Ted Cruz easily wins straw poll of Minnesota Republican activists

[question everything]

http://www.startribune.com/cruz-easily-wins-straw-poll-of-minnesota-republican-activists/360681201/

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz overwhelmingly won a straw poll of Minnesota Republican activists on Saturday, an early sign of strength as GOP presidential candidates begin to eye the state’s upcoming presidential caucus.

Cruz, of Texas, finished first among 14 Republican candidates in the poll of 283 influential party activists gathered for the Minnesota GOP’s State Central Committee, claiming 90 votes. That was almost twice the votes claimed by the second-place finisher, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who had 46 votes. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina came in third with 33 votes.

(snip)

Celebrity businessman Donald Trump finished fourth in Saturday’s straw poll, with 29 votes, followed by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul with 28. Retired neurologist Ben Carson had 23 votes.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie each had four votes, followed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich with three and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with two each. Nineteen voters were undecided, and three candidates got no votes: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, and two other former governors: New York’s George Pataki and Virginia’s Jim Gilmore.

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I am actually relieved that even Republicans in Minnesota have some sense of rejecting Trump.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Minn GOPers are as crazy as elsewhere.

I'm glad they rejected Trump, but favoring Cruz doesn't make me feel any better about them. But when you consider the fact that all of the candidates are horrible in their own unique ways, maybe it doesn't matter.

[question everything]

4. I am curious of whether there was a similar poll four yers ago

or whether they skipped it, with two Minnesotans on the ballot..

[scarletwoman]

6. The winner of the February 2012 Republican precinct caucus straw poll was Rick Santorum.

I don't know if there was an earlier straw poll of just Minnesota Republican "activists" in 2011, equivalent to this early poll in the OP.

But I'm thinking it probably doesn't matter much. After all, the winner of the 2008 Republican caucus straw poll was Ron Paul. I'd say that Minnesota Republican polls aren't very indicative of which Republican candidate actually wins nationally.

[saltpoint]

2. Four -- count 'em -- four votes for Jeb Bush.

His eleventh-hour surge has begun, ladies and gentlemen!

[saltpoint]

3. Of course, there would be fond residual

support for Cruz in Minnesota, a state bordering his native Canada...

[Kalidurga]

5. I live in Minnesota and I still do not get it

There are very liberal people here living with very conservative people and we very rarely come to blows. I haven't met very many moderates. The only people that come close to that category are those who are apolitical.

[question everything]

7. A divided state

The strib had a story about it today, and, I think, it will continue for several more Sundays.

http://www.startribune.com/editorial-in-minnesota-signs-of-a-widening-gap/359597931/

I cannot find it now, but it mentioned that when we voted on banning same sex marriage several years ago, about 80 counties of the 87 voted yes. But they did not have the votes.

This is an interesting map of the Metro Area vs. "outstate" and the Iron Range

?fit=crop&&w=250

[Kalidurga]

8. I live in a civilized area

yet I do come in contact with some pretty far right people on occasion. They are definitely in the minority in the Twin Cities.

[dflprincess]

9. That and DFLer turnout was not what it should have been.

Remember in 2012 we took back both the House and the Senate and that was true in some of the areas we lost in 2014.