No Agenda podcast pretty well nailed tonight's Iowa outcome. http://is.gd/5Z5LBK
[1:36 a.m. CST] Iowa G.O.P. chairman declares Romney the winner with 30,015 votes to Santorum's 30,007. A whopping 8 votes. Romney receives virtually identical vote count and percentage of the total vote that he did in 2008.
[1:25 a.m. CST] CNN's talking heads on TV make it sound final, if not 100% official -- Romney wins by [approx.] 14 votes. Why am I still up, tracking this, when both of the (ostensibly) top two finishers are unacceptable and abhorrent, each for their own multitude of reasons?
[12:56 a.m. CST] More from Nate Silver:
And then there was one. A precinct in the town of Clinton in Clinton, County, Iowa will determine the winner of the Iowa caucus.
Rick Santorum leads Mitt Romney by four votes statewide - 29,968 to 29,964 - according to the most recent count by the Republican Party of Iowa.
Seven other precincts have voted in the town of Clinton. Four of them favored Mr. Romney over Mr. Santorum, two of them favored Mr. Santorum over Mr. Romney and the candidates exactly tied in the final one.
Rick Perry spent $4.5 million on TV ads in Iowa. He got 12,574 votes (so far). That's $358 a vote. Not including $1.5 million in Super PAC spending. Yep, time to reassess, Rick.
[12:15 a.m. CST] Nate Silver @fivethirtyeight tweets: Now 2 precincts left, Santorum up 18, according to both Google and CNN.
[12:01 a.m. CST] CNN now shows Santorum extending his lead to 19 whole votes. 5 precincts out of 1,774 left to report.
Brad Funkhouser, via LRPT:
"I've been following Iowa GOP vote counts for a long time ... They are being slow-walked...in 2012. Negotiations are going on... Cash is changing hands. Apparently GOP chieftains are 'persuading,' by one means or the other, Perry and Bachmann people who hold considerable hold sway over large blocs of votes to switch to Romney and Santorum - leaving Ron in the dust... Also abusing suddenly lax ID registration may have created many fake votes for neocons Santorum and Romney. Santorum has no organization, never drew over 100 people during his entire campaign. Of course he did bribe and received the benediction of of that 'family' leader who demanded 1 million dollars that were to be distributed in part to cronies. This is the biggest fraud since Kennedy stole the West Virginia Primary. Perry had built a pretty organization and was around 13% of the vote. He drew far larger crowds than Santorum and ends up with just 10%. Did those votes go. Santorum? Santorum didn't earn 24% of the vote."
CNN.com says with 99 percent of precincts reported, Ron Paul in third place; Santorum leading Romney by 5 votes.
Ron Paul's speech to supporters... excerpts:
I think there’s nothing to be ashamed of, everything to be satisfied, and be ready and raring to move on to the next stop, which is New Hampshire.
We have a tremendous opportunity to continue this momentum.
Via LRPT:
Ron Paul's final talk in Iowa is moving and thrilling. He talks about the wars, the depreciating currency, our stolen liberties. Though this was my favorite part: "Nixon said 'We're all Keynesians now. I want to be able to say, 'We're all Austrians now.'" Ron said, 'On to New Hampshire!' Then, in a brilliant move, he calls on the young soldier who was cut off by CNN. Then Ron urges his people to work for peace and prosperity, and civilization itself. And they will.
Via LRPT:
CNN just interviewed a 28 yr old solider about to go on his 3rd tour of duty...a Ron Paul supporter...that Dana Bash pointed out how some people think Paul's ideas on military are dangerous...solider started complaining about picking fights with other countries and noted that Israel is capable of defending itself...then TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!
