Iowa Straw Poll: Win or Warning?

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Core Conservative Issues Replaced With Marketing Ploys, Image Consultants and Free T-shirts

Dan Gilbert's remarks:

Republican Presidential Candidates should take note: Low turnout, despite spending spree, shows less than enthusiastic base.

Last week's Iowa Straw Poll is being heralded by the Romney and Huckabee camps as a victory and a sign of future wins in the GOP Presidential Candidate race. Yet, after the amount spent by each candidate to lure voters to the event, one has to wonder how much bang for their buck each candidate actually received.

GOP officials anticipated turnout to the "fundraiser" at 40,000. Roughly 30,000 attended the event, many arriving on buses paid for and provided by the candidates. The Romney camp alone hired more than 100 buses to coax voters to attend; the Huckabee camp hired 51. After free tickets, food, entertainment and merchandise, a mere 14,302 cast their vote, down from 23,685 in 1999 which handed victory to then candidate, George W. Bush.

Not too long ago, a grassroots movement was characterized by thousands of enthusiastic voters, volunteering time, talent and treasure to get out the vote for a candidate who represented their values. Grassroots has now morphed into a marketing campaign, where candidates literally spend millions to cajole voters just to show up for a picturesque sound bite.

Despite being enticed with free tickets, transportation, food and music, why did so many Republican voters stay home? Their voices have not been heard.

Core conservative issues such as abortion, gay marriage, immigration and fiscal responsibility have been abandoned by top GOP leaders and replaced with marketing ploys, image consultants, and free t-shirts. Candidates continue to ignore the conservative pleas of their base, preferring power over principle. These leaders are banking on a false premise that conservatives will settle for the lesser of two evils in the general election. They are wrong.

Conservatives are savvy and passionate voters, who are as unlikely to sell out their principles as they are their own soul. Steadfast in their values, the conservative base will not be seduced by slick marketing, pandering and flip-flopping. Candidates who support lawless immigration, dismiss traditional family values and promote a nanny state, will not find favour among the base. Conservatives will either continue to leave the Republican Party, join other parties, or not show up at the polls at all.

The "thumping" in 2006 has proven this. No amount of slick promotions, cash or photo-ops, will mask the utter disregard of conservative values that top GOP leaders have demonstrated. It is no wonder that, according to Rasmussen, the number of Americans identifying themselves as Republicans has dropped 6 percentage points since 2004.

Conservative principles are what propelled the Republican Party to power, returning to these principles is the only thing that can save it.

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