Ron Paul and the Iowa Straw Poll

All eyes will be on Ron Paul's results from the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday.

Ron Paul and the Iowa Straw Poll There is no doubt that Ron Paul is the most popular candidate on the Internet. But the Iowa Straw Poll results will be the real test for the Republican and we will finally see if his Internet popularity could transfer offline.

But lets not forget that the Iowa Straw Poll is somewhat "tainted" and the results of the informal straw poll should not be taken without any consideration. It was reported that Ron Paul has purchased only 800 tickets for his supporters, while Mitt Romney, the candidate which already has been declared a winner of the Iowa Straw Poll by the media, is offering free admission and a free transportation to the poll. If enough supporters of Ron Paul take Romney's offer - we may see the Internet candidate taking a good place on the poll results. There is buzz on the Internet that quite a few of Ron Paul's supporters will take Mitt Romney on his offer. Keep in mind that about 40,000 people are expected to show up at the Ames Straw Poll.

Of course, the major hurdle is the absence of the two front runners - Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. It would be hard to see where the Republican candidates stand without looking at the entire picture. At the same time it is highly unlikely that people who would have voted for Giuliani and McCain at the Iowa Straw Poll would now cast their vote for Ron Paul. If you support Ron Paul for President and you would like to see where he stands compared to the rest of the GOP candidates, the Iowa Straw Poll will be good to you.

With the danger of angering many fans of Ron Paul, our prediction is that the Texas congressman will place third or worse at the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday. Ron Paul is currently listed with odds 30/1 to be the Republican Candidate for the 2008 US Presidential Election and 75/1 to be the next President, as posted by the online oddsmaker Bodog Sports.

Published on 08/11/2007