ames • Hard-charging Mitt Romney was tipped to cruise to a crushing victory yesterday as Republican activists cast the first votes in the 2008 race for president, in an Iowa popularity contest.
The fabled straw poll in the university town of Ames is a traditional early indicator of the Republican field, but is devalued this year by the absence of the former Massachusetts governor's top rivals.
Rudolph Giuliani, the ex-mayor of New York, and Senator John McCain balked at shelling out several millions of dollars needed to bus in thousands of supporters to the straw poll, with tickets going for $35 a head.
They also judged there was little to be gained by risking a poor showing in the event, five months before the curtain-raising Iowa caucuses when voters go to the polls for real to select Republican and Democratic nominees.
Former screen star and senator Fred Thompson will also be missing, as he has not yet officially launched his campaign, though he is expected to jump into the race in September.
This year's straw poll will perhaps be most remembered for thinning out the Republican field.
A poor showing will push rank outsiders in the Republican pack, like former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson and congressman Duncan Hunter, to the brink of elimination, with little prospect of raising more campaign funds.
For middle-tier conservative hopefuls like former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Sam Brownback, the event could offer a "bounce" or dent their hopes.
Some pundits think the anti-Iraq war longshot candidate Ron Paul, a favourite of internet grass-roots activists, might make a stir.
Romney, a multi-millionaire former venture capitalist, has poured millions of dollars into his Iowa operation, hoping to build momentum in January's caucuses and seize control of the Republican race.
In the latest University of Iowa poll, he enjoyed a huge lead in the state, with 27 per cent of likely caucus goers, compared to 11 per cent for Giuliani and seven per cent for Fred Thompson.
He has criticised his rivals for avoiding the straw poll and hopes to bank a store of goodwill for the Iowa caucuses early next year.
"It's a great way to measure who are the folks that have the character and vision and the organization and the fundraising capacity, all the elements it takes to win the presidency," Romney said, talking about the straw poll in a video on his website on Friday.
He said the first two or three placeholders in the event would separate themselves from the field.
"You know these are the guys who are ready for prime time."
Some estimates say 40,000 people will show up to the poll and enjoy music, food and candidate speeches before results are unveiled in a sports stadium in the early evening.
