Clarkstown GOP - No Clear Frontrunner Emerged From Iowa Caucus
Local GOP leader says it’s a four-way race
Clarkstown Republican Committee Chairman Robert Axelrod expressed surprise with Tuesday’s Iowa Caucus results and does not see a clear-cut message coming out of the vote.
“Eight votes, that’s incredible,” said Axelrod. “In my opinion I don’t think that looks good for (Mitt) Romney.”
Axelrod notes that Romney spent significant funds in Iowa yet finished the race with just an eight-vote lead over former Pennsylvania Governor Rick Santorum. Romney and Santorum each received 25 percent of the votes. Ron Paul came in third with 21 percent and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich drew 13 percent.
Romney’s vote total changed little from when he ran four years ago. At that time, Romney received 25.2 percent of the caucus vote.
“We’ll see what happens in New Hampshire,” said Axelrod. “That’s where he expects to get 40 percent.”
The local GOP leader does not dismiss any of Tuesday’s four frontrunners.
“I wouldn’t rule out Gingrich,” he predicted. “ I think he’s more serious now. Anything is possible at this particular point.”
The New Hampshire Republican Primary is next on January 10 followed by the South Carolina Republican Primary on January 21. New York’s primary has a tentative date of April 24.
Check out what poll watchers have to say about the chances of the presidential candidates.
Maureen
2:20 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Mr. Axelrod: To be quite frank I don't need to read your opinion about the state of the Republican Party at the national level. I would prefer to hear from you about what you are doing at the local level to get a viable Republican candidate to run in two years against Gromack. Your efforts in the last election resulted in failure and in my book if you show me a good loser I will show you a loser. From what I see of your leadership it is not one that gives me hope for any future success. You need to get going now and find a candidate with the demeanor and skills of a David Carlucci or an Andy Stewart in Orangetown. Meanwhile I will be happy to relieve you of your need to inform me that 'anything is possible at this particular point' with respect to Newt Gingrich. Is anything possible at this point with respect to your ability to identify a winning Republican candidate for Clarkstown?
Lance Dugby
5:55 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
IS Axelrod doing the bidding of Vinny "p-coat" Reda? They are operating from the same play book.
Mike Hirsch
6:06 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Bob Axelrod has done a remarkable job in transforming the Clarkstown GOP and distancing that group from Vinnie Reda's County GOP. He is the main reason that there was finally an independent Republican candidate for Supervisor this year rather than one of Vinnie's puppets. There is no love lost between those two. Give Axelrod the credit he deserves.