Will The 2012 Iowa Caucus Be Marked By An Asterisk
A scanned copy of Edward True's tally sheet he took home with him the night of the caucus in Appanoose County (Image courtesy Edward True)
Iowa – The 2012 Iowa Caucuses have come and gone, but the shadow cast by a night that didn’t go off as planned is still causing problems for the Iowa GOP.
The moments on CNN of “Edith and Carolyn” from Clinton County, where the duo helped to sort out missing numbers live on national TV, giving the win by 8 votes to Mitt Romney.
With those numbers up, and the Romney camp calling to “Edith and Carolyn” themselves to confirm, that image of Romney staffers running and screaming behind the live shot of Fox News’s Carl Cameron will be engrained in Iowans’ heads for a long while.
America took a deep breath and turned eyes toward New Hampshire and its primary set for January 10. With Romney appearing to have the win in Iowa all locked up, he would be doing the unheard of feat of capturing the first 2 states back to back.
That is, until Edward True of Moulton, Iowa stepped forward.
True, who was attending his first caucus, met at the Garnett Memorial Library in Moulton, where he and 52 others cast their vote.
There True was asked to help count the ballots, where the totals ended up being 3 for Bachmann, 13 for Perry, 7 for Paul, 1 for Huntsman, 21 for Rick Santorum, 2 for Mitt Romney, and 6 for Newt Gingrich.
A look at the numbers released by the State GOP show 79 voters went to the Caucus for the same precinct of Washington Wells. True claims there were 53 voters present at that caucus. The state GOP totals for Washington Wells Precinct are Ron Paul 7, Bachmann 3, Gingrich 6, Santorum 21, Huntsman 1, Buddy Roemer 6, Romney 22 and Perry at 13.
The entire state of Iowa cast 31 ballots for Buddy Roemer. Washington Wells Precinct cast 6 of them, putting them in a tie with one other precinct for the most votes counted for the candidate. The next highest level of votes being cast for Roemer are two other precincts each casting 2.
A stark contrast between the two figures are of course the Roemer votes and the 20 Romney votes.
I asked True how he felt when he noticed the difference between what he had written down and what was being reported. “I was shocked. This was my first time going to a caucus or even being political. Never did I think I would find something that changes the outcome of what was/is the closest race.”
I further asked True how he thinks the GOP will handle this now that the numbers have been confirmed [by Affidavit], and if he feels this was an honest mistake. “I want to believe that it is an honest mistake, but when the GOP comes right out and through an unnamed spokesperson says the totals are none of my business, is pretty insulting, especially when other honest Iowans step forward to support my statement.”
Appanoose County Republican County Chairman Lyle Brinegar is backing up True’s statement in an interview with the Des Moines Register.
In a press release, the Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn released this statement “Out of respect to the candidates involved, party officials we will not respond to every rumor, innuendo or allegation during the two week process. That said, Iowa GOP officials have been in contact with Appanoose County Republican officials tonight and do not have any reason to believe the final, certified results of Appanoose County will change the outcome of Tuesday’s vote.”
There are those who say it will make little difference in the end, Santorum walked away from Iowa a winner already. That may be true, but in the end, who will be the loser? Will this year’s caucus be marked by an asterisk?
Official certified results are expected any time within 2 weeks of the caucus.
