UI Iowa Straw Poll pre-poll numbers: Paul hits 7%, McCain collapses into "third tier"

The latest UI polls frow Iowapolitics.com:

Aug 8 2007

As Straw Poll Approaches, Romney Soars, Giuliani Drops And McCain Collapses

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney appears to have taken a commanding lead in Iowa among registered Republican voters and Republican caucus goers, according to a new University of Iowa poll released today, Wednesday, Aug. 8. Poll results also indicate that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has lost support, and support for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has collapsed well into the third tier of candidates.

[...]

Iowa Straw Poll

A sample of 222 people who were considered the most likely Republican caucus goers were asked a series of questions about the Aug. 11 Straw Poll in Ames.

Most -- 81.5 percent -- were aware of the straw poll; 18.5 percent were not. Of those who were aware, only 23.8 percent planned to attend, leaving a number too small to analyze with confidence for details of candidate support. However, about one-third of those planning to attend said they support Romney, 16 percent Tancredo, 12 percent Giuliani, 9 percent Brownback and 7 percent Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.

That's not bad at all for a candidate who just starting campaigning in Iowa two days ago. If he places 5th in the Ames Straw Poll as predicted here, he's well on his way into serious contention as a top tier candidate.

UPDATE: Here are more political spinmeisters sharing good vibes of the unstoppable Ron Paul campaign as it heads into this all-important weekend. RealClearPolitics notes that Paul is only one of two GOP candidates airing tv commercials in Iowa, and Evans/Novak says "Paul has garnered excellent spontaneous grassroots support at every turn, but this hasn't turned into more than a blip in polls or in media coverage. His fundraising, however, is surprising, and his breadth of support on the Internet is impressive. If he shows well in Ames, he could start garnering real media attention."

Here Paul shares the wisdom of liberty with a crowd of patrons at a Pizza place in Union County, Aug. 8:

Letters to Iowans on behalf of Ron Paul

I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours. 100 of these went out the week of July 23.

Dear (Iowan voter),
I'm (name) from (city,st) and am writing in my own words to invite you to attend the Ames Straw Poll on August 11 as a show of your support for Texas Congressman and Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul.

My primary reason for making this effort: the U.S. Constitution still matters to me.

Because it's now obvious our nation has drifted so dangerously far off course, it is by virtue of Congressman Paul's unmatched, unwavering, verifiable loyalty to Constitutional principles throughout his 10 terms in Congress that this presidential election has become a referendum on the Constitution itself.

Regardless of the great things some of the other candidates are offering, I believe this election is the only chance in my lifetime that "we, the people" ourselves will ever have to proudly affirm in one voice our undying faith in the greatest governing philosophy the world has ever experienced, the very foundation of our liberty, the US CONSTITUTION.

I hope you agree that our government must return to the wisdom and guidance of our founders. And after researching more of Congressman Paul's record I hope you conclude that he is the only candidate running who is even qualified to genuinely uphold and defend the Constitution in all its glory, and will do so with the reverent devotion of this century's Thomas Jefferson.

There are many other things to love about Ron Paul (he was opposed to the Iraq war from the beginning and will bring our troops home immediately, he's not beholden to any special interests, etc.), but his strict adherence to the principles of the Constitution stands far and above as the most important.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please look for Congressman Paul in the upcoming debate in Des Moines on August 5 on the ABC network. You can learn more about the Ames Straw Poll at his website www.ronpaul2008.com, and while you're there research his record and discover how broadly his message resonates across the country.

In Liberty,
/signature/