Changes

Most candidates offered free straw poll tickets to supporters, with exception of [[Duncan Hunter]]. The Tancredo, Romney and Brownback campaigns used numerous buses to get supporters to the straw poll.<ref>http://race42008.com/category/tom-tancredo/</ref>   

Most candidates offered free straw poll tickets to supporters, with exception of [[Duncan Hunter]]. The Tancredo, Romney and Brownback campaigns used numerous buses to get supporters to the straw poll.<ref>http://race42008.com/category/tom-tancredo/</ref>   

After an hour of delay due to a voting machine malfunction, which led to the recount of over 1,500 ballots,<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/ames_a_partial_recount_confirm.php</ref> Mitt Romney won the 2007 Ames straw poll, receiving 4516 votes, or 31%. Former conservative governor [[Mike Huckabee]], whose poll numbers had been steadily rising around the nation, finished second with 2587 votes at 18.1%<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/</ref>. Huckabee's second place finish was somewhat of a surprise to political analysts because of his lack of transportation to the straw poll and late start in Iowa. Huckabee stated after the victory, “We had two fish and five loaves and it fed 5,000.”  

After an hour of delay due to a voting machine malfunction, which led to the recount of over 1,500 ballots,<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/08/ames_a_partial_recount_confirm.php</ref> Mitt Romney won the 2007 Ames straw poll, receiving 4516 votes, or 31%. Former conservative governor [[Mike Huckabee]], whose poll numbers had been steadily rising around the nation, finished second with 2587 votes at 18.1%<ref>http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/</ref>. His second place finish was somewhat of a surprise to political analysts because of his lack money, transportation to the straw poll, and late start in Iowa. Huckabee spent a total of $150,000 thousand on the straw poll, a small fraction of what Romney and Brownback spent<ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDhhNTUxODM5NjIyMjhjNGMwN2Q5MGRlMzNhZGJhODE=</ref>. He said after the victory, “We had two fish and five loaves and it fed 5,000.”