Ron Paul captures CPAC presidential preference straw poll

[uncletonoose]

Texas Rep. Ron Paul has won the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2012 presidential preference straw poll of 3,742 activists, the chairman of the huge annual gathering of conservative activists announced on Saturday.

The poll, sponsored this year for the first time by The Washington Times, is seen as one of the earliest tests of grassroots popularity among the party’s dominant conservative wing, and Mr. Paul, who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination in 2008, has traditionally done well in the CPAC voting.

The Republican lawmaker, long a favorite of the party’s libertarian wing, took 30 percent of the votes cast, followed by Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 23 percent. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has said he will not be a candidate in 2012, and New Mexico former Gov. Gary Johnson tied for third, with 6 percent of the vote.

Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich followed with 5 percent.

Tied at 4 percent were Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Trailing them was former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who garnered just 3 percent of the vote.

Asked in the survey if they were generally happy with the field of GOP contenders lining up to challenge President Obama next year, 56 percent of CPAC voters said they were generally satisfied with the current crop of candidates, while 43 percent said they were not.

The announcement of the vote came at the end of the third and final day of the CPAC gathering in Washington.

This year’s event attracted a record attendance of over 11,000, and more than 3,700 attendees participated in this year’s straw poll — up more than 1,300 from a year ago.

Unfortunately he is not a part of the chosen. :baa They will not follow

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/12/rep-ron-paul-captures-cpac-straw-poll/

[Panoptimist]

Unfortunately, anyone who buys into the left/right paradigm and any of its many manifestations is a sheep.

[uncletonoose]

We all know, Paul will be the popular vote, and will never ever be allowed to win. The elite power will not allow it, but luckily for them, they don’t have to do much. A little smear and spin doctoring because the people are so well programmed to lean towards the candidates with the backing and support of the elite power structure. What a crazy system, where the logical, rational, sane, good, balanced, candidate wins the popular vote and hearts of the people – but not the vote that counts. That would just be too easy right.

[Panoptimist]

You can't beat the system by playing by the system's rules...

[Shami-Amourae]

I disagree. Ron Paul wakes up a lot of people this way. It's the idea that wins, and that's what's important.

[Apparition]

Although he'll never win the US presidential election I hope that his positions and ideas gain more traction.

More attention for him in this form is worthwhile.

[RJB]

Whether he's controlled op or not, this is good. I keep seeing the MSM discounting RP's CPAC wins saying it's due to the "young people" he attracts.

TPTB took over by infiltrating our poltical machinery. It's good to see liberty loving young people infiltrating theirs.

[Neuro]

Is RP running for 2012?

[Publico Pro Se]

Is RP running for 2012?


Yes, he will.

[midnight rambler]

Is RP running for 2012?


Yes, he will.


Well yeah, at least in concept if not in spirit (with respect to posing like an actual candidate for POTUS, I would think he'd continue with his CONgressional seat). lol Jesse Benton will make sure of that - his extravagant lifestyle since he married into the family (and into Freemasonry) depends upon the Ron Paul gravy train for his meal ticket. He HAS to keep the franchise going. And he's doing a heckofa job.

[onceseen]

A little bit of leaven spoils the whole loaf.
Said another way, a drop of poison in a glass of water poisons the whole glass.
Said another way, rotten seeds don't produce good fruit.

Again, Ron Paul is a Mason and I believe a very high ranking Mason at that. That means that he is (among other things) a liar, a worshipper of Satan, and he works for the bad guys. Who is the better person, he who is evil but doesn't pretend to be good, or he who is evil and pretends to be good?

What would happen if RP won the election? The same thing that would happen if any of the other Masons won the election; it would be a disaster. Except maybe with RP, it might even be worse. Wake up, people.

dys

[uncletonoose]

A little bit of leaven spoils the whole loaf.
Said another way, a drop of poison in a glass of water poisons the whole glass.
Said another way, rotten seeds don't produce good fruit.

Again, Ron Paul is a Mason and I believe a very high ranking Mason at that. That means that he is (among other things) a liar, a worshipper of Satan, and he works for the bad guys. Who is the better person, he who is evil but doesn't pretend to be good, or he who is evil and pretends to be good?

What would happen if RP won the election? The same thing that would happen if any of the other Masons won the election; it would be a disaster. Except maybe with RP, it might even be worse. Wake up, people.

dys


I respect your opinion, but can you back this up with fact.

[midnight rambler]

A little bit of leaven spoils the whole loaf.
Said another way, a drop of poison in a glass of water poisons the whole glass.
Said another way, rotten seeds don't produce good fruit.

Again, Ron Paul is a Mason and I believe a very high ranking Mason at that. That means that he is (among other things) a liar, a worshipper of Satan, and he works for the bad guys. Who is the better person, he who is evil but doesn't pretend to be good, or he who is evil and pretends to be good?

What would happen if RP won the election? The same thing that would happen if any of the other Masons won the election; it would be a disaster. Except maybe with RP, it might even be worse. Wake up, people.

dys


I respect your opinion, but can you back this up with fact.


Well, we know that Ron Paul is a mason, his wife belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star, and that his daughters belonged to Rainbow Girls. So it runs in the family at least that deep.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kJLrriuC968/SWNR4tsSQVI/AAAAAAAAAH8/Vg2S4bQupW8/s400/r_paul2.jpg
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/pics/ron.paul.freemason.jpg

[Libertarian_Guard]

The Washington Post ....... with a smear article saying how Ron Paul lost!



Losers


l Ron Paul: Yes, he won the straw poll for the second straight year. But his speech - heavy on talk of defunding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as odd pronouncements such as "Government should never be able to do anything you can't do" - displayed the limits of his reach within the GOP. Paul is a sensation, but among only a sliver of the Republican electorate.

But sometimes winning can actually be closer to losing - as in Paul's case - and losing (or at least not finishing in the top few in the straw poll) can mask a winning performance at the three-day convention.


Below is the Fix's look at some of the less obvious winners and losers from CPAC.

Winners


l Mitt Romney: For the former Massachusetts governor, the expected front-runner in the 2012 nomination fight, his goal with his CPAC speech was to do no harm. He did far better than that with a very well-received address and a strong second-place finish in the straw poll. If any of the top-tier candidates strengthened their hand at CPAC, it was Romney.

l Mitch Daniels: The Indiana governor's sobering speech about the danger of the country's growing debt was a sharp contrast to the red-meat heavy addresses of his potential rivals for the 2012 nod. Although the speech was received politely in the hall, it was met with effusive praise by the party's smart set, the national media and, interestingly, the Drudge Report.

l Michele Bachmann: No candidate benefited more from the absence of social conservative rock stars Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee than the Minnesota congresswoman. Bachmann's speech kicking off CPAC had the crowd on its feet and she was regularly surrounded by a cadre of admirers everywhere she went at the convention.

l Rick Perry: The Texas governor may have had the toughest speaking slot of the three-day conference, as his address came directly after Paul delivered his remarks. As hundreds of Paul-ites were shuffling out of the room, Perry took the stage to tout his now-familiar message about states' rights and anti-Washington rhetoric. By the end of the address, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand - proving again that if he reconsiders his past pledge not to run for president, he will be a formidable force.

l Chris Christie: The New Jersey governor - and national conservative sensation - didn't address the CPAC crowd but still managed to tie for third place in the straw poll, beating out a number of 2012 wannabes who did deliver speeches.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021301463.html

[Neuro]

The Washington Post ....... with a smear article saying how Ron Paul lost!

How did Emanuel Goldstein do?

[sirgonzo420]

The Washington Post ....... with a smear article saying how Ron Paul lost!

How did Emanuel Goldstein do?


Emanuel Goldstein always wins.

[midnight rambler]

Rick Perry is the anointed one.

[chad]

the funniest thing about the whole cpac debacle is the neo-con people fighting the ron paul people, and then the ron paul people fighting the neo-con people bsck.

it's exactly like the left vs. right paradigm, only compartmentalized. you'd think the ron paul people would be smart enough not to play along.

[sirgonzo420]

the funniest thing about the whole cpac debacle is the neo-con people fighting the ron paul people, and then the ron paul people fighting the neo-con people bsck.

it's exactly like the left vs. right paradigm, only compartmentalized. you'd think the ron paul people would be smart enough not to play along.


Yeah, but it's still funny when Ron Paul wins the straw poll and the media focuses on second place instead.

[cortez]

the funniest thing about the whole cpac debacle is the neo-con people fighting the ron paul people, and then the ron paul people fighting the neo-con people bsck.

it's exactly like the left vs. right paradigm, only compartmentalized. you'd think the ron paul people would be smart enough not to play along.


like the above post says , its about ideas

[chad]

the funniest thing about the whole cpac debacle is the neo-con people fighting the ron paul people, and then the ron paul people fighting the neo-con people bsck.

it's exactly like the left vs. right paradigm, only compartmentalized. you'd think the ron paul people would be smart enough not to play along.


Yeah, but it's still funny when Ron Paul wins the straw poll and the media focuses on second place instead.


yeah, i did a WTF moment on that one myself.

[Libertarian_Guard]

fox news can be counted on whenever the truth needs twisting.

Disrespectful Libertarians Hijack CPAC Poll -- And Its Mission


The top three winners of this weekend's CPAC straw poll will not win the 2012 presidential nomination. And if any of the top three do break through to prove that prediction wrong, none of them will go on to win the White House in 2012.

This year's top three placeholders in the poll were Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Gary Johnson. Ron Paul and Mitt Romney repeat their standing from the 2010 poll as No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

If the results of this straw poll do not sufficiently demonstrate the bizarre nature and overall oddity of this year's gathering of "conservatives," nothing else can.

Ron Paul, though technically still a Republican, has given up his GOP identity to embrace the chance to be the poster child for the more libertarian streak that has run rampant through CPAC, largely unabated for the past two years. Mitt Romney, the virtual author of Obamacare, and 2008's third-place finisher for the GOP nomination, is weighed down by the fact that his universal health care mandate in Massachusetts has largely failed – with the exception being the $50 state-subsidized abortions. Gary Johnson was only added to the lineup at the last minute, his presence stoking the flame of immoral libertarianism that actually advocated for legalized pot and the redefinition of marriage to include homosexual unions.

In other words, this year's CPAC wasn't about advancing conservatism. Rather, it exposed the radically disrespectful element of the libertine.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/02/14/disrespectful-libertarians-hijack-cpac-poll-mission/#

[Libertytree]

"Rather, it exposed the radically disrespectful element of the libertine."

I don't think we've ever tried to hide this.

[ShortJohnSilver]

Perry or Romney - two equally bad opportunists - will make it.

Check the Bilderberg list of attendees - whoever attended most recently is probably the one that will get the nod.

[Libertarian_Guard]

Another smear against Dr. Paul

CPAC '11 More Libertarian Than Conservative

Conservatives are gaining ground, but their ideology may be shifting. A record 11,000 conservative leaders and activists attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). They came out to see speeches from a wide array of presidential hopefuls, including Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Texas governor Rick Perry, and New Jersey governor Chris Christie. Other speakers included Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell, Rick Santorum, and Scott Brown.

The presence of gay rights group GOProud caused several major conservative organizations, particularly those on the Christian right, to boycott CPAC this year. In addition, leading Republicans Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee declined invitations to speak at the conference, with Huckabee claiming that CPAC was too libertarian for him.

Palin told Fox News on Wednesday that she is not opposed to the presence of “different, diverse groups that are involved in political discourse” but that “there are so many life-changing, life-and-death issues out there in front of us” and Americans would “better be concentrating on what is really important here and not going kind of tit-for-tat as people are positioning themselves for 2012.”

Ann Coulter supported GOProud’s presence, saying that “That is [liberalism's] goal — to destroy the family… [liberals] just made up this gay marriage thing… gays are natural conservatives.”

Yet the general absence of the religious right from CPAC demonstrates the growing rift within the Republican party. The influence of the more libertarian Tea Party may cause the GOP to lose its other conservative backers.

As CPAC is the traditional starting point for Republican presidential campaigns, the conference’s annual presidential straw poll predicted for the second year in a row that libertarian Ron Paul would be the winner, but many doubt the accuracy of the poll. Past winners of the straw poll, such as Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney did not capture the Republican nomination for president.

Students on CPAC’s official videos of the conference also seemed less enthusiastic about Paul than about Rick Perry, even saying that the numerous campaign posters around the auditorium “can be a little obnoxious at times, taking us away from the conference.”

Donald Trump, who made a last-minute appearance at the conference, said, “I like Ron Paul, but he has no chance of getting elected.”

http://nyulocal.com/national/2011/02/14/cpac11-more-libertarian-than-conservative/

[midnight rambler]

Donald Trump, who made a last-minute appearance at the conference, said, “I like Ron Paul, but he has no chance of getting elected.”


Trump trying to pick up some Ron Paul supporters.

[Grand Master Melon]

People still care about Ron Paul?

Seriously?

[steyr_m]

It doesn't matter if he even gets elected in 2012. He'll be assassinated before he takes office.

[chad]

It doesn't matter if he even gets elected in 2012. He'll be assassinated before he takes office.


or they'll "find" some info/pictures of him.

[midnight rambler]

It doesn't matter if he even gets elected in 2012. He'll be assassinated before he takes office.


He's a mason, nothing's going to happen to him.

[steyr_m]

It doesn't matter if he even gets elected in 2012. He'll be assassinated before he takes office.


He's a mason, nothing's going to happen to him.


So, what you're saying is that if he practices what he preaches (if he got elected) and gets rid of the Fed, all of the Departments, withdraws all troops from foreign soil, based the US dollar on gold, etc...... he won't be assassinated?

[midnight rambler]

It doesn't matter if he even gets elected in 2012. He'll be assassinated before he takes office.


He's a mason, nothing's going to happen to him.


So, what you're saying is that if he practices what he preaches (if he got elected) and gets rid of the Fed, all of the Departments, withdraws all troops from foreign soil, based the US dollar on gold, etc...... he won't be assassinated?


No, what I'm suggesting is that none of that is ever going to happen as a result of Ron Paul's efforts (or more like lack thereof).

He's a mason, he's compromised. As a mason there's no way in the world that he isn't 'in the (freemason) loop'. If he was righteous then he'd quit freemasonry and proclaim how evil it all is. But no, he hangs in there. I'm telling you, no one who is a mason that high profile in politics is clueless about what the score is.