No Presidential Straw poll

State GOP Chairman Jim Greer announced today that plans for the Presidency IV straw poll have been axed. But there will be a "live prime time presidential debate" on Fox (moderator not yet chosen) at the Oct. 20-21 conference at the Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.  "A celebration of Republican candidates,'' Greer called the event, which will still be called "Presidency IV" without the straw vote.

The party won't lose any money on its deposit with the Rosen Centre, which had been booked. The Mitt Romney folks already had been ramping up a straw poll campaign, which can cost millions, but Greer said the decision was not based on opposition from any particlar campaign.

--Steve Bousquet

Comments

good decision.

This is first of many losses for Mittsy in FLA.

[Abe Lincoln]

Chairman Greer,

Great decision, keep up the good work.

Abe Lincoln
Immedidate Past Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida

This is Romney's first WIN... the others were afraid to face him.

Crist puts John McCain ahead of his own state....it's a shame..

No big deal for Romney… or any of the candidates. This just saves all the campaigns money to be spent on getting real votes. The people who won’t like it are the rank and file Republicans who will now get very little attention from the Presidential candidates.

Here comes the spin from Romney as in 11:32-33.

Greer has his head so far up McCain's rear it's becoming comical.

This just delays Romney’s first victory in Florida by three months.

Was there ever any doubt that Greer is in McCain's back pocket ?

Weird decision by Greer. Why wouldn't he want the attention a straw poll brings?????

This was Charlie's decision not Greer's... Jim just put his name on it.

Well, now we know what Jim Greer thinks of all you hardworking Republican volunteers. Now you need to let him know what you think of him.

This is a huge win for McCain! Go McCain!

Straw Polls are a waste of time and money. Number, numbers, numbers... then a hefty bill... numbers, numbers, and more numbers that are meaningless.

I'll wait for the fat lady on election night, thank you very much...

I hope the media calls Crist out on this one. It is just one more bad call added to the many he has made.

Greer wouldn't do something like this without Crist telling him what to do. However, as a party chairman, you should what is best for your state party and this wasn't it.

Why?

As a McCain supporter, this was a big mistake. McCain should have wanted to compete and he could have won. Now the new Chairman and the Governor are going have a very unhappy State Republican Committee.

I think the McCain folks put the Governor and Chairman in a bad position. I understand the loyalty the Governor feels toward McCain, but they shouldn’t have taken advantage of that loyalty.

Monumental mistake by Charlie Crist.

the liberal press will let him off the hook as usual though.

The petulant rants of the Romney rookies aside, this is a brilliant move by Greer.

Florida has a major televised debate, gets all kind of exposure for the Charlie and Mel, exposes the candidates to the grassroots and money elite -- then we have a primary that actually makes us relevant in determining the next President.

How can you criticize that?

[It's warm rain not pee on your leg]

This is crazy we could have had every political eye in America watching us, made Florida a must. had millions spent in our state and re energized our party. Hello Jim Greer & Charlie Crist McCain isn't the one. We don't like the way he has been working against us for the last 10 years. He can lose in October or Feb. Its all the same. Republican activist want a straw poll.

Greer had to lie to the Republican Executive Committee to get elected. Any comments from the members of the Executive Board? Did any of them show some guts?

Moving the primary up is more important than a sham straw poll. If we are serious about Florida's place in the nominating universe, better to have the voting universe be all four million Republican registrants eligible than a narrowcast band of 3,000 elite.
Good job with the Fox debate, that guarantees candidate participation.

Carole Jean - go home and put those grapes in the fridge before they get any more sour!

Greer, you will make even Carole Jean look good. Gag.

Horrible decision on Charlie Crist's part.

Ask George LeMieux.

Who cares who wins - as long as it is not a Bush.

Impeach Greer

Give it up 12:15. CJJ isn't smart enough to post.

Why would the RPOF give up tons of revenue for the state party and all the national attention we would have received from candidates? Answer: To help their buddy John McCain. Incredible!

Now we know why Charlie wanted Greer so bad. He is nothing more than a low cost sacrifice.

Charlie must have the pictures on Greer now...

So Sally what are you going to do with all that staff. What a jerk. HaHa

Romney rookies? Mandy Clark....Sally Bradshaw...Marc Reichendelfer.....

This helps Rudy Giuliani as well McCain. Giuliani who has no presence on the ground but is leading in all polls. Now has the time to put a team in place.

Romney 1, McCain 0. Looks like the old man doesn't have much fight in him.

I can't believe Greer and Delmar made this decision. This just means one less Steak dinner and glitzy hotel room for the two of them.

[GOPFL]

It is funny that some think it was Crist's decision to axe the straw poll plan. Governor Crist isn't capable of making a decision. His decision making process revolves around polls. He merely polled the McCain campaign and then let Jim Greer announce the decision.

If Crist is going to support McCain so obviously, he should just announce it.

As someone who has not made up their mind on who to support yet, and who was leaning heavily toward Romney because I respect the people on his team, I have to say I'm reconsidering. The way the Romney folks are attacking CC and Greer and everyone else because they don't like the straw poll decision makes me really question their ability to run a quality race without resorting to childish whining every time they don't get their way. I'm still leaning toward you, but starting to really wonder.

1:12 = George Lemieux

1:13, no. I am seriously undecided. Keep my respect and you win my vote.

What is too keep an organization that is not the RPOF from sponsoring a straw poll?

the Romney folks are falling back into the anti-Crist routine.

it's not surprising since the Mitt insiders are the unskilled Gallagher people.

1:12... if you're a conservative, why are you leaning towards Romney. His conversion is a complete fraud...

well, undecided. the folks who are really being attacked here are the activists. they've been taken out of the equation altogether with the decision not to have a straw poll. too bad the chairman of their party didn't consider them.

what self-respecting Republican would vote for a tax-raising governor from Mass?