Reporting outside the Hilton Conference center in the Big Easy:
Just as the headline reads, Ron Paul lost the 2010 Presidential Straw Poll by one single vote to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. This one vote, however, really comes off as a big win for Congressman Paul--Evangelicals for Mitt spent tens of thousands trying to influence voters in the straw poll by giving away Romney books, piggy-banks indicating fiscal responsibility and massive advertising posters of Mitt all throughout the conference.
Ron Paul, on the other hand, merely had a few supporters with homemade signs.
As I attended the 2010 SRLC to spread the mission of YAL with dozens of other liberty lovers from the South, I could not but help to notice how many people were starting to support the liberty movement. Although a majority of these people did not vote for Ron Paul in 2008, there appeared some sort of changing sentiment, rising, and fast, for this man and his ideas of, well...big-tent, really, really--really small-government.
Results from the SRLC 2010 straw-poll:
Newt Gingrich 18%
Mike Huckabee 4%
Gary Johnson 1%
Sarah Palin 18%
Ron Paul 24% (438 votes)
Tim Pawlenty 3%
Mike Pence 3%
Mitt Romney 24% (439 votes)
Rick Santorum 2%
*YAL does not support or endorse any candidates for public office.
Gary Johnson made it onto the poll? Wow.. interesting.
Jared, tell your boy Gary Johnson thanks! He just cost C4L millions in free advertising.
I would actually disagree--this win was much larger than you may be speculating.
Yes, win.
For all intents and purposes, I would have to postulate that this was a decisive win for liberty.
Jared, I feel good about it I do, but the headlines went to Romney, no? And if it were the other way around we surely would be upset at Romney heads declaring victory or a tie. Hey, we're all in this together, Rand is about to turn us into real winners and then I think we have an exciting ride coming for us in 2012.
Wasn't Romney not even there though? Shouldn't this be a sign of his strength, rather than a sign of his weakness? Don't mean to sound pessimistic..
Romney paid a lot of money to win. Check this article outhttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002208-503544.html
He was giving out piggy banks and books.
go ron paul go whoooo
They still cover the fact Ron lost by only a vote. They only neglect to point out the fact that Romney paid for a bunch of people to participate. O well... Any publicity is good publicity. The mere idea the media and other establishment republicans scoff at Ron and his "college kids". Do they realize how amazingly shortsighted they have become?
Yeah, who are these supposed college kids? :P
Well at least the GOP groups will continue conducting straw polls with the recent "loss" by Dr. Paul. They did mention that if he kept winning the straw polls they would encourage groups to quit conducting them.
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