Former presidential candidate Ron Paul walks onstage to address the
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington,
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
The results of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll are in and many are surprised that US conservative activists voted Texas congressman Ron Paul as the preferred Republican presidential candidate to run against President Barack Obama in 2012.
Paul, a 74-year-old Texan who ran a short-lived presidential campaign in 2008 is considered unlikely to be a serious contender for the Republican party's nomination.
Nearly 3,000 votes were cast in the straw poll, the most in the history of the 37-year conference, but that number represented only a fraction of the approximately 10,000 people who attended CPAC. Some 31 per cent of the more than 2,000 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) attendees who participated in the poll voted for the outspoken libertarian.
This year, many had predicted a tight battle between ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney and ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin, which is why there were boos among the crowd as Paul's name was announced.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin came in third with 7 percent, and many consider Palin’s decision to not attend the conference a factor. Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney who had won the CPAC poll for the last three years, came in second with 22 percent.
Jonathan Martin and Jessica Taylor reported on Politico, "CPAC organizers were plainly embarrassed by the results, which could reduce the perceived impact of a contest that was once thought to offer a window into which White House hopefuls were favored by movement conservatives."
Comments
Ron Paul is one of the few decent and sincere politicians we have left in DC so it disappoints me to hear there were boos. Realistically Paul is head and shoulders above Palin and the others in qualifications and unlike the others wouldn't kow-tow to allowing Israel to dictate our foreign policies in the middle east. With all the people getting fed-up with the fed and the war I wouldn't dismiss Paul or take him too lightly. Maybe it's the wisdom and insight of a Paul this country needs instead of a Madison Ave trumped up conservatives like Romney or Palin. After all most people in the Tea Party associate more with Paul than Palin by a long shot.
Ha-ha, Ron Paul wins!! The neo-cons are losing control of the ship and they just can't stand it. The organinzers of CPAC need to wake up and wipe the sleep from their eyes. Complaining that a real conservative won the strall poll sounds like sour-grapes to me. They still can't handle the truth. Ron Paul 2012!
ron paul seems like an obvious choice for candidate in 2012. hopefully people realize that obama does not have the peoples interests at heart ron paul is working FOR the people of the US.
RON PAUL 2012!!!
Must have been "dead eye" Dickless Cheney that booed.
RON PAUL 2012!
Ron Paul will always get a bad rap from die hard right wings because of his stance on foreign policy.
However, there is no condidate that has ever ran for office that appeased EVERYONE in their party. Ron Paul's shortcomings are microscopic compared to the bigger issues that average americans are more concerned about.
Ron Paul 2012!!!!!!!!
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