CPAC Straw Poll pegs Ron Paul as the GOP nominee for '12 for second time

**Singularity** · 12th February 2011 04:34 PM

The results of the Washington Times CPAC straw poll of presidential candidates are in, and the winner is Texas Rep. Ron Paul, with 30 percent of the vote. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was the runner-up with 23 percent.

There were 3,742 ballots cast in the annual survey, which is a chance for devotees to name their pick for president in 2012. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they were generally satisfied with the field of potential candidates and 43 percent said they wished the GOP had a better field of potential candidates. For those surveyed, the size of the federal government was the most important issue to them.

CPAC is an annual gathering of conservatives, which this year served as the first cattle-call of potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates.

The full results:

Texas Rep. Ron Paul: 30 percent
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: 23 percent
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson: 6 percent
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: 6 percent
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: 5 percent
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: 4 percent
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann: 4 percent
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels: 4 percent
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: 3 percent
Former talk show host Herman Cain: 2 percent
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: 2 percent
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum: 2 percent
South Dakota Sen. John Thune: 2 percent
U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman: 1 percent
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour: 1 percent
Others: 5 percent
Undecided: 1 percent

This is really interesting. I respect Ron Paul for always sticking to his principles come hell or high water, but he will never be President. It's also remarkable that Mitt Romney is the only traditional big name Republican who even approached Paul's showing. All the others, Pawlenty, Sarah Palin, Huckabee, Santorum, Thune, Gingrich... they all got creamed, again. I wonder what impact this will have on the GOP primaries.

**Mordent** · 12th February 2011 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by Singularity

I respect Ron Paul for always sticking to his principles come hell or high water, but he will never be President.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but why would you say that?
Many people said we would never have a black president.

**Kropotkin** · 12th February 2011 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by AmendmentX

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but why would you say that?
Many people said we would never have a black president.

Skin color doesn't matter. What matters is whether a candidate is willing to serve the corporate establishment that runs this country. Barack Obama certainly fit that bill.

**Mordent** · 12th February 2011 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by Come Home America

Skin color doesn't matter. What matters is whether a candidate is willing to serve the corporate establishment that runs this country. Barack Obama certainly fit that bill.

Excellent answer. Thanks!

**Devil505** · 12th February 2011 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by AmendmentX

Many people said we would never have a black president.

Many of your RW brethren still believe that.

**Mordent** · 12th February 2011 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Devil505

Many of you RW brethren still believe that.

As do many of your left wing bolsheviks.

**Singularity** · 12th February 2011 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by AmendmentX

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but why would you say that?

Too many interests arrayed against him. Big business and the unions would actually get together to keep him out of the Oval Office, I expect. In the primaries, if he makes a serious run, he will be brought down by a combination of the neocons and the social, big government "conservatives".

However, if he then runs as an independent, he could cause some big problems for the GOP. If he plays his cards right, he could place himself in a position where he can get some major power in Congress in exchange for him to not pull Tea Partiers away from Obama's Republican challenger and effectively hand Obama a second term.

**Tedminator** · 12th February 2011 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by Singularity

".
However, if he then runs as an independent, he could cause some big problems for the GOP. If he plays his cards right, he could place himself in a position where he can get some major power in Congress in exchange for him to not pull Tea Partiers away from Obama's Republican challenger and effectively hand Obama a second term.

or form an 'official' Tea Party with Ron Paul as it's lead candidate.

**Tedminator** · 13th February 2011 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by AmendmentX

Excellent answer. Thanks!

You have a problem with the corporate establishments that runs this country? You sumkinda communist?

**Mordent** · 13th February 2011 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Tedminator

You have a problem with the corporate establishments that runs this country? You sumkinda communist?

I have a problem with politicians who don't have the integrity to do the right thing. I expect any decently run corporation to do anything within the bounds of the law to be successful. I expect a politician, who is elected by the people, to resist the temptations of big money and do what he was elected to do. Does that make me a communist in your book?