - 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul released a statement today saying that he was pleased with the National Labor Relations Board's decision to drop its lawsuit against Boeing for deciding to build a new plant in South Carolina.
Statement from Congressman Ron Paul:
"Hearing that the NLRB decided to stop pursuing its ongoing harassment of Boeing was welcomed news. I would like to think this is more than just a political move by the Obama administration with an election year looming, but experience tells me otherwise.
"I have long been an advocate for the rights of workers to work without interference by big government, often acting as facilitator for big labor. My unblemished voting record on the issue of right to work, according to the National Right To Work Committee, is a testament to that fact.
"The idea that government bureaucrats, acting to empower union officials, would try to stop a private company from building a new plant is an affront to the very principles of economic liberty this country was founded upon. These are principles I have pledged to uphold my entire career.
"As President I will work to repeal all federal laws that force workers and employers to submit to union officials and their enforcers in the federal bureaucracy."
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Two Buena Vista Area Tea Party Co-Founders Endorse Ron Paul
Activists Ken Hach and Jim Treat prefer Paul
ANKENY, Iowa - The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign announced today that Congressman Paul was endorsed by two co-founders of the Buena Vista Tea Party Patriots.
"I support Ron Paul for President of the United States because his 'Plan to Restore America' includes specific goals to stop wasteful spending by $1 trillion the first year, balance the budget in three years, and return the country to Constitutional government. His years of service in Washington have proven his integrity and strength of character in dealing with foreign policy as well as internal issues," said Ken Hach.
"Of the people I have talked with, their primary concerns are jobs and the economy. Based on the points I mentioned earlier, both situations would improve greatly under a Ron Paul presidency," added Mr. Hach.
Mr. Hach, a retired school administrator, is also owner of Wind on Rails, Inc. and currently serves on the Buena Vista board of county supervisors. He has been in the wind farming business for 33 years.
"Our country is on a precipice of disaster if we do not have a change of leadership in Washington. My decision to join the Ron Paul 2012 Campaign was because Dr. Paul is a patriotic American with common sense. Ron Paul believes in the sanctity of life, the family as the bedrock of society, a strong national defense, and to fight to win when at war. He will return America to the precepts on which our forefathers birthed the greatest country that history has ever recorded and ensure it is governed in accordance with the Constitution," said Jim Treat.
Mr. Treat has been an active member of the Buena Vista County Republican Party for three decades, and proudly served in the U.S. Army.
The BV Tea Party Patriots formed in 2009 and is comprised of people who believe in the United States and its founding ideals as expressed in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a community of people who also believe in the American dream: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They believe that being an American is an honor, as well as a great responsibility.
The endorsement occurred on the day Ron Paul's son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), argued on several cable news and radio shows that one of Ron Paul's competitors for the GOP nomination, Newt Gingrich, is unworthy of tea party support. Senator Paul's Des Moines Register op-ed arguing the same point, published today, can be read here.
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