Sen. Rand Paul convincingly wins CPAC presidential straw poll
(CNN) - Sen. Rand Paul easily won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, giving the potential White House candidate an early boost with the Republican base ahead of the 2016 election.
It was the second-straight year the Kentucky lawmaker topped the poll at the annual gathering, notching 31% support.
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Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was second with 11%, followed by conservative firebrand Ben Carson.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, never popular with many in the party's conservative base, was fourth with 8% support.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who for a time gave Mitt Romney a run for his money with conservative voters in the 2012 presidential race, rounded out the top six.
CPAC is the largest annual gathering of conservative leaders and activists and is a must-attend cattle call for GOP presidential hopefuls looking to pass the right-wing litmus test.
Polling indicates no real frontrunner among the potential GOP contenders so far. The next race for the White House officially doesn't get under way until after November's midterm election, and it's fair to say presidential surveys this early are often heavily influenced by name recognition.
Still, the straw poll was a strong sign for some and a troubling one for others.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who finished second last year - just two points behind Paul at 23% - fell to a disappointing 6%. Texas Governor Rick Perry, who fired up the crowds Friday morning, received only three percent.
Though Cruz was a distant second, his 11% was up 4 points from his showing last year.
Sen. Paul said in a statement that he was grateful for the support, touching on his libertarian themes of individual rights and standing up for the Constitution.
"Thank you and onwards to victory," he said.
Paul, whose libertarian fight in the Senate is often met with a tepid response, spoke before an audience Friday that treated him like a rock star.
The son of former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the first-term senator is eager to expand his base and expand the GOP in general.
He's been aggressively trying to broaden the party by talking about the need to include not only libertarians, but even Democrats and minority voters that don't traditionally fall in the GOP column.
But he wasn't trying to hammer home that message on Friday. His remarks were mostly catered to firing up the conservative libertarian crowd.
Paul supporters could be seen at all corners of the conference this week, easily spotted by their "I Stand With Rand" stickers and signs.
With representatives from all 50 states, 2,459 people participated in the straw poll. As is usually the case, it was a very young voting group, with 46% of the voters between 18 and 25 years old, and overwhelmingly male, at 63%.
CNN's Steve Brusk, Conor Finnegan, Ashley Killough and Peter Hamby contributed to this report.
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Hillary, Hillary, Hillary.
The teaklans are a joke if this racist is their number one choice. Of course this is not his first time.
Oh, please let this be the clown that makes it to the general election.
He's crazier than a bed bug. Yup, it sounds about right that he'd win the poll…...
No heart Huckabee?
...and he will just as easily lose the nomination of the GOP to be president....
Paul 2016!!
Winning the CPAC straw poll is like winning the wacko bird of the year award.
Rand Paul earned it.
The political death of the caucasian party is tough to watch. In power for 240 years but now must share power with minorities and gulp, women.
Conservative extremists are killing America. We need very educated progressive liberals to save America.
Wonderful outcome for Democrats. Another Texas wingnut, Bitcoins and all, will regale us with his treasonous blabber.
Can you say total domination for Hillary Clinton with this clown running.
He's all talk, just like his father.
CPAC poll = right wing extremist poll. If Paul ends up as the Republican nominee, say hello to 8 more years of a Democratic president. Seriously, the modern Republican party never seems to learn.
Funny how Republicans have attacked Obama on being a "Kenyan" and not eligible for president... while supporting Ted Cruz who wasn't born in the USA at all for president.
The Republican Tea Party is pushing extreme candidates, a libertarian and firebrand social conservative. Both are too far to the right of the political spectrum to attract moderate, independent, minority, and women voters.
If he runs for president will he wear that stupid hairpiece? It looks like it's on backwards and needs cleaning.
Paul against Hillary 2016 would be interesting to watch.
And his daddy Ron won enough primaries to easily get the GOP POTUS nomination in 2012...but that didn't go anywhere, either. The RNC only ever nominates real team players...which Tea baggers are not. No Tea Bagger-Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, etc-will ever be nominated-let alone elected-POTUS on a GOP ticket. If Tea Baggers want a real shot, they need to form their own real party.
Sweet! Further proof that the GOP is a cesspool and Aqua Buddha floats!
This "dimorat" wishes the CPAC all the best in this Presidential endeavor.
So randi wins the crazies' straw poll. Whoop De Doo! Bunch of loons get together for a meeting of the crazy minded and somehow this ends up on the news. :LOL!
Oh goodie!!!!
God Help us all.
Ben Carson is conservative "firebrand"?
Maybe in the Deep South, but to the rest of us, he is just a quack miss using his own script pad.
I am Christian conservative. The GOP betrays us. I stopped voting for them. You should too. Stop letting them beguile you
Well do don't have to worry about him becoming president. Talk about the kiss of death.