Rand Paul wins '2016 GOP Primary Madness'

Our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has now come to a close, and the champion 'chosen by the people' is Rand Paul. After racking up wins all the way through five rounds, Paul smashed Ted Cruz in the final matchup with a vote of 384 (92%) to 33 (8%). We had votes cast in 45 states, and Rand Paul won all of them except Oklahoma, interestingly enough.

The winner of our 2012 GOP Primary Madness -- Mitt Romney -- ended up as the actual 2012 GOP nominee. In our 2013 version of 2016 GOP Primary Madness, Sarah Palin defeated Rand Paul by an almost identical margin as Paul just beat Cruz with.

Thanks for participating in our GOP Primary Madness tournament! Next year, we'll see if the 'voters' were right.

2016 GOP Primary Madness Championship

Ted Cruz, or Rand Paul? Let the Championship begin! The poll will be open until Saturday, April 4th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

After you vote, click on "See Detailed Results" underneath the poll for a map of the voting by state.

2016 GOP Primary Madness Championship

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Final Four Results

The Final Four of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for state-by-state details on the voting):

Division 'A' vs. Division 'B'

1. Scott Walker (39%) vs. 2. Ted Cruz (61%)

Division 'C' vs. Division 'D'

2. Rand Paul (91%) vs. 7. Jan Brewer (9%)

The two remaining junior U.S. Senators defeated the two remaining Governors. 2-seed Rand Paul blasted Jan Brewer out of the water, getting 91% to her 9%. Fellow 2-seed Ted Cruz had a tougher run, beating Scott Walker 61% to 39%.

Championship round voting will start shortly.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Final Four

Let the 'Final Four' begin! The polls will be open until Tuesday, March 31st. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

Click on "See Detailed Results" underneath each poll for a map of the voting by state.

Final Four: Division 'A' vs. Division 'B'


Final Four: Division 'A' vs. Division 'B'

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Elite Eight Results

The Elite Eight of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for state-by-state details on the voting):

Division 'A'

1. Scott Walker (66%) vs. 2. Marco Rubio (34%)

Division 'B'

2. Ted Cruz (67%) vs. 4. Ben Carson (33%)

Division 'C'

4. John Kasich (41%) vs. 7. Jan Brewer (59%)

Division 'D'

1. Sarah Palin (36%) vs. 2. Rand Paul (64%)

7-seed Jan Brewer once again defeated a higher-ranked opponent, this time 4-seed Ohio Governor John Kasich (59%-41%). 567 votes were cast in that matchup, all states except DE, MT, and WY. 622 votes were cast in Division A, with 641 in Division B -- both had votes from every state except DE and WY.

Division D has the greatest amount of votes cast, at 931, from every state except Wyoming. As with the previous round, several pro-Sarah Palin and pro-Rand Paul sites got involved. I received some emails from individuals in both camps, complaining of "voter fraud" by the other side. The settings on the polls I use restrict voting to one-vote-per-IP-address; however, "where there's a will, there's a way", and if someone is determined enough to try, they usually can find a way around the "rules". That said, this is an unscientific poll done for fun, so just relax.

'Final Four' voting will start shortly.

UPDATE: Vote in the Final Four here.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Elite Eight

Let the 'Elite Eight' begin! The polls will be open until Friday, March 27th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

Click on "See Detailed Results" underneath each poll for a map of the voting by state.

Division 'A', Elite Eight


Division 'B', Elite Eight


Division 'C', Elite Eight


Division 'D', Elite Eight


Update: View the results here.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Sweet Sixteen Results

The Sweet Sixteen of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'

1. Scott Walker (68%) vs. 4. Mike Pence (32%)

2. Marco Rubio (67%) vs 3. Rick Santorum (33%)

Division 'B'

1. Mike Huckabee (25%) vs. 4. Ben Carson (75%)

2. Ted Cruz (76%) vs. 3. Rick Perry (24%)

Division 'C'

1. Jeb Bush (18%) vs. 4. John Kasich (82%)

3. Paul Ryan (49%) vs. 7. Jan Brewer (51%)

Division 'D'

1. Sarah Palin (52%) vs. 5. Nikki Haley (48%)

2. Rand Paul (81%) vs. 3. Bobby Jindal (19%)

The closest race was also the biggest upset: 3-seed Paul Ryan (49%) falling to 7-seed Jan Brewer (51%). Brewer previously defeated a 2-seed (Chris Christie). Rand Paul had the highest percentage (81%).

Voting increased exponentially in this round; pro-Sarah Palin and pro-Rand Paul sites got involved, resulting in 800-1,100 votes being cast this round. Click on the above links for state-by-state breakdowns of the voting.

I plan to have voting in the 'Elite Eight' start sometime this evening.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Round 1 Results

Round 1 of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'

1. Scott Walker (93%) vs. 8. Kelly Ayotte (7%)

4. Mike Pence (76%) vs. 5. Newt Gingrich (24%)

3. Rick Santorum (60%) vs. 6. Donald Trump (40%)

2. Marco Rubio (77%) vs. 7. Carly Fiorina (23%)

Division 'B'

1. Mike Huckabee (83%) vs. 8. Lindsey Graham (17%)

4. Ben Carson (57%) vs. 5. Mitch Daniels (43%)

3. Rick Perry (68%) vs. 6. John Bolton (32%)

2. Ted Cruz (81%) vs. 7. Mary Fallin (19%)

Division 'C'

1. Jeb Bush (61%) vs. 8. Peter King (39%)

4. John Kasich (52%) vs. 5. Susana Martinez (48%)

3. Paul Ryan (73%) vs. 6. George Pataki (27%)

2. Chris Christie (42%) vs. 7. Jan Brewer (58%)

Division 'D'

1. Sarah Palin (56%) vs. 8. Marsha Blackburn (44%)

4. Sam Brownback (22%) vs. 5. Nikki Haley (78%)

3. Bobby Jindal (80%) vs. 6. Rob Portman (20%)

2. Rand Paul (87%) vs. 7. Michele Bachmann (13%)

The closest race was Ohio Governor John Kasich (52%) vs. NM Gov. Susana Martinez (48%). The biggest upset was number-seven seed Jan Brewer's defeat of number-two seed Chris Christie, 58% to 42%. Scott Walker had the highest percentage (93%).

I plan to have voting in the 'Sweet Sixteen' start sometime tomorrow.

UPDATE: Vote in the Sweet Sixteen here.

Sarah Palin wins '2016 Primary Madness'

Our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has now come to a close, and the champion 'chosen by the people' is Sarah Palin. After racking up wins all the way through five rounds, Palin smashed Rand Paul in the final matchup with a vote of 526 (91%) to 51 (9%).

The winner of our 2012 GOP Primary Madness - Mitt Romney - ended up as the actual 2012 GOP nominee. Will Sarah Palin follow suit with a victory in 2016? Only time will tell!

2016 GOP Primary Madness Championship

Let the 'Championship' begin. It's up to you to determine the 2016 GOP nominee! Okay, not exactly, but at least the winner of this competition (although, the winner of 2012 GOP Primary Madness did become the nominee).  Polls will be open until Sunday, March 31st. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP: Palin vs. Paul

2016 GOP Primary Madness, 'Final Four' results

The Final Four of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A' vs Division 'B'
2. Rick Santorum (33%) vs 1. Sarah Palin (67%)

Division 'C' vs Division 'D'
1. Rand Paul (55%) vs 1. Mike Huckabee (45%)

After jumping to early leads, both Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee fell to their respective opponents. Over 940 votes were cast in the Santorum vs. Palin contest, easily the most-contested race of the round (698 votes were cast in the Paul vs. Huckabee matchup). If you click on the above links, you can see how each state voted in this round; pretty interesting stuff.

Voting in the Championship round begins tomorrow morning, and will continue through Sunday.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Final Four

Let the 'Final Four' begin! Polls will be open until Monday, March 25th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com

Final Four: Division 'A' vs. Division 'B'

Final Four: Division 'C' vs. Division 'D'

2016 GOP Primary Madness, 'Elite Eight' results

The Elite Eight of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'
1. Marco Rubio (36%) vs. 2. Rick Santorum (64%)

Division 'B'
1. Sarah Palin (62%) vs. 3. Michele Bachmann (38%)

Division 'C'
1. Rand Paul (56%) vs. 2. Paul Ryan (44%)

Division 'D'
1. Mike Huckabee (53%) vs. 3. Mike Pence (47%)

The closest matchup was in Division 'D', where Mike Huckabee received 52% to Mike Pence's 48%. This week, the Palin vs. Bachmann race got the most attention, with 412 votes cast. Rick Santorum's defeat of top-seed Marco Rubio makes him the only candidate in the Final Four who is not a No. 1 seed.

Voting in the Final Four round begins tomorrow morning, and will continue through Monday.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Elite 8

Let the 'Elite Eight' begin! Polls will be open until Tuesday, March 19th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com

Division 'A', Elite Eight

Division 'B', Elite Eight

Division 'C', Elite Eight 

Division 'D', Elite Eight

2016 GOP Primary Madness Sweet Sixteen results

The Sweet Sixteen of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'
1. Marco Rubio (75%) vs. 5. Mitch Daniels (25%)
2. Rick Santorum (66%) vs. 3. Bobby Jindal (34%)

Division 'B'
1. Sarah Palin (51%) vs. 5. Nikki Haley (49%)
3. Michele Bachmann (66%) vs 7. Mary Fallin (34%)

Division 'C'
1. Rand Paul (56%) vs. 5. Scott Walker (44%)
2. Paul Ryan (65%) vs. 3. Rick Perry (35%)

Division 'D'
1. Mike Huckabee (75%) vs. 4. Bob McDonnell (25%)
2. Jeb Bush (29%) vs. 3. Mike Pence (71%)

Sarah Palin squeaked out a victory over Nikki Haley, 51%-49%. Mike Pence defeating Jeb Bush 71%-29% was the only instance of a lower seed beating a higher seed. Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee received nearly identical votes (182 and 185), and both topped out the field at 75%. The Santorum vs. Jindal matchup got the most votes in this round.

Voting in the Elite 8 round begins tomorrow morning, and will continue through Monday. Click here to go vote.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Round 1 Results

Round 1 of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'
1. Marco Rubio (96%) vs. 8. John Kasich (4%)
4. Tim Pawlenty (36%) vs. 5. Mitch Daniels (64%)
3. Bobby Jindal (78%) vs. 6. Allen West (22%)
2. Rick Santorum (76%) vs. 7. John Thune (24%)

Division 'B'
1. Sarah Palin (64%) vs. 8. Kelly Ayote (36%)
4. Condoleezza Rice (39%) vs. 5. Nikki Haley (61%)
3. Michele Bachmann (55%) vs. 6. Susana Martinez (45%)
2. Chris Christie (39%) vs. 7. Mary Fallin (61%)

Division 'C'
1. Rand Paul (58%) vs. 8. Ben Carson (42%)
4. Rudy Giuliani (22%) vs. 5. Scott Walker (78%)
3. Rick Perry (78%) vs. 6. Donald Trump (22%)
2. Paul Ryan (96%) vs. 7. Scott Brown (4%)

Division 'D'
1. Mike Huckabee (87%) vs. 8. Rob Portman (13%)
4. Bob McDonnell (68%) vs. 5. Sam Brownback (32%)
3. Mike Pence (60%) vs. 6. Jon Huntsman (40%)
2. Jeb Bush (71%) vs. 7. John Boehner (29%)

The closest race was MN Rep. Michele Bachmann (55%) vs. NM Gov. Susana Martinez (45%). The biggest upset was number-seven seed Mary Fallin's defeat of number-two seed Chris Christie, 61% to 39%. Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan tied for the victory percentage (96%).

Voting in the Sweet 16 round began today, and continue through Tuesday. Click here to go vote.

UPDATE: Click here to vote in the Elite 8 round.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Sweet Sixteen

Let the 'Sweet Sixteen' begin! Polls will be open until Tuesday, March 12th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com

Division 'A', Sweet Sixteen

Division 'B', Sweet Sixteen

Division 'C', Sweet Sixteen

Division 'D', Sweet Sixteen

UPDATE: Click here to vote in the Elite 8 round.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, Round 1

MuskogeePolitico.com's 2016 GOP Primary Madness has officially begun! Ladies and gentlemen, voting is now open!

The polls will be open until Thursday, March 7th. If there are any problems with the voting, please leave a comment, or email me at JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com

Division 'A', Round 1

Division 'B', Round 1

Division 'C', Round 1

Division 'D', Round 1

UPDATE: Click here to vote in the Elite 8 round.

Coming Friday: 2016 GOP Primary Madness begins!

It's now the time of year when people across the fruited plains get out their pens and fill in their brackets. Who makes it to the Sweet 16? Who falls in the Elite 8? Who wins in the Final Four, and who takes the National Championship?

Two years ago, this blog held a 2012 GOP Primary Madness bracket, with thirty-two potential Republican presidential candidates facing off for the nomination. Ten of the thirty-two did end up running for President, and voters in our polls successfully predicted the 2012 nominee -- Mitt Romney was the victor in the 'championship' round.

Starting tomorrow, MuskogeePolitico.com readers will once again start voting on the winner of 2016 GOP Primary Madness. Each round will last about six days.

Will the winner of this bracket become the actual 2016 GOP nominee? Only time will tell...

Coming Soon: 2016 GOP Primary Madness!

(click to enlarge)

It's the time of year when people across the fruited plains get out their pens and fill in their brackets. Who makes it to the Sweet 16? Who falls in the Elite 8? Who wins in the Final Four, and who takes the National Championship?

Two years ago, this blog hosted 2012 GOP Primary Madness (which accurately predicted the 2012 GOP nominee - Mitt Romney), and next month, we will continue that series by doing 2016 GOP Primary Madness.

Between now and then, I will be taking suggestions for the thirty two competing candidates. You can leave your recommendations in a comment on this post, or you may email them to JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.