Talk:Iowa Straw Poll (1979–2011)

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Dates of 1979 and 1987 polls[edit]

Can someone track down the exact dates of the 1979 and 1987 Ames Straw Polls and then add those dates, giving an appropriate citation, in the article? This information seems to be unfortunately lacking on the World Wide Web, but it should be readily available in newspaper archives. —Lowellian (reply) 07:44, 23 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Significance[edit]

In the section titled "Significance," the article makes some claims of general trends in the poll which I think are unfounded, given that the poll has only happened 4 times (soon to be 5). Ex: "in the history of the Ames Straw Poll, except in 1987, the winner (or in case of the tie in 1995, one of the winners) of the Ames Straw Poll has gone on to win the Iowa Caucus." 3 matches out of 4 (and one of those not even a clear victory) could very easily be chance. Perhaps, in reality, it only correctly predicts about 50% of the time, but due to chance we happened to get 3 out of 4 instead of 2 out of 4. There's really no way to know, and I think it's simply too early to draw out patterns, even after the upcoming poll (notwishstanding that it's a pastime of American politics to scrutinize every single datum to within an inch of its life).

Likewise with the first sentence of that same paragraph, "Only about half of the winners of the Ames Straw Poll have gone on to win the Republican presidential nomination." Well, right now it's 2 out of 4, which is exactly half. "About half," I feel, makes it sound like we've got a larger data set, with higher precision, than we do.

Just some thoughts.

Munion 19:07, 9 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sure, you make good points. Anyway, it's fixed now; the section has been rewritten to reflect the problems you wrote about. —Lowellian (reply) 02:53, 12 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Format[edit]

It is unclear how the actual voting takes place... The article mentions the ones that already voted have their hands stamped, but how did they vote? By raising hands? Wikiak 00:33, 11 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've clarified that electronic voting machines are used. —Lowellian (reply) 02:56, 12 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Article Title[edit]

Why is the title of this article "Ames Straw Poll" instead of "Iowa Straw Poll?" The Iowa Republican Party (who runs the poll), refers to it as the "Iowa Straw Poll" on their website, the logo for this year's poll also refers to it as the "Iowa Straw Poll," and pretty much every media story I've seen about it this year refers to it as the "Iowa Straw Poll." Yes, it does take place in Ames, but that is not the name that it seems to have been given. Etphonehome 22:15, 11 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree, when I came back from vacation today and wanted to see an update on this, the first thing I typed was Iowa Straw Poll, yet I had to see the search screen first :/. Homestarmy 22:40, 11 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
In order to avoid confusion with other Iowa Straw Polls; because, as detailed in in the introductory paragaph, there are actually multiple pre-Iowa Caucus straw polls held in different Iowa towns; this is just the most famous one of them. And what do you mean you had to see the search screen first? Iowa Straw Poll redirects here. Google currently shows 400,000 hits for "Iowa Straw Poll" and 204,000 hits for "Ames Straw Poll", so the frequency of the two terms is on the same order of magnitude. The problem with the phrase "Iowa straw poll" (and a reason to take the Google results with a bit of salt) is lack of specificity; that phrase could be referring to another Iowa Straw Poll besides the Ames Straw Poll. —Lowellian (reply) 02:51, 12 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
To clarify, I think it's a historical thing. Before the polls in the 1990s, this poll was less important compared to the other straw polls in Iowa (also run by the Iowa Republican Party), and was known as the Ames Straw Poll. In the 1990s, this poll became gradually more important vis-à-vis the other Iowa straw polls, and came to be promoted and publicized as THE Iowa Straw Poll, rather than just any Iowa straw poll. —Lowellian (reply) 02:58, 12 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
As an Iowa resident, I've heard both names used - and the usage is roughly equal. In this case the more precise term should be used for clarity's sake - with a redirect from the other common name, as is done with this article. --Tim4christ17 talk 04:42, 15 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Republican Party of Iowa, i.e. the organizer and beneficiary of this fundraising event, only refers to this event at The Iowa Straw Poll. It happens that it has always taken place in Ames, however it has also been a competitive bid process. For 2015, Ames is one of four finalists and according to political watchers, Ames is unlikely to retain this event. If and when an announcement is made moving this event outside of Ames, this page must reflect the reality that the event is the Iowa Straw Poll and not the Ames Straw Poll. http://www.iowagop.org/2015/02/13/four-venues-submit-straw-poll-bids/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by IARepublican (talk • contribs) 18:56, 1 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Need for more eye witness accounts[edit]

Limiting information to only what is broadcast by entertainment networks is no way to run a current events encyclopedia. There must be some leniency for inclusion of amature primary accounts until scholarly investigation of the subject is completed. This policy just leads to sockpuppeting... Until that realization is made this discussion section will have to suffice. Below is a personal eye witness account of the event. For other wikipedians in attendence please verify my observations and add your own. (Here, not to the article as that is against current policy) Hopefully a reputable source will publish an article for citation.

It was advertised that Iowa State students could show a student ID to vote. However, those in possession of an out of state drivers licence and no voter registration card on them were turned away. Also, the polling center required voters to mark their thumb with an iodine based ink. This had the effect of marking every ballot with a thumbprint unless voters took to the non-ergonomic method of feeding their ballot into the machine without use of an possible digit.

Also, for voters on buses paid for by a candidate they had no unobstructed view of the tents of candidates Tommy Thompson and Ron Paul, as they were placed on the other side of the complex from the bus parking area.

In addition Romney supporters were allowed to fill the floor during his speech, while supporters of Ron Paul were limited to 150 supporters while hundreds more without gold wrist bands were forced to stay out of the area immediately in front of the podium.GrEp 03:31, 16 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I appreciate your desire to disseminate reports of what you presumably witnessed, but from WP:Talk:
  • Keep on topic: Talk pages are for discussing the article, not for general conversation about the article's subject (much less other subjects). Keep discussions on the topic of how to improve the associated article. Irrelevant discussions are subject to removal.
It's really very clear, WP is not a publisher of original thought. There are literally thousands of such resources on the internet. Start a blog, contact your local independent media. Contact national independent media. But until something is verifiable, it does not belong on Wikipedia; I don't even think it belongs on this talk page.
I'm not trying to be a dick. I truly believe that what you're trying to do is right, and I applaud you for it. This just is not the proper forum. -Seidenstud 04:36, 16 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Original material is not allowed on wikipedia - the content must be verifiable. One idea would be to write an essay, based on interviews and your own personal observations, and publish it. You'll want to concentrate on making the essay credible - for example, I'd suggest you get permission from those you interview to include their full name in the essay. Verify and cite sources for any factual statements you make in the article. Write the essay from a neutral point of view. Last but not least, find a credible source to publish your essay. Once your essay is published, it can serve as a source of information for use in this Wikipedia article. --Smiller933 17:06, 29 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fair use rationale for Image:Straw poll logo.png[edit]

Image:Straw poll logo.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 19:15, 30 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Results of 1979[edit]

Partial results are at http://www.mikeswashingtonwatch.com/archives/2007/09/the_ames_straw_poll.shtml Someone with semi-protected access can update the main page (I don't have access or the time to bother).77.20.56.60 (talk) 07:55, 13 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Rick Parry[edit]

Has anyone heard the results of Colbert Super PAC's satirical push for "Rick Parry" with an A? SwimFellow (talk) 23:24, 13 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

SwimFellow - please refrain from chit-chat on talk pages as it is strictly against Wikipedia policy. (I can hardly wait! You can be damn sure that I'd of got my ass in to vote for ***RICK PARRY*** THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT YOU CAN TRUST TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISES*** if I lived in Iowa.) Gandydancer (talk) 00:17, 14 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Disagree that this is chit-chat. Colbert's Super PAC's involvement is noteworthy and it would be informative to have a total for Rick Parry. I have been unable to find one 208.118.163.99 (talk) 16:29, 16 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Gandydancer - please refrain from criticism of "chit-chat," then chit-chatting about the thing I was "chit-chatting." +There are news stories from valuable sources. This is notable, especially now that it's become a full-blown investigation. SwimFellow (talk) 06:39, 23 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
SwimFellow - It was supposed to be funny. Gandydancer (talk) 11:11, 23 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The group that runs the straw poll is not releasing the write-ins by spelling. As it is, Colbert's shtick might be worthy of a one sentence mention, but I don't think it really merits it, because there is no way of knowing how much of Perry's vote total came from actual Perry supporters and how much came from Colbert supporters. Furthermore, it really doesn't matter. – Muboshgu (talk) 17:11, 16 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Fatuous in the extreme to suggest it doesn't matter. The fact the pollsters are not releasing the votes to public scrutiny is highly significant and may suggest that Colbert's television show had a very large influence on the voting, though perhaps not the outcome itself. If Perry/Parry had been first, what would that have said about the sincerity of the voters? This is not insignificant.68.144.172.8 (talk) 06:50, 19 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Incorrect Total for 2011 Poll.[edit]

The total for the 2011 isn't the sum of all the above numbers. It is off by 56. I'm guessing this is votes that didn't get counted for whatever reason, but the total for all the other years is correct, so I'm wondering if you need to add in a box with "missing" or "uncounted" or whatever to make 2011 work too. Wikiditm (talk) 10:10, 15 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This edit corrected the error by changing the "Scattering" count from 162 to 218. The cited reference defines Scattering as Includes all those receiving votes at less than one-percent that were not on the ballot. By that definition, it is possible that someone receiving write-in votes could have received more votes than Jon Huntsman and Thad McCotter, who were listed finishing 9th and 10th, and not been listed in the official results. Jon Stewart reported that Gary Busey received 77 votes, more than Huntsman's 69, though he may have been joking. Can anyone find independent verification of Busey's votes? 50.13.110.37 (talk) 05:51, 17 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
To my knowledge, the Iowa GOP hasn't released any details for the "scattering" vote - and it seems unlikely to me that they would release a detailed breakdown - or that any campaign would insist that they do so. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 07:12, 17 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Well, actually the campaign for Rick Parry (Parry, with and A for America) have asked that the breakdown be revealed to the public. Gandydancer (talk) 19:17, 18 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

ASP Winners who went on the win the nomination[edit]

In the sentence: "Since its founding, the winner of the Ames Straw Poll has gone on to win the Republican presidential nomination X out of five times." X should be three: George W. Bush, Bob Dole, George H. W. Bush. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Metzby (talk • contribs) 16:56, 17 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done George H.W. Bush won the 1979 Ames Straw Poll but lost the nomination to Reagan. In 1987, he won the nomination, but lost the straw poll. So no, it is correct the way it is. SOXROX (talk) 05:34, 18 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I think you're reading it wrong. George H.W. Bush was the winner of the Ames Straw Poll, and went on to win the Republican presidential nomination. You seem to be reading a phrase (in that election cycle) that doesn't appear in the text. Metzby (talk) 07:39, 18 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
No Pat Robertson won the poll in 1987. SOXROX (talk) 14:14, 18 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
George H.W. Bush won the poll in 1979, and then got the nomination in 1988. Thus, he was the winner of the Ames Straw Poll. He went on to win the Republican presidential nomination. Thus, he meets the criteria. You seem to be reading in "in the same nomination cycle". But that's not what the sentence says. You can't expect the reader to know what you meant. Metzby (talk) 18:26, 18 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
The Straw Poll only has relevance to its particular election cycle, so reading "in the same nomination cycle" into the quote is actually the natural (and correct) reading of the sentence. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 11:15, 24 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I can see why you might think that. But... Citation Needed. Metzby (talk) 20:38, 4 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Michele Bachmann first woman to win the straw poll[edit]

Michele Bachmann's win at the straw poll marked the first time a female candidate won the poll. Is this a fact that is worth a mention in the article? 68.43.93.38 (talk) 00:22, 22 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 1 March 2015[edit]

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: page moved. Given the March 12, 2015 announcement that Boone will be the site of the 2015 event, it's inevitable that the previous common name will change soon, if it hasn't already. We need a reliable source to confirm the claim that "the Iowa Straw Poll is by far the most prominent of the several straw polls held in Iowa." What are the other straw polls; are they notable? This statement has been removed from the article. (non-admin closure) Wbm1058 (talk) 14:27, 13 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]


Ames Straw Poll → Iowa Straw Poll – The Republican Party of Iowa, which organizes and benefits from this fundraising event, does not refer to it as the Ames Straw Poll. While popular to call it the Ames Straw Poll due to where it has been hosted in previous years, the event is not tied to Ames. In fact, the Republican Party of Iowa opened the bidding process for 2015 and three of four finalist sites are not in Ames: http://www.iowagop.org/2015/02/13/four-venues-submit-straw-poll-bids/. --Relisted. Andrewa (talk) 07:08, 9 March 2015 (UTC) IARepublican (talk) 19:02, 1 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

  • Support it is frequently called the Iowa Straw Poll -- 70.51.200.101 (talk) 03:56, 2 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support I've never heard of it called the Ames Straw Poll, it's the Iowa Straw Poll, which is held in Ames. Nevermore27 (talk) 04:26, 2 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support per y'all - one of these days, we'll hold a discussion like this before the subject is in the news. One day. Red Slash 19:04, 5 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oppose and relisting to allow replies from those supporting the move. According to the article, it is by far the most prominent of the several straw polls held in Iowa. It is commonly, but incorrectly, also known as the Ames Straw Poll because it has always taken place on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames. However in 2015, the Republican Party of Iowa publicly announced it would seek bids from new potential event sites... (my emphasis). [1] So the proposed name is ambiguous, and not yet the common name, nor has this particular event yet taken place anywhere else and it's as yet unknown whether it ever will. Andrewa (talk) 07:12, 9 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Per your own quote, this would be the primary topic of "Iowa Straw Poll", and it is also called "Iowa Straw Poll", so is also another name for the event. -- 70.51.200.101 (talk) 02:59, 10 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
No, that is a common misreading of WP:PRIMARYTOPIC. It's not enough for it to be the most prominent of several. It needs to be more prominent than all of the others combined. That's a far more stringent requirement. And even if it were to pass that test, there's still the question of which name is the better. Andrewa (talk) 13:13, 10 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Straw Poll v. State Fair poll[edit]

The Iowa Straw Poll was a specific Republican Party event that was last held in 2011. There are a variety of other straw polls in Iowa, that is unrelated to the topic of this article. power~enwiki (π, ν) 19:34, 21 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Created separate Iowa State Fair Straw Poll page; disambiguated; thx for prompt. Humanengr (talk) 14:40, 22 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Looks good to me. power~enwiki (π, ν) 15:24, 28 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]
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