Ron Paul Forces Strong in Jackson County & StL in More Missouri Caucus Voting March 25, 2012

The Ron Paul presidential campaign is claiming victory after Saturday Missouri GOP presidential caucuses in Jackson County and the City of St. Louis.
Many counties had their Republican caucuses on March 17, but those two jurisdictions moved them one week later. Jackson County Republicans made the move to avoid a conflict with the area’s many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The AP reports,”Party officials said Ron Paul supporters picked all 36 of the St. Louis delegates and about two-thirds of Jackson County’s 179 delegates. The remaining Jackson County delegates support Mitt Romney.”
A statement from Paul’s campaign says the results in Jackson County show “the effectiveness of his delegate-attainment strategy and the viability of his candidacy.”
More AP: “There is no declared winner yet because state party rules do not require delegates to be bound to any particular candidate. Instead, the 2,123 people picked in the local caucuses will advance to April 21 congressional district conventions and the June 2 state convention. It’s at those meetings that the bulk of Missouri’s 52 delegates will be bound to presidential candidates.”
“The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that about 300 people attended the caucus at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. Across the state, about 1,000 registered voters showed up at the Jackson County caucus at Lee’s Summit High School, said Jackson County GOP Treasurer Richard Plackemeier”.
“Jackson County GOP Committeewoman Erin Dunn said Paul and Romney supporters worked together to develop a brokered slate because neither side had a majority. Dunn, herself a Paul supporter who was picked as one of the delegates, said she was generally pleased with how the situation played out in both caucus locations.”
“Ron Paul people are very dedicated and very well-educated about the process,” she said. “That is the whole strategy, be educated about the process, know the rules, follow the rules and win based on that.”
“Although Rick Santorum won Missouri’s presidential primary in February, that election didn’t count toward awarding any delegates to the Republican National Convention. Instead, the state party opted for caucuses to avoid getting penalized by the national Republican Party for holding its primary earlier than specified under party rules.”

Two More Counties Move Off March 17 St. Patrick’s Day GOP Caucuses February 20, 2012

Chalk it up to the Luck ‘O the Irish, the AP reports two more counties are moving thier GOP Presidential caucuses off St. Patrick’s day, March 17.
AP: “Missouri Republicans will make their first binding presidential candidate choices on different days next month.
Republicans in most counties will hold caucuses on St. Patrick’s Day – March 17 at 10 a.m. Republicans in Jackson County and St. Louis city are waiting a week and will meet March 24.”
Jackson County Republican Chairman Shirley Simmons says her group expressely asked to shift their caucus date so there would not be a conflict with the Kansas City metro’s huge St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The downtown Kansas City Parade reguarly attarcts more than 200,000 people to the Parade (see previous post).
More AP: “Chariton ((SHAYR’-uh-tuhn) County in central Missouri is holding its caucus March 15, and southeastern Wayne County is meeting March 16.
Requests to change caucus dates are considered by the state Republican Party chairman.
The results from Missouri’s presidential primary earlier this month were not binding for Republicans. The state party opted to use caucuses to determine presidential delegates because the state primary was held too early under national Republican rules.

Santorum Enjoys Beauty Contest Landslide, Provides Campaign With Much Needed Momentum February 8, 2012

Rick Santorum claims Missouri Primary in St. Charles Tuesday night.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum seemed almost astonished with his powerful victory in the Missouri Caucus Tuesday night. With almost all precincts reporting Santorum lead Mitt Romney 55%-25%. Ron Paul had 12% of the Republican vote.
“Wow!”, he exclaimed as he started his victory speech.
“We doubled him up,here and in Minnesota”, he proclaimed.
Santorum also won the Minnesota republican caucus Tuesday night.
Santorum lapped Republican front-runner Mitt Romney most of the night in Missouri.
Santorum picked Missouri as a place to go head to head with Mitt Romney. Rival Newt Gingrich was not on the Missouri ballot. Ron Paul did not contest the state. Romney did not campaign here near the vote, but has the support of many elected Republican officials.
Santorum said he was looking for a place to win. He found it in Missouri.
He called it a victory for conservatives, “and the Tea Party people who are building the base of the Republican party.”
He told the crowd his win here did not mean he was the conservative alternative Romney.
“I stand here as the conservative alternative to Barack Obama”, he said to loud cheers.
The Romney campaign was braced for a tough night.
Romney supporter Missouri Senator Roy Blunt issued a statement saying Romney’s campaign has “the organization and resources to go the distance in this election.”
Earlier in the day, Romney’s political director, Rich Beeson advised reporters “there is no way for any nominee to win first place in every single contest.”
He also noted Missouri’s non binding primary “is purely a beauty contest”, with no delegates at stake. Th Republican National Committee (RNC) will not recognize Tuesday night’s results because Missouri’s primary was not in the order established by the RNC.
The Missouri delegates will be fought for during a St. Patrick’s Day Caucus on March 17. All the surviving campaigns will be in that contest.
Santorum won some key Republican counties that any Republican presidential candidiate needs to carry the state.
He won Greene County in southwest Missouri with 54% of the vote. Romney had 26%.
He won suburban Jackson County surrounding Kansas City with 50% to Romney’s 31%.
Santorum cruised in St. Louis County 53-30%. Many battles for the Missouri electoral votes are settled by what happens in St. Louis County.
On the Democratic side, incumbent President Barack Obama rolled up 88% of the vote. Obama narrowly lost Missouri to John McCain in 2008. He is considered a Show-Me State underdog in this election.

What Happened To Machine Gun Mike? November 12, 2009

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders is a fast talker. That’s not a characterization, it’s a fact. He speaks quickly.

Advisor Pat O’Neil says he has frequently stood at the back of a room gesturing for Sanders to slow down when giving a speech. That was not a problem as he delivered his State of the County Address Thursday afternoon.

Sanders took his time. He stopped at the end of sentences in his text. He even used a pause here and there, for rhetorical effect.

It may have the best delivery of a speech since he was elected.

What happened?

“He was sick”, says advisor Calvin Williford.

But there’s more.

Sanders has been getting some coaching for consultant Mary O’Halloran. Williford says it paid off in the speech.

Sanders delivered a 15 minute speech in…15 minutes.