[cnn-photo-caption image = http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/02/28/cpac/art.cpac.romney.gi.jpg.jpg
caption="Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the straw poll for the third year in a row."]
(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.
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 straw poll was conducted over two days and surveyed 1,757 of the party activists who descended on Washington for the annual conference. More than half of the conference attendees this year were college students, and nearly 60 percent of the straw poll participants were between the ages of 18 and 25.
This is great!
For third year in row, republicans are voting for same losers. Romney, McShame, Palin, Jindal, Stele, etc. Anything new?
Please, please, nominate somebody of them for 2012, we just need a good laugh and comedy. Life is bad, but good laugh can help!
OH Gee Golly!! Pretty face wins!!
I want to send a big solid "BOO" to CNN for showing limbaugh's babbling. He is a disgraceful, sweatin poor example of what should be on TV. So sad to see my favorite network, CNN, actually show all of his babble. I am disappointed.
I know the results of this mean absolutely nothing, but it's funny to see Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin place so prominently in the results. Bobby Jindal did a lousy job on the GOP retort the other night, and just seemed fairly creepy. And well, Sarah Palin was rejected strongly in the last election. I don't think there are enough hallucinogens in the country to make her a viable candidate on the national stage.
Limbaugh is a COWARD that maikes a lot of noise in situations where he cannot be challenged. I would love to see Dummy Limbaugh in debate with legitimate presidential candidates, because he would get hif big fat butt kicked.
I am ashamed that CNN allowed Limbaugh the air time to give his self proclaimed first state of the union address. CNN even allowed him to go over his allotted time by one hour. If he ever runs for president, he will be exposed.
Pretty pathetic, the front runner bareley gets 20% of his own party's votes.
Good to see Guiliani and Sanford down on the bottom. I see a comparison of their % of votes to their IQ.
Gaaaaak!
RUSH LIMBAUGH.....WHAT A MEAN SPIRITED REDNECK !!!!!!!!
I live in Utah, Mitt Romney's home state, he has forever been a member of a religion that has only recently recognized blacks as somewhat equal and worthy of being a part of that religion, this should tell you a little about his politics and why he fits so well within the Republican party.
These people are lost on Gilligan's Island.
Ron Paul should of received 100%
Ouch. The Republicans better hope someone comes out of nowhere, because Romney or Paul won't get the evangelicals and Palin and Jindal won't get the moderate Republicans or independent voters. I see the US map looking very blue on Election Day in 2012.
If I was a Republican, I would want Ron Paul to get the nomination. As a very liberal-minded American, I am not very high on conservative economics, but Paul is the only sane person I see on this list.
i hope romney wins his parties nomination next time around! then obama can get his second term and this country may still have a chance to recover from republican rule!
at least its not Sarah Palin!
Haha... phew! I thought they were gonna find someone threatening for a moment...
Mitt 'Who Let The Dogs Out' Romney can fail twice now! Go Mitt!
What is fascinating to watch is the spliting of the Republican party. There will be two minority Republican parties before the next election. With Obama leading the way he is, he will win big in 012 40+ states.
I didn't realize how right Obama was until, I listened to the recent
conservative speaker , Rush Limbaugh. and the standing ovations. Your educational system is really in trouble and is in need of desparate improvements. I just don't think "Barack" invested enough to fix it!
CPAC
Caucasian
Protestant
Anglo-Saxon
Conference
As a former democrat who was forced to vote Republican, could we PLEASE have a viable "In the middle" candidate step forward for 2012?
CNN,s reporter Anchor Randi said Rush did not mention that he was being broadcast by CNN and the reporter at The CPAC comfirmed this. I watch the last hour and I heard Rush mention the International Broadcast by CNN on sattilite several times. CNN how many people working there let your on air announcers down by letting them lie to your public. Rewind and watch again.
Angry liberal throwing a temper tantrum in three....two....one go!
So much for something new from the Republicans.
The only good thing I can say about Romney is that he isn't a mean, nasty, evangelical, republican Christian. I think we need a mormon to shake up the evangelical's grip on the GOP! Go Romney!
IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE???????????????????????????????????? //////////////////////////.WHERE IS JOE THE PLUMBER??? SARAH THE BRAINLESS??? BOBBY -–YOU KNOW WHO?
I watched him in the primary debates, he is quite scary. McCain and Huckbee called him out on so many lies...He will say anything to be elected!!!!!
If you want to clean up Washington, you'll need to pick Huckabee. Romney seems like a nice man with too many skeletons in the closet.