Conservative leader discounts Paul win
(CNN) - The president of the Family Research Council characterized Rep. Ron Paul's weekend win in the Values Voter Summit straw poll as "an outlier."
Tony Perkins, who heads the social conservative group, said the Republican presidential candidate influenced the results by busing supporters to the event, proving his 37% support is not reflective of social conservative backing nationally.
"I think Ron Paul, when you look at everything is an outlier in this poll," Perkins said Monday on CNN's "American Morning." "You see Herman Cain finishing a strong second, followed by Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry. Those are more reflective I think of actually the other polls and what's happening in the social conservative community."
Paul, the longtime Texas congressman who is making his third bid for the White House, led the field of GOP candidates including former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain with 23%, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 16%, Texas Gov. Rick Perry with 8%, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota with 8%, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 4% and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 3%.
Thanks to strong support from his followers, Paul has come out on top in many of the most prominent GOP presidential nomination straw polls over the past two years. He won the Conservative Political Action Conference contest in 2010 and 2011 and the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference earlier this year.
Perkins also connected the sentiments of the Occupy Wall Street movement with those of Paul supporters, over 700 of whom voted in Saturday's survey.
"We should not discount there's a lot of discontent with big ineffective government that's taking place in this country, and I think the Ron Paul campaign reflects that," Perkins said. "The message of his campaign is sending is something other campaigns have to listen to as well."
Romney won the straw poll during his last bid for the White House in 2008 and Perkins attributed his drop to decreased attention over values issues, despite articulating "those values this year" during his speech.
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look, Paul isn't going to win anything... as for Perkins... he's just the whiny, whimpy, head of the American ChristoFascist Party...
When Ron Paul becomes president, people will say "He's just an outlier. He doesn't really represent average americans..." His election to president doesn't really mean anything.
CNN your bias against Ron Paul is disgustingly obvious to all but the most comatose viewers, you clearly have an agenda to manipulate potential voters into believing he doesn't have a chance. Thank god for the internet, people are no longer reduced to being spoon-fed their opinion to them by the corporate media complex.
You people are really joking if you think Ron Paul has a prayer, no pun intended, on winning the GOP nomination! He is a joke!
The Bible is in support of its word and God made a Sabbathday for man to praise him he blessed it and hallowed it on the seventh day Saturday is this appropriate day recognised world wide, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbathday which he kept as a custom when he was on earth the Bible records. By fact Costentien began Sunday as the day of worship for Catholics/Christians which is a man made thing making it idol worship which the Bible condems so both Mormanism and Evangelicals are cults by Bible definition it should'nt be an issue for either party because the New Testament Jesus says render to Ceasar the things that belong to Ceasar and render to God the things that belong to God.
Big George in Big D: It is my faith in prayer that makes me believe that Ron Paul DOES have a shot at the nomination. This is the only Godly man running! And, while Ron Paul is a Godly man, he won't force his views of God on YOU!!!!
You could do a lot worse than have a President a) End the wars and bring the military home to their families b) respect your civil liberties c) create prosperity through encouraging productivity through peace and commerce
Please CNN!! You have the power to be FAIR in your reporting! Fox news has proven this election cycle to be as incredible as Jon Stewart claims! YOU HAVE TO STEP UP YOUR FAIR REPORTING!!!!
Ron Paul is the Ralph Nader of the Republican Party. A few of his ideas are refreshing – but his total agenda is unworkable and would leave the Nation in a state of anarchy. He can't please the Libertarians (in favor of personal freedom) and the social conservatives who want to control every aspect of people's lives. Like Ralph Nader, he'll split-off those attracted to specific pie-in-the-sky ideas, even if they are totally impossible to implement. He's useful but doomed to failure – and that's good!
Wow, are you kidding me? Perkins actually had the gall to say "Perkins attributed [Romney's] drop to decreased attention over values issues, despite articulating 'those values this year' during his speech."?? I'm a devout Mormon and - while I like Romney as a person - it is Ron Paul's finer attention to *values* that has me supporting Paul this election season! Paul's sharing of the Bible story from 1 Samuel 1 8:6-20 is exactly the kind of thing I wish Romney would talk more about. I think Romney has the wrong ideas on corporatism, big government, and especially foreign policy and war. I like him, I share his faith, but I don't share all of his values.
I like Ron Paul's ideas but he is just not electable. What I don't like is that he and his supporters bus in large numbers of supporters who then basically stuff the ballot box. Ron, everyone knows what you are doing, time to give it a rest. Do a book tour if you need money but stop messing up results that become useless due to your activity which is probably designed at increasing 'campaign contributions' which allow you to stay in the media spotlight. Just stop it ok?
Ron Paul is the last real hope for America. He is the tried and true. A real American patriot. The only honest politician i know of.
I support Ron Paul for president in 2012 and i am spreading the word! Best of all, its catching on like wild fire!
Ron Paul keeps winning polls... not because hes an outlier... because he's what the people want.
Paul's insane foriegn policy has finally marginalized him. If he did not hold & voice his arcaic and seclustionist views he might have had a chance but now all we are left with is his crazy followers.
From looking at the comments on here, I believe that CNN and this Tony Perkins character have been called out for what they are.
I'm reminded of the run up to the 2008 election when FOX had a debate and lauded their text message poll for after the debate. But when Ron Paul won the text message poll, all of the FOX pundits fervently assured each other and their viewers that their own poll was meaningless and of course that Ron Paul's supporters had gamed the poll.
It's been interesting to watch history repeat itself on this go round. Pathetic MSM and pathetic people like Tony Perkins.
We have to stop fighting each other of democrat, republican, rightwing, liberal and band together. These other canidates and Obama are not for the people. Vote for them and you're just another one of the sheep. WE, AMERICANS, THE PEOPLE, have to vote in Ron Paul. He is the only one not controlled by corporations and special interest. Wake up! Research! Democrats and republicans are the same people controlled by the same people. Wake up!
CNN needs to stop reporting from their pocket and start telling the truth..