Music blared. Dunk tanks and other carnival games were set up. And individuals participated in a Presidential Straw Poll on the grounds of the Iowa State Center at Iowa State University.
No this wasn't the Iowa Republican Straw Poll, but instead a straw poll determining the presidential preferences of Iowa State University freshmen.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics sponsored a Presidential Straw Poll for both Democratic and Republican candidates for president Thursday, Aug. 16, during Destination Iowa State. Destination Iowa State is a program designed to ease the transition to college for new Iowa State students.
Almost 500 students participated in the LAS/Catt Center poll with Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, coming out on top.
Obama swept to the Democratic Party victory with 65% of the vote. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) finished second with 17% with Senator John Edwards coming in third with 10%.
Dianne Bystrom, director of the Catt Center, says a recent poll indicated that Obama appeals to voters who are most interested in "new ideas," while Clinton polls better with voters who are interested in "experience" in presidential candidates.
"I think Obama is popular with the young voters who participated in this straw poll because he is young and different from the rest of the political establishments running for president," she said.
"I am surprised that Clinton did not do better in this poll," Bystrom continued. "She holds a strong lead in the national polls, but in Iowa it's a dead heat between Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Perhaps the younger voters in this straw poll see Sen. Clinton more as an 'establishment' candidate and do not see her as providing something new as the first woman to lead the national polls as a presidential candidate in one of the major parties."
On the Republican side, Giuliani captured 33% of the vote, while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was second with 25%. Congressman Ronald Paul (R-Tex.) was third with 9%.
"It looks like Romney's expected victory in the (recent) Iowa Straw Poll did nothing to improve his national standing, where he is still fourth," Bystrom said. "The Iowa Straw Poll did shore up his strength in Iowa, but apparently not so much with younger voters that participated in this (LAS / Catt Center) straw poll.
"As for Giuliani's strong showing, he does well with moderate Republicans and Independents. My guess is that voters in this straw poll were more moderate than other Republican voters."
Bystrom says the larger number of Democrats participating in the Iowa State straw poll may be reflective by the number of Democrats in the entering freshmen on campus.
"Many polls show that Democrats are happier with their choices in presidential candidates than Republicans," she said. "Happy voters are more likely to participate in straw polls. Republicans who have not settled on a candidate would not be as likely as Democrats to participate."
The complete results from the LAS/Catt Center Presidential Straw Poll includes:
Democrats
- Senator Barack Obama (Illinois) – 207 votes (65%)
- Senator Hillary Clinton (New York) – 54 (17%)
- Senator John Edwards (North Carolina) – 33 (10%)
- Governor Bill Richardson (New Mexico) – 17 (5%)
- Senator Joseph Biden (Delaware) – 4 (1%)
- Senator Christopher Dodd (Connecticut) – 1 (1%)
- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) – 1 (1%)
Republicans
- Mayor Rudy Giuliani (New York City) – 59 votes (33%)
- Governor Mitt Romney (Massachusetts) – 44 (25%)
- Congressman Ronald Paul (Texas) – 17 – (9%)
- Senator John McCain (Arizona) – 14 (8%)
- Senator Sam Brownback (Kansas) – 13 (7%)
- Governor Michael Huckabee (Arkansas) – 12 (7%)
- Senator Fred Thompson (Tennessee) – 8 (4%)
- Governor Tommy Thompson (Wisconsin) – 7 (4%)
- Congressman Duncan Hunter – 4 (2%)
- Congressman Tom Tancredo – 2 (1%)
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