Ahem, It Turns Out There Was a Computer "Glitch" in Iowa

Here's an interesting report from National Journal and the real-time coverage from CNN at that point. It doesn't in itself prove chicanery, perhaps the opposite. But, here is what is known for the record, though perhaps a little more about this computer "glitch" and how extensive it was needs to be researched and how many other precinct numbers were just "called in" because of the "glitch".

As Iowa caucus watchers entered the wee hours, waiting to see whether Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney would win, the woman with the answers was fast asleep. Edith Pfeffer, the Republican chairwoman in Clinton County, held the crucial votes from the 2nd Ward's second precinct that would ultimately determine the winner.

But at 1:30 a.m., Pfeffer had retired to sleep in a room without a phone. She couldn’t hear the calls from the Romney campaign, CNN, or her friend Carolyn Tallett, who soon came to ring her doorbell and pound on her windows. 

Pfeffer said she reported the numbers at 11:20 p.m. to a Romney worker in Clinton County, who told her that there had been a computer glitch in getting the numbers to Des Moines. But the state party headquarters needed a second confirmation--after Pfeffer had gone to bed.

“You cringe a little bit,” Pfeffer told NPR in speaking of how she awoke. “And the next thing I knew, someone was pounding on the windows and I thought, ‘What is going on?’ And I got up to see Carolyn running in my front yard.” 

Pfeffer and Tallett then called state party headquarters to confirm the precinct’s votes and spoke by phone to CNN's John King as he tallied the votes live. King told the two women that their numbers did not match what the state was reporting, an indication that they held the missing piece that ultimately determined Romney the winner.
Watch Pfeffer's and Tallett's call with CNN:

It may have just been a glitch, since Ron Paul observers were supposedly posted at all precincts, but that's 1774 precincts. Still interesting.

HOT: Did Ron Paul Just Win Iowa?

By Timothy Carney

"I think Ron Paul just won Iowa," declared Mark Hansen, Ron Paul's Pottawattamie County coordinator. Here at a bar serving as the unofficial county headquarters of the Paul campaign, Hansen had just conceded that Paul would not win the popular vote in Iowa, but he also pointed out that after the straw polls, the precincts appointed delegates to the county conventions in March -- and that in every precinct in Pottawattamie, at least, two or three Ron Paul supporters volunteered to be delegates, and few other candidates' supporters volunteered.

Delegates at the county conventions help select delegates to the state convention, which then select delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Read the rest here.

Was Ron Paul Robbed in Iowa?

Here's Lew Rockwell's reasoned take:

Many LRC'ers think so. I don't know, though I will have more to say. There are polling and other oddities. But I do know this: politics is a dirty, rotten affair, full of bribers, bribe-takers, liars, demagogues, and worse. Trillions are at stake in this nomination. Politicians will start a war and kill a million people for less. Are we supposed to think that they would cavil at electoral skulduggery?

How the Iowa Republican Caucuses Work

Republicans will gather at 7 p.m. CT, tonight. According to the Des Moines Register, during the next hour or so, caucusgoers will vote on preferences for the GOP nomination for president, select delegates to attend county conventions, choose members of county central committees and vote on any party platform resolutions.

Once the caucus is called to order, party leaders take care of general business, including the selection of a chairman or chairwoman and a secretary to head the proceedings. Then:

Representatives may speak briefly about candidates before participants cast a vote for their preferred candidate. This vote may be conducted by a show of hands or by paper ballot, depending on the number of people in attendance. The votes are counted and the results immediately called into party headquarters, where they are reported to the news media.

Anyone who will be 18 by the date of the presidential election, Nov. 6, 2012, and is a registered Republican. If caucusgoers are not registered, they can register that night---this allows Democrats to crossover to vote and for independents to vote.

Report: Ron Paul Rocked Valley High School In Iowa This Morning

The Des Moines Register reports:

Ron Paul enjoyed a rock star reception this morning during a get-out-the-vote rally at Valley High School in West Des Moines.

Throngs of reporters snapped photos and yelled out questions as he made his way into the school’s gymnasium. Once inside, the students offered the 76-year-0ld congressman their warmest welcome of the day.

Roughly 800 juniors and seniors gathered clapped and cheered for the Paul, who briefly sported a pair of shades. Chris Moody, a political reporter with Yahoo! News tweeted this gem: “Iowa HS girl on Ron Paul when he enters rally: ‘He’s got his glasses on. Like a BOSS.’”

U.S. Congressman Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and the sons of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney also addressed students at this morning’s rally — but were not treated to as enthusiastic of a welcome.

Ron Paul is The Man on Twitter

Alan Murray emails:


If Twitter is any indication, Ron Paul wins Iowa by a Landslide


WaPo reports:


In the 2012 campaign season, social media has been the writing on the wall. Now @MentionMachine monitors Twitter for political candidate mentions, revealing trends and spikes that show where the conversation is and why.

Which candidate was talked about most this week?

Rank	Candidate	Twitter mentions	Media Mentions
1	Ron Paul	267,916	4,223
2	Barack Obama	87,130	7,500
3	Mitt Romney	64,594	4,161
4	Rick Santorum	51,934	2,515
5	Newt Gingrich	44,793	3,311
6	Rick Perry	40,437	2,430
7	Michele Bachmann	15,763	1,995
8	Jon Huntsman	6,901	628

Rand Paul Predicts Ron Paul Victory in Iowa

Check out this video of a Rand Paul--Ron Paul campaign stop in Iowa. It's a packed house and Ron Paul gets to lay out his liberty message in total.



(htLewRockwell'sPoliticalTheatre)

HOT: Bachmann's Campaign Chair Defects To Ron Paul

Alexander Burns at Politico reports:

In a shock announcement Wednesday night, Iowa state senator and onetime Michele Bachmann campaign leader Kent Sorenson declared that he is now supporting Ron Paul for president.

Sorenson made the announcement at a Paul rally with veterans here in Des Moines, telling the crowd: "I believe we're at a turning point in this campaign."

Calling the decision to abandon Bachmann a painful one, Sorenson said he felt obligated to join Paul as the "Republican establishment" tries to undermine his campaign.

"I thought it was my duty to come to his aid, just like he came to my aid during my Senate race, which was a very nasty race," Sorenson said, pledging to go all-out for Paul over the next few days.

To cheers from the crowd, he continued: "We're going to take Ron Paul all the way to the White House."

(htRyanUnderwood)

First Weather Forecast for Iowa Caucuses

Looks like January 3, the day Iowans go out to caucus will be cold but without new snow.

The high, now forecast, by the Weather Channel, will be 32 degrees and the low 26 degrees. It will be the coldest day of the week, but Iowans are used to cold. It's a severe snow storm that keeps them at home.

Bad weather, which now appears unlikely, is viewed as a plus for Ron Paul since his supporters are more dedicated and more likely to vote in any weather. Cold weather, with no snow, will bring out more casual, less dedicated supporters, who are less likely to be Ron Paul supporters.

CBS News: Ron Paul Takes Lead in Latest Iowa poll

CBS news reports:

Texas Rep. Ron Paul is now atop the field in Iowa of Republicans looking to unseat President Obama next year.

Paul has the support of 27.5 percent of likely voters for the Jan. 3 caucuses, which kick of [sic] the 2012 race for the Republican nomination for president in less than two weeks, according to a poll conducted by Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished a close second, with 25.3 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who took 17.5 percent.

Paul's support could be stronger than other candidates who have led in Iowa in the months since the August straw poll, which Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann won.

Dave Peterson, an associate professor of political science at Iowa State, said Paul's support is likely under represented by polling.

"His supporters are younger and more likely to reply on a cell phone, so he's probably going to perform better than his polling suggests. His supporters also are dedicated and will likely turn out on caucus night and not change their minds," Peterson said.

(htMikeNelson)

Awesome New Ron Paul Ad

Here's the latest in the series of very skilled, very polished ads put out by Ron Paul. According to The Hill, the ad will air in Iowa and New Hampshire immediately.

Ron Paul Makes a Huge Statement on The Tonight Show

By Kevin Kervick

Congressman Ron Paul appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. Paul received a standing ovation when he entered the room and continuous cheers from the supportive audience during the three segments allotted to him by Leno. The appearance came at a time when Congressman Paul is under serious coordinated attack from Conservative Establishment talking heads on talk radio and other mediums because of his non-interventionist foreign policy beliefs.

Unlike other sound bite news interviews on the major networks, in this appearance Paul had sufficient time to express his libertarian views to a large mainstream audience. This conversation was largely an educational opportunity for Congressman Paul to promote his brand of liberty, but he also made some major news during the interview. When asked about his rivals in the Presidential race...

Read the rest here.

(htLewRockwell'sPoliticalTheatre)

What the Sulzberger Kid Must Learn at Home...

...ignore Ron Paul, at all costs.

A.G. Sulzbereger, son of New York Times Co. Chairman of the Board Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr, has a piece out this morning, featured on the front page of NYT. The title of the piece is Economic Health in Iowa Conflicts With a G.O.P. In other words, it's an article about the Iowa caucuses, where Ron Paul is a neck and neck front runner.

The piece mentions Mitt Romney 3 times, Newt Gingrich 2 times, Rick Perry once and Ron Paul zero.

'Widening Public Interest in Paul Campaign'

The Hill's Brent Budowsky writes:

For many months I have tried to be fair and ahead of my colleagues in the media in giving serious treatment to Ron Paul as a candidate, his campaign as a campaign, and his movement as a movement. Something is happening. There is a widening public interest in the Paul campaign, a passionate support from his followers, a professionalism from his campaign managers, and growing, though not yet sufficient, respect from the major media.

For the next few weeks, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney will be calling each other names and questioning each other's conservatism, which just might open the door for Ron Paul to charge through the gap and win the Iowa caucus. If he doesn't win, I predict a strong second.

I have suggested for some time that Paul's organization in Iowa is stronger than pundits realize, the loyalty of his followers is deeper and his performance in Iowa will surpass his numbers in the polls. Recently I have added emphasis to the well-managed Paul campaign and the strength of his ads.

Today I will add two additional factors. First, many younger voters support Paul, and many of them have cellphones, not landline phones, and are not picked up in polls. Second, while Gingrich and Romney attack each other, Ron Paul not only looks better, but there is now a growing "protest vote" that might go to Paul because GOP voters are fed up with both Romney and Gingrich and the insiderism they represent

.

ABC News: Ron Paul Drawing Big Crowds in Iowa

Jason Volack at ABC News blogs:

Hot on the heels of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Iowa, Ron Paul is rallying the youth vote and drawing big crowds.
Speaking to a standing-room-only gathering of more than 1,000 college-age students in Ames, Iowa, Thursday night, Paul declared again that the war on drugs had been a failure, reminding the audience that more people had died in preventing people from using drugs than from the drugs themselves.

“I’m just not frightened by a free society,” said Paul. “I’m frightened by those who prevent us from having a free society. That’s where the real threats are.”

The Paul campaign has picked up steam and has its sights set on new national front-runner Newt Gingrich, by going after the anti-Washington, anti-establishment voters.

Brian Naylor at NPR writes:

At first glance, it's not easy to figure why Ron Paul is so popular with young people. At 76, he's old enough to be their grandfathers, something he alluded to at a packed rally at Iowa State University in Ames Thursday night.

"I understand this is a busy week, some of you are involved with studyin' so this was a chance not to have to study for a couple hours right? But I have a lot of children, a lot of grandchildren but I'm always advising them study hard get your courses down," Paul told the crowd.

Several hundred young people, mostly students, packed the Great Hall of Iowa States Union building. Many wore flannel shirts and knit caps on a cold snowy night. They listened intently as Paul, standing behind a lectern touched on some of his more esoteric views, on Austrian economists and returning to the gold standard. But they responded with enthusiasm when he got to issues they could relate to, like the threat he says is posed by the Patriot Act.

"There's a serious attack on our personal liberties — your rights, your privacy, passing bills out of a panic mode and passing things like the Patriot Act. it does not help your personal liberty. I'd like to get rid of the Patriot Act to tell you the truth."

Paul also struck a chord when he called for a sensible foreign policy, one that does not feature thousands of American troops fighting and based overseas...

After the speech dozens of students stood in a long line to have their pictures taken with Paul. The photos would later be posted on the Ron Paul Facebook page.