What CPAC Straw Poll Really Said

[mrjarrell]

I was going to post this as an addendum to the other CPAC related post, but someone locked it. Oh, well. This is only marginally related to it's topic. Lew Rockwell has posted the whole results for the CPAC poll and what it says paints an interesting picture. Who voted, what their issues are and who they prefer as a candidate, (yes, Ron Paul won the poll by a big margin). It looks like the face of CPAC is changing, as younger voters come on board (there were a huge number of students there). And they're not the rightist evangelicals as previous years, (as evidenced by their booing off stage an anti-gay bigot who spoke). The figures are interesting. CPAC looks to be trending in a more libertarian direction and away from the old network. I must say, I was heartened to see that Sarah Palin didn't score high. Show's there's some folks who won't hop the Republican train every time.
I would embed the viewing app here, but I have no idea of how to do that with a Scribd embed. You'll have to click the link to see the results of the poll.

Via Lew Rockwell

 

[level.eleven]

I think its also interesting to note the reactions by conservative institutions such as Fox News. I was flipping around the channels when the announcement was made via a cut screen with Beck that RP had won the straw poll. The Fox commentators were fumbling for words and immediately went on the defensive. It was priceless.

Huckabee, now a paid Fox News contributor, joined other conservatives in kicking sand on Paul's victory, telling one of his coworkers that he abstained from CPAC because it had been taken over by libertarian activists.
“CPAC has becoming increasingly more libertarian and less Republican over the last years, one of the reasons I didn’t go this year," he said, according to Politico.

"Because of the way that it solicits sponsors, it’s almost becomes a pay-for-play," he said, taking a shot at the group's credibility as a whole. "It’s kind of like, who will pay money to be able to be a sponsor and get time in the program. That’s one of the things that has hurt its credibility in the last couple of years."

I wonder if coverage would have been different if the establishment candidate would have won, say Palin?

Fox News scrambles to discredit CPAC after Ron Paul wins presidential poll | Raw Story

 

[ocsdor]

IBTRPB - (In Before The Ron Paul Bashers)

 

[38special]

Ron Paul has some good ideas and would probably make a fine President.

As a Christian, I can't support his moral views or social politics, but he's certainly better than a lot of options and pit him up against Obama I vote for him any day of the week.

 

[homeless]

As a Christian, I can't support his moral views or social politics,

And what are those? As a Christian I certainly agree with his message of tolerance.



Overall I am still trying to figure out what this means for me. While I like that the Conservative movement moving in a more libertarian direction, I am hesitant of the co-opting of the liberty movement by the major Republican players.

 

[ATF Consumer]

Ron Paul has some good ideas and would probably make a fine President.

As a Christian, I can't support his moral views or social politics, but he's certainly better than a lot of options and pit him up against Obama I vote for him any day of the week.

What? Exactly what don't you support?

 

[ocsdor]

 

[Fletch]

As a Christian, I can't support his moral views or social politics, but he's certainly better than a lot of options and pit him up against Obama I vote for him any day of the week.

As a Christian, I'm a hairsbreadth away from deciding it's a sin to vote.

 

[ATF Consumer]

The 2012 Presidential Campaign Started This Weekend, And Ron Paul Is In The Lead

Joe Weisenthal | Feb. 21, 2010, 10:40 AM |

Congratulations to anti-Fed, libertarian Congressman Ron Paul, who just won the first "primary" of the 2012 election!
Well, technically it wasn't a primary, it was a straw poll held at CPAC, the huge conservative convention that's been going on the last few days.
In the straw poll, Paul easily whipped second-place finisher Mitt Romney -- the former PE chief and liberal Massachusetts governor, who's trying to ride Scott Brown's coattails to a second chance at his party's Presidential nomination.
Of course, this was a narrow field -- only CPAC attendees were eligible for the vote (no Sarah Palin this year) -- and only 25% of attendees voted. But still!
Meanwhile, the 2012 re-election is in full swing on the Democratic side. Already there's chatter about someone from the left trying to primary Barack Obama, and on this morning's Chris Matthews show, he even asked whether Obama is 100% running for re-election (frankly that seems to absurd to contemplate, though it makes for good TV).
Here we go.

 

[level.eleven]

As a Christian, I'm a hairsbreadth away from deciding it's a sin to vote.

I'm not a Christian, but certainly have mulled the morality of voting time and time again. I think this topic was going to get addressed in the "why vote dem" thread a few days ago but got lost in the shuffle. It would be interesting to see where it goes.

 

[ATF Consumer]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2h21s1smXQ&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Ron Paul Discusses His CPAC Straw Poll Victory on Fox News 2/21/10[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwlL7fvgw0&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

[mrjarrell]

Let's not get this thread locked by some overzealous mod. Ron Paul won the poll, but that's just one small part of the CPAC poll info. Who lost shows a lot of info, too, as well as the new makeup of responding attendees.

 

[jsgolfman]

I wouldn't put much stock in the poll. If I recall correctly, Dr. Paul won pretty much all the straw polls (and most by a wide margin) in the last election as well.

 

[Fletch]

Let's not get this thread locked by some overzealous mod. Ron Paul won the poll, but that's just one small part of the CPAC poll info. Who lost shows a lot of info, too, as well as the new makeup of responding attendees.

The Republican Party desperately needs to attract young voters, because Obama is getting his share. The changing demographics also mean that the party will necessarily change, and that's going to be hard for a self-identifying conservative (ie, resistant to change) organization to do. But the alternative is to dry up and blow away as your people age and die -- just look at any number of "traditional" churches. The young people don't respond to oak pews and traditional hymns; neither do they respond to old-fashioned Republicanism.

 

[homeless]

The Republican Party desperately needs to attract young voters, because Obama is getting his share. The changing demographics also mean that the party will necessarily change, and that's going to be hard for a self-identifying conservative (ie, resistant to change) organization to do. But the alternative is to dry up and blow away as your people age and die -- just look at any number of "traditional" churches. The young people don't respond to oak pews and traditional hymns; neither do they respond to old-fashioned Republicanism.

I am not sure which is better. If we let the GOP die off we are less likely to be joined to the legacy of the old guard that has ignored sound fiscal policy for so long. If we don't try to change things from within, well we will always be vilified by long lasting republicans and will be dismissed as pot smoking PaulBots.

 

[Fletch]

I am not sure which is better. If we let the GOP die off we are less likely to be joined to the legacy of the old guard that has ignored sound fiscal policy for so long. If we don't try to change things from within, well we will always be vilified by long lasting republicans and will be dismissed as pot smoking PaulBots.

My comments were simply stating my understanding of what the Republican Party needs in order to continue into the future, and are based on what I see in a similar organizational structure with a heavy emphasis on tradition. I'm not really commenting at this point as to whether I think it's a good or bad thing if the Republican Party meets this need or fades away.

 

[groovatron]

And what are those? As a Christian I certainly agree with his message of tolerance.



Overall I am still trying to figure out what this means for me. While I like that the Conservative movement moving in a more libertarian direction, I am hesitant of the co-opting of the liberty movement by the major Republican players.

What? Exactly what don't you support?

I am also curious?

RP has never been even remotely anti-Christian.

 

[mrjarrell]

He's certainly pro-life. I don't get it, either and I disagree with Paul on a number of big issues.

 

[groovatron]

Let's not get this thread locked by some overzealous mod. Ron Paul won the poll, but that's just one small part of the CPAC poll info. Who lost shows a lot of info, too, as well as the new makeup of responding attendees.

It is definitely showing the generational turnover in the politcal arena. I think many younger people are starting to wake up and realize that it will be their responsibility to clean up all the that the system has been flinging around for decades.

I'm still sadened and continually frustrated by the amount of young people that don't care about politics and governmental policies. Ignorance, complacency, and laziness are really slowing political progress down. I hope the '10 CPAC is an indication that my generation is in the midst of an awakening.

I agree with mrjarrell, I'm glad to see Sarah Palins small representation on the poll. It makes sense to me as it seems that most of her supporters are males over the age of 40.......and we all know why

 

[ATF Consumer]

I agree with mrjarrell, I'm glad to see Sarah Palins small representation on the poll. It makes sense to me as it seems that most of her supporters are males over the age of 40.......and we all know why

lol...I'm 41 and I wouldn't mind giving her a spankin'...that is if the wife says it's ok , but I wouldn't vote for her in any upcoming election.