Results of the presidential preference straw poll for this year’s Family Research Council-sponsored Values Voter Summit have just been announced and, to the surprise of few, Texas “constitutionalist” Congressman Ron Paul ran away with it.
Paul sent out an email blast to his liberty-crazed legions on September 28 issuing the call to arms, declaring the beauty contest at this social conservative confab to be a “critical straw poll,” an essential pit stop along his path to securing the Republican nomination and another effort in the “libertarianish” Paul’s attempt to cozy up to “SoCon” activists, who might otherwise be leery of some his positions.
FRC chief Tony Perkins sounded a piqued note when he announced the results. Indirectly acknowledging the Paul campaign’s organizational efforts, Perkins insisted that “this is not a straw poll with a meeting” attached, but rather the Values Voter Summit was intended for his “Values Voters” – social conservative activists – to gather and hear the various candidates and then assess and analyze their messages. The straw poll was meant to be a chance to pass judgment on the aspirants and provide “a testing ground for what it takes” to win over social conservative votes. VVS isn’t just a chance for campaigns to exploit a committed, compact fan base or to flex organizational muscle.
Perkins noted that the FRC took steps this year to “preserve the integrity” of the straw poll, nixing attempts by campaigns to purchase blocks of tickets, like the scheme Paul outlined in his email blast.
Perkins confirmed that “there were a number of people who left after Ron Paul spoke” and seemed uninterested in the summit’s wider agenda. Paul tailored his speech to the wider conference. His remarks were laden with Biblical references, so he may have picked up a few votes from undecided “Values Voters.”
So which candidates found appeal among the regular summiteers? Current conservative heartthrob Herman Cain continued to impress, bringing the crowd to its feet. Cain posted a strong second, which might have been first sans Ron Paul devotees.
Slate’s Dave Weigel told me that Rick Santorum’s campaign had a presence here, the only campaign other than Ron Paul’s who had signs on hand. Santorum scored a respectable third place.
Michele Bachmann lagged behind, testament to her lost luster among this crowd, in back of the pack near erstwhile “frontrunners” Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Full results:
Ron Paul 732 37%
Herman Cain 447 23%
Rick Santorum 323 16%
Rick Perry 167 8%
Michele Bachmann 157 8%
Mitt Romney 88 4%
Newt Gingrich 54 3%
Jon Huntsman 2 0%
Undecided 13 1%
