Romney gets what he paid for

In pickups, cars and caravans of buses, thousands of Republicans converged on the Iowa State University campus here Saturday for the Iowa Straw Poll, a part-carnival, part-political event. And Mitt Romney walked away with the first prize of the campaign. New York Times.

Romney, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, won with 32 percent of the vote cast, Republican officials said. Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, came in second with 18 percent.

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who had waged a concerted effort to undercut Romney among conservative voters by challenging his recent shift to oppose abortion, among other issues, drew 15 percent.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who did not compete in this contest, came in 10th out of 11 candidates on the ballot. He drew 101 of 14,302 votes cast.