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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What poll. Who's the biggest idiot at CPAC?
Bwahahaha, Rand Paul or Ted Cruz!! I thought the GOP might seriously want to win this time but apparently not.
Any adult male, especially a U.S. Senator, who chooses to wear his hair in a "rat's nest" format, has impaired reasoning.
He's a one-term senator? Republicans would make a mockery of their own attacks on Obama's inexperience if they turn around and also select a candidate who is only a one-term senator.
Well, the most unqualified crazies always do well with the CPAC crowd.
A PartyI am Christian conservative. The GOP knows the abortion issue is dear to us. Decade after decade they failed this issue as if it was not the most important issue facing the country. They also failed on every Christian issue important to us. I stopped voting. Tea Party Republicans are attractive, but they are still Republicans. I stopped donating to any political causes. I will not vote for any Republican for any office. If the fields its own canidates in my area, i will vote Tea Party if the canidate is openly Christian.
I think Rand Paul would get at least 33% of the votes in the 2016 presidential election against any Democrat. I think he would also get 33% of the vote if he ran unopposed.
If the Republicans don't find better candidates they are obsolete. The house and senate have done next to nothing for several years now and I think (my opinion only) that the real average Americans are getting fed up. McCain was viable until some idiot teamed him up with Palin, but that was the last time I considered a republican candidate. Too bad I would like a good choice, but I am not given one. Rand Paul and Cruz are not good choices for me.
Yawn. In the land of the blind, almost anyone can be king.
Rand Paul is a great choice. Although the left would disagree with me, he would be a great president that could stand center isle. Although he's against abortion his views are what most American's want for the future of America.
If the Republicans don't find better candidates they are obsolete. The house and senate have done next to nothing for several years now and I think (my opinion only) that the real average Americans are getting fed up. McCain was viable until some silly fool (changed to avoid moderation) teamed him up with Palin, but that was the last time I considered a republican candidate. Too bad I would like a good choice, but I am not given one. Rand Paul and Cruz are not good choices for me.
You have to be kidding, talk about censorship.
This GOP yokel will never get elected president in this country , try SOMIALIA !!!!!!
please please run ,, guarantee win for free thinking liberals
So the guy finishing second in a vote by birthers was born in Canada. And they wonder why so many consider them stupid, hypocritical, and dangerous.
Overwhelmingly male. That says a lot for why its called a straw poll. Winning means nothing. Right Michelle Bachmann?
Man..If Paul is the winner of this dumb & dumber contest i would not crow about it...The idiots that spoke and the receptions of same were beyond the scope of reality, logic and idiocy. These people are truly aliens to the 21st Century and manage to outdo themselves at every turn. I hope that this retinue of malcontents and morons will fade like a bout of herpes...and quickly.
What surprise. They never learn. The GOBP punked Ron Paul after they chose him.
can't wait to see the GOBP stuff Jeb Bush down the tea potty's throats 2012 Mitt the twit style.
Run Rand, you have zero chance.
Already the GOP is shooting itself in the foot for 2016. They may as well send Hillary a congratulations card from Hallmark.
May the Best Sound Bite speaker win 🙂
"Run Sarah, run!"
A straw poll in a crowd of morons. He must be so proud. His pig ignorant father won it several tomes too. We can only hope he is the gop nominee. It would be a landslide for ANYONE the Democrats run.
OMG! Where were these cheering conservatives & Rand Paul when all of the things, every single threat to liberty and freedom; and the examples he spoke of in this speech, where were they when the programs were implemented under the prior administration. The ACLU and countless other civil liberties groups spoke of this repeatedly; and were lambasted and labeled traitors, anti-american and every other name for speaking out against these very same threats to liberty and freedom. The depths of american stupidity & inability to break from petty partisanship will destroy this country in the near future.