The Huckster draws first blood on Super Tuesday by winning the West Virginia Republican Convention. But the victory isn’t as conclusive as it may sound in a headline.
In the West Virginia Convention, there were only 1,100 votes cast. You read that correctly. There were only 1,100 votes cast in the state that was heavily lobbied by the martial arts superstar and former star of Walker Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris.
Chuck’s star power was able to get Huckster 51% of the vote yielding him all 18 delegates from the coal rich state. But 51% is only a measly 567 votes.
Mitt Romney took second place in West Virginia with 521 votes (47%). Juan MexiCain was able to capture 12 votes. You read that correctly as well - 12.
I’ve been saying that a vote for The Huckster is a vote for MexiCain and the news out of West Virginia seems to support that. Juan MexiCain told his supporters in West Virginia to “go ahead and vote for Huckabee”.
According to FoxNews.com:
Huckabee won in the second round of voting, even though Mitt Romney led after the first round. The former Arkansas governor won with 51.5 percent to Romney’s 47.4 percent, pulling ahead after John McCain’s delegates apparently defected to his side.
The convention had to go into a second round of voting after no candidate took a clear majority the first time. Texas Rep. Ron Paul was knocked out, and Huckabee, Romney and McCain moved forward.
Paul finished fourth with 10 percent among the 1,133 participating delegates in the first round, while Romney took 41 percent and Huckabee took 33 percent. McCain, who started the day in New York City before heading to California, reached the second round with 15 percent.
But before Huckabee’s surprising turnaround in the second round, McCain delegates told FOX News they had been instructed by the campaign to throw their support to Huckabee. emphasis mine
The first round of voting included 1,133 votes but the final vote only included 1,100. I find it difficult to believe that the people of West Virginia would vote the way that these “delegates” did in a popular vote. It is apparent that Ron Paul’s supporters didn’t cast a vote in the second round. It is also apparent that MexiCain recognizes that Romney is a bigger threat than The Huckster so he instructed his supporters to cast his 15% behind The Huckster.
Romney’s response to this dirty politicking?
Romney Campaign Manager Beth Myers issued a statement after the West Virginia vote blasting McCain.
“Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain’s inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney’s campaign of conservative change.”
It goes without saying that the process in West Virginia leaves a lot to be desired.
Note to those who wish to dispense with the electoral college. The electoral system is a heck of a lot better than the way that West Virginia runs their “Convention.”
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Hey Gribbet. When I saw that, it was too late. I feel like I’ve been molested or something. I don’t know what to call it, but it doesn’t feel good. I was going to vote for Duncan Hunter. Why? I don’t like any of them!