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COMING UP IN YOUR FULL FORECAST. ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU. THE IOWA STATE FAIR STRAW POLL IS OUT. AND WHILE IT’S GRABBING ATTENTION, EXPERTS SAY IT TELLS US MORE ABOUT ENTHUSIASM RATHER THAN ACTUAL ELECTION RESULTS. THAT’S RIGHT. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER JOINS US IN STUDIO TONIGHT. AMANDA, POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY IOWANS SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT READING TOO MUCH INTO THE NUMBERS. THAT’S RIGHT, LAURA AND JODI MORE THAN 2000 IOWANS PARTICIPATED IN THE STRAW POLL AT THE IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE’S BOOTH DURING THE FAIR, AND VOTERS FROM BOTH PARTIES PICKED FAVORITES IN THE 2026 RACES FOR GOVERNOR, U.S. SENATE AND CONGRESS. BUT ����vlog POLITICAL ANALYST SAYS THE RESULTS DON’T REFLECT IOWA VOTERS AS A WHOLE. IT’S A KIND OF PARLOR GAME. THE IOWA STATE FAIR STRAW POLL IS A TRADITION, BUT ����vlog POLITICAL ANALYST DENNIS GOLDFORD SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT ISN’T. IN A SCIENTIFIC POLL, THE SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE ASKED QUESTIONS IS A RANDOM BUNCH OF PEOPLE. THIS MEANS THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN EQUAL CHANCE AT STATING AN OPINION, GOLDFORD SAYS. THAT’S NOT HOW THIS FAIR SURVEY WORKS. IT’S MORE LIKE A CAMPAIGN EVENT THAN A STRICTLY SPEAKING, ACCURATE MEASURE OF WHERE POPULAR SENTIMENT IS AT A PARTICULAR TIME. THIS YEAR, REPUBLICANS AT THE FAIR GAVE REPRESENTATIVE EDDIE ANDREWS THE EDGE OVER THE OTHER THREE GOP CANDIDATES IN IOWA’S GOVERNOR’S RACE, INCLUDING CURRENT CONGRESSMAN RANDY FEENSTRA. I THINK WHAT DID CATCH MY EYE WAS THAT ANDREWS WAS AHEAD OF FEENSTRA IN THAT REGARD, GOLDFORD SAYS. THE RESULTS CAN GIVE CANDIDATES LIKE ANDREWS SOMETHING TO RALLY AROUND. IT CAN EXCITE SUPPORTERS OF A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE WHO MIGHT THINK, ALTHOUGH ERRONEOUSLY BASED UPON THIS EVENT, THEY MIGHT THINK, HEY, MAYBE WE DO HAVE A SHOT AT THIS. LET’S REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS AND WORK HARD FOR A CANDIDATE. BUT HE SAYS THAT EXCITEMENT DOESN’T MEAN THESE RESULTS PREDICT THE FUTURE. AS A MEASURE OF WHERE PUBLIC OPINION IS IN GENERAL ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE. NO, THIS DOESN’T COUNT AS THAT. SO IF THE POLL DOESN’T TELL US WHO’S LEADING. WHAT’S THE VALUE? TO THE EXTENT THAT A THAT A LITTLE EVENT LIKE THIS, JUST FOR FUN, CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT VOTING AT ALL, THAT THAT’S A HELP IN THAT REGARD. AND THAT’S SOME OF THE THOUGHT THERE THAT THIS WILL GENERATE SOME EXCITEMENT AROUND IOWA’S ELECTION PROCESS. IOWA’S SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE, WHO ADMINISTERED THE POLL, SAYS IN THE PAST, IT HAS BEEN A GOOD INDICATOR OF WHERE IOWA VOTERS STAND. BUT HE ALSO SAYS THIS STRAW POLL IS NOT SCIENTIFIC. HE SAYS THE REAL GOAL IS TO ENCOURAGE IOWANS TO BE THINKING ABOUT VOTING. IOWA’S NEXT ELECTION IS NOVEMBER 4TH, WITH CITY A