Romney Wins Conservatives’ Straw Poll
IMHO, Mitt Romney has just won the election amongst conservatives by winning the CPAC Straw Poll two years running! I don’t know how the election will play out amongst the rest of the country’s electorate, but among the “base”, Gov. Romney is the prohibitive front runner as the choice of conservative Republicans. If 2008 turns out not to be our year, we have just gotten off to a very fast start for 2012!
~~John Cronin~~
Saturday, Feb., 9, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP)
Talk about cold comfort.
Mitt Romney, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race on Thursday, won a straw poll of conservative activists on Saturday, edging out likely nominee John McCain.
Ballots for the straw poll conducted at the Conservatives Political Action Conference were collected Thursday morning through Friday afternoon. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, quit the race in a midday speech to the conference on Thursday.
In the straw poll vote, Romney got 35 percent and McCain 34 percent. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas tied with 12 percent.
Romney won the straw poll at the conference last year.
On another question, two-thirds said they would vote for McCain if he’s the eventual nominee, two in 10 said they would vote for someone else and about one in 10 said they would not vote.
UPDATE by Jeff Fuller: Just to add in an interesting tidbit . . . most of the first day (of Four) of this CPAC straw poll voting occurred before Mitt dropped out–he was leading McCain 44%-27%. That would have been more representative of where conservatives were heading in droves . . . TO MITT!
February 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Romney wins the straw poll at CPAC!!! Huckabee clobbers MCCain in Kansas today!!!! Do you think the Republican party is united. I think everyones feelings are running pretty deep-no unity that I can see!!!!
February 9th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Huckabee needs to get out right now, do the right thing and support McCain the way Romney did. Romney is a shining example that you get out when it is no longer possible mathematically to win. Huckabee is obviously trying to prove some point, trying to strong-arm a VP spot from McCAin, but I don’t think McCAin is going to give it to him. He can win red states without Huckabee. It’s Michigan, Massachusetts, and Florida that he needs, and Huck can’t help with that.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Huckabee is riding his ego for the moment.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Huckabee may win three states today because conservatives detest McCain. I can not believe what has happened. Huckabee is very unqualified to be President of this country. John McCain may be forced to select Huckabee as VP. As a Romney supporter why would I want to vote for McCain/Huck because in 2012 all of those evangelicals would support Huck, just like they are now and Romney and Huck would split the vote. Maybe 4 years from now people won’t hate MORMONS and be willing to support Romney. Maybe his biggest flaw is being mormon. The evangelicals in this country have denied a qualified, dignified man the office of President and selected on who is a unqualified bigot. The hate of the evangelicals will bring down America.
February 9th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
It really is ironic that people have decided that they won’t vote for Romney because of his religion, yet it is his Mormonism that has molded him into the great father, husband and leader that he is. Yes, I believe in miracles too Mike Huckabee. Maybe, just maybe, the current band of evangelicals you have siphoned off to vote for you will realize by 2012 that Mitt Romney is a far better man and much more conservative than you will ever be.
February 10th, 2008 at 12:58 am
That’s okay… if Huckabee wins all states, people will remember it’s just because Romney gracefully exited for America! Huckabee will not get the nomination he will not have enough delegates anyway. Huckster is merely an opportunist and doing it for his own glorification. So there!
GO MITT… whatever you do, we are with you all the way!
February 10th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Huck-a-pain has, imho, “Delusions of Grandeur!” Nuff said!
February 10th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Huck is a big fat liar!!!!!! I hope he gains all his weight back.
February 10th, 2008 at 2:30 am
It’s no surprise to see Romney hold on to such strong support throughout the conference. His speech was eloquent classy and INCLUSIVE. I’m shocked that no one else has commented about how many times McCain said the words “I” and “my” during his speech at CPAC, accepting the nomination from his party. For me it was a stark reality that McCain loves to boast about all of HIS accomplishments…He really has been dreaming of this moment for a long time. About half way through his speech I caught on that Senator McCain refers to himself a lot; from that point on it became almost laughable how many times the dude said “I”. Had I not listened to Romney earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to pick up the stark contrast in how the two of them deliver their message. I went through and counted the number of times both McCain and Romney used these specific words. McCain said “I” 130 times. He used the word “my” 40 times…not including his favorite “My Friends.” McCain only used the word “we” 17 times. On the other hand, Romney said “I” 26 times…and 16 of those came in the last few paragraphs when it became essential to explain his decision to withdrawal. Romney said “my” 5 times. Romney said the Word “We” 35 times and the word “our” 30 times. Add to that, when I listen to McCain speak, I often feel like I should be four years old with the condescending tone of speech McCain delivers. Am I the only one who saw putting our hopes into McCain as a disaster in November??? Stupid Question I know…but it still amazes me that we as a party were so completely ignorant to the advantages of listening to a speaker that not only defines the problems we face, but sounds like a genius in his delivery of the message. Please re-watch both of McCains and Romney’s speech again. Observe it for yourself… You will be shocked at him saying “I” and “My” over and over and over again until finally it really does start to make you laugh. HE is so proud of HIS position and HIS message and HIS ability to save mankind. Then watch Romney’s speech again to remind yourself that politics and politicians do have a prayer in the future. Thanks again Mitt for the inspiration and the inclusion I felt every time you spoke.
February 10th, 2008 at 3:23 am
Awesome news about the straw poll. That cheers me up a bit. Mitt in 2012!!!
February 10th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Jon, you said, they won’t vote for Romney because of his religion. You’re 100% right, as sad as it may be for some, I can only hope he (Mitt) understands what it feels like to be discriminated against – He made life living hell for many gay and lesbian families living in Massachusetts, lucky for them, the state no longer discriminates.
February 10th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Mark
It is so funny you say that. One lady I spoke to in Minnesota was convinced Mitt Romney was very supportive of gay marriage. I wish she could have talked to you. I think Mitt Romney believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Gays can still have civil unions, Why do we need to change the definition of marriage?
February 10th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Mark, your comment holds no water. Please find another thing.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Steve, “holds no water??” It is obvious you don’t live in Massachusetts or know what Mitt did to suppress same-sex couples living in the state or even care about minorities. What a shallow and simple response.
Let the record show that Mitt pulled families and neighbors apart by trying to classify gays and lesbians as second class citizens. He did exactly what some did back in the 60’s and you know where that got us.
And for those who say take civil unions vs. marriage, let me say this, separate is never equal.
One last word, Mitt was against civil unions too, not at first, but when he decided he wanted to run for president.
Our nation was founded for all, not just a few.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Hello everyone,
I believe that Governor Romney had a post on this board and is under the title of “CNN, MCCAIN, ROMNEY, CONSERVATISM”, with post # 11. Please go there and read it. He seemed very optimistic about the future.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
My apologies for the hiccup above.