AMES — Not surprisingly, charismatic Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) took top prize the 2011 Ames Straw Poll with4,823 votes. Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) placed second with 4,671 votes.
Congressman Ron Paul(R-Texas) placed second with 4,671 votes.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentytook third with 2,293 votes.
Bachmann emphasized her Iowa roots during her remarks Saturday, and spoke little of her life and political record in the state of Minnesota. She preceded her Straw Poll presence Friday afternoonat the Iowa State Fair, where she took the opportunity to make one last Straw Poll appeal.
It worked.
Paul, a long-time Congressman and doctor also appeared to win over many attendees Saturday, as he received multiple standing ovations as he emphatically stated his anti-abortion, anti-war, limited-government platform. The Texan has campaigned heavily in Iowa prior to the Straw Poll, and won the poll’s auction, spending $31,000 on prime real estate that had been taken by 2007 Straw Poll winner Mitt Romneyfour years ago.
Pawlenty, often characterized as being too nice by political pundits, shed his “Minnesota nice” persona during Thursday’s presidental debate to lash out at Bachmann, saying her Congressional record is “non-existent.”
A total of 16,892 people cast votes in the 2011 Ames Straw Poll.