Just before the vote the Ames, McCotter addressed voters in what Politico described as "a slow, abstract, exceptionally sober speech".[43] It drew little crowd reaction other than applause at the denunciation of the "regime in Beijing" and the proclamation, "I will not cede the 21st Century to a Communist, nuclear-armed dictatorship."[43] At his tent, McCotter spent a large amount of time playing guitar.[44] In the straw poll, he finished last among ten candidates, receiving 35 votes or 0.21 percent.[45] Based on the $18,000 he paid for campaign space, the result corresponded to $514 per vote.[45] Senior adviser Christopher Rants explained that the purpose of the straw poll "was not about votes, it was about introducing our candidate to the public in our first large forum... By any measure, we did that".[46]