For the third year in a row, Mitt Romney has won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference:
(CNN) — One day after delivering a forceful campaign-style speech to the conference of conservative activists, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won his third straight CPAC Straw Poll on Saturday, earning 20 percent of the vote on a ballot that included nine other Republicans who could seek the party’s presidential nomination in 2012.
Romney’s straw poll win at the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference helped to elevate Romney from a little-known governor to a bona fide presidential frontrunner, and his narrow victory in last year’s straw poll reaffirmed his support among conservative voters. But Romney failed to win the Republican nomination, which was eventually won by Arizona Sen. John McCain.
As interesting as Romney’s three-peat is how the rest of the field came out:
In the 2009 poll, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal came in second with 14 percent of the vote, while Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Texas Rep. Ron Paul tied at 13 percent. Jindal and Palin did not attend the conference.
Rounding out the straw poll results were former House speaker Newt Gingrich at 10 percent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at seven percent, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford at four percent, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani at three percent, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty at two percent, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist at one percent. Nine percent of poll participants were undecided.
The most interesting thing to me is that, notwithstanding the campaign and the adulation that some on the right had for her, Governor Palin did so poorly in a straw poll of conservative activists that she only ended up tying Ron Paul, who actually improved on his performance in last year’s poll.
That is, perhaps, a sign that the bloom is off the Palin rose.
March 1st, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Mark Sanford is the best choice in 2012. Although I like Mitt Romney’s economic talent-his flip flopping on social issues will get him pinned to the wall by the press. Sarah Palin is more celebrity than public servant. I like Mike Huckabee-but he leans towards protectionism and he scares off those who are not religious. Jindal is very smart and very talented-but the press will run his presidential response speech on a loop.Sanford is calm, experienced,and stands up consistantly for his ideals.He can get the GOP back on track. He is a good man.
March 1st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Yeah, that CPAC poll certainly did Romney a lot of good in the GOP primaries (and I would have voted for him, had he not dropped out shortly before the Virginia GOP primary).