Rick Klein is ABC News' Senior Political Reporter and author of The Note's morning look at the upcoming day in politics. Throughout the day, ABC News' political team contributes to The Note with the very latest news and analysis from the nation's capital.
To email Rick Klein, click here.
RECENT POSTS
- The Note's Must-Reads for Monday, November 23, 2009
- AARP Endorses Cloture Vote, Not Yet Reid's Bill
- McCain Targets Ben Nelson on Health Care Vote
- 'Top Line' -- Ambassador Oprah? Senator Oprah?
- Sen. Brown: Health Care Bill Needs More Subsidies
- GOP Leaders: Obama Has ‘Emboldened Our Enemies' with Afghanistan Deliberations
- Burris Cleared of Legal Wrongdoing -- But With Swipe from Ethics Committee
- Friends, in Need: Obama Faces Backlash on Jobs, Economy
- Doug Hampton: Ensign Knowingly Broke Ethics Rules on Lobbying
- The Note's Must-Reads for Friday, November 20, 2009
THE NOTE CATEGORIES
- 2010
- Afghanistan
- Bill Clinton
- CIA
- Congress
- Democratic party
- Environment
- Financial Reform
- GOP
- Gov. Mark Sanford
- Gov. Sarah Palin
- Guantanamo
- Health Care
- Hillary Clinton
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq
- John McCain
- Mitt Romney
- North Korea
- Obama Agenda
- Politics Live
- President Obama
- Republican Party
- Ronald Reagan
- Sen. John Ensign
- Senate
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Stimulus
- Sunday Shows
- Supreme Court
- Ted Kennedy
- The Note
- The Note Must-Reads
- Top Line
- Vice President Biden
- Virginia
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Romney Tops Palin in 2012 Straw Poll
February 28, 2009 5:40 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis reports: The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has chosen former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the winner of the first Republican straw poll of the 2012 campaign.
With 20 percent of the vote, Romney finished ahead of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who received 14 percent, as well as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who each had 13 percent.
"For the hat trick, Mitt Romney takes his third straight straw poll," said Tony Fabrizio, the Republican pollster who tabulates CPAC's annual straw poll results.
Rounding out the rest of the results: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., received 10 percent, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee received 7 percent, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford received 4 percent, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani received 3 percent, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty received 2 percent and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist received 1 percent. Nine percent indicated that they are undecided. The rest of the straw poll participants wrote in someone else's name.
While announcing the straw poll results, Fabrizio relished the fact that Crist, who took a high-profile role in supporting President Barack Obama's stimulus package, finished in last place with 1 percent.
"Coming in last place is Barack Obama's favorite Republican, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist," said Fabrizio.
The straw poll was only open to individuals who paid, or had someone else pay for them, to register for CPAC. Of the estimated 8,000 activists who attended CPAC, 1,757 conservative activists participated in this year's CPAC straw poll.
CPAC's straw poll got underway on Thursday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., and was conducted through Friday afternoon.
As conference attendees would walk into the hotel's main ballroom, they were invited to fill out a questionnaire.
The presidential preference question asked: "Thinking ahead to the 2012 presidential election, who would you vote for as the next Republican nominee for president?"
Straw poll participants were then given 10 options in alphabetical order: (1) Crist, (2) Gingrich, (3) Giuliani, (4) Huckabee, (5) Jindal, (6) Palin, (7) Paul, (8) Pawlenty, (9) Romney, and (10) Sanford.
Six of the 10 candidates tested for 2012 spoke to CPAC: Gingrich, Huckabee, Paul, Pawlenty, Romney and Sanford.
The other four -- Crist, Giuliani, Jindal, and Palin -- did not attend CPAC.
It's easy to read too much into CPAC's straw poll: Just ask former then-Sen. George Allen, R-Va. He won CPAC's 2006 presidential straw poll over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., 22 to 20 percent, but he never made it to the 2008 presidential race because he was booted from office in November 2006 after being caught on camera referring to a rival's political aide as "macaca."
The conservative activists participating in CPAC's straw poll are primarily concerned with limiting the scope of government. Seventy-four percent of straw poll participants said they are most concerned about limiting the size of government, 15 percent said they are primarily concerned with promoting traditional values and 10 percent said they are primarily concerned with security regardless of the cost.
February 28, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (646)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
I didn't vote for Obama & I don't agree with him about anything, but this is ridiculous. The man just got sworn into office & they already are talking about 2012.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | Feb 28, 2009 5:58:08 PM
That's because the Republians don't give a dam about you or me. Their only concern is how to get back into the majority. They don't seem to understand that it's their very ideals that are a turnoff to the majority of Americans. It's not the messenger but the message! What clowns!
Posted by: roxanne | Feb 28, 2009 6:07:44 PM
The Republican Party is populated with morons! These folks are more concerned with their own party than they are with the condition of this country. Remember that the next time you go to the poles! That party is brain dead! Thank God!
Posted by: roxanne | Feb 28, 2009 6:17:23 PM
the thing I remember about Mitt is when he was in the running for the nomination someone asked why not one of his sons was in the military- his rather smug response was that his sons were serving the country by getting him elected! This guy is a jerk!
Posted by: 1369 | Feb 28, 2009 6:22:36 PM
This is media reporting gone astray
Posted by: boxcar | Feb 28, 2009 6:33:05 PM
Sad when this is all they have to offer the American people ...They care about themselves and to h--- with us the little guys.They have tried this and all are has beens or mouth pieces for the republicans gadssssssssss make you wonder how they ever got elected in the first place.Republicans don't stand a chance in 2012 so face it.
Posted by: NHvoter | Feb 28, 2009 6:35:52 PM
How is nominating Democrats like Romney, Giuliani, Thompson, McCain, Huckabee, supposed to help the Republicans be an opposition party? Why choose "Democrat lite" when you already have hard core socialist Democrats on steriods??? The party is Ucked!!! And they did it to themselves... If "Change" or any real reform is gonna come, ist's gonna be at the grassroots, NOT from the poisoned well at the top!
Posted by: hmn... | Feb 28, 2009 6:51:31 PM
I would have thrown my vote for Paul. He is the only hope for the GOP. The rest want to invade everybody that disagrees with us.
Posted by: Joe | Feb 28, 2009 6:58:52 PM
As an Independent, I hope the conservative Republicans get a clue next time around and put aside their prejudice against Mitt Romney's religion. Had they chosen him as their nominee instead of McCain, they may have had a prayer of winning.
Romney is a businessman, a self-made billionaire and an expert on the economy. Romney can attract Independents who prayed that Obama would govern from the center, but now see that he is dedicated to carrying out a socialist, far-left agenda designed to make more and more people dependent on government.
I hope to God the Republicans get their act together because Barack Obama is leading this country toward financial disaster. I didn't think anyone could be more fiscally irresponsible than George Bush.
Hey, all you Republicans who stayed home from the polls because McCain wasn't quite conservative enough for you. How do you like the alternative?
Posted by: JB in St. Louis | Feb 28, 2009 7:40:24 PM
Roxanne,
You need to log off the computer and climb out of your parent's basement once in a while. You might find yourself a life. Or a job.
Posted by: Janet | Feb 28, 2009 7:44:07 PM
But Romney is a mormon who Governor Mike Huckabee has characterised as the brothers and sisters of satan. So He has to take a good holiday and rest, he will never lead the Repubican party to a presidential election and that was clear in 2008
Posted by: BKMC | Feb 28, 2009 7:49:44 PM
One of the people who wrote in Johnson should have voted for paul so we wouldnt have to talk about PAlin (why would they even want her in office, let alone president)
Posted by: David | Feb 28, 2009 7:56:39 PM
My god. Are they so sore they lost that they're already talking about the next election four years away??? Try living in the present Repubs.
Posted by: keredte | Feb 28, 2009 8:02:04 PM
They all have the appeal of a "ShamWow".
Posted by: doug | Feb 28, 2009 8:07:23 PM
"Are they so sore they lost that they're already talking about the next election four years away??? Try living in the present Repubs." Keredte
Keredte, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat. I'm an Independent. By the way, we ALL lost when Obama got elected. If you don't get that, you've been watching MSNBC too long.
Posted by: JB in St. Louis | Feb 28, 2009 8:07:37 PM
I am a Ron Paul man myself. He has been the most honest and straight forward. Thats why he doesnt have a chance. At least Romney has run a successful business. More than I can say for our current AHEM.. President.
Posted by: ChicagBob | Feb 28, 2009 8:09:18 PM
Gingrich is one of the smartest in the room but comes off as arrogant and has a checkered past. He is very smart though.
Posted by: ChicagBob | Feb 28, 2009 8:10:52 PM
I like both Romney and Huckabee. Who knows--if the democrats keeps shoving their agendas down everyone's throats then there just may be a chance for a conservative to win over the American people. But then again, 2012 is 3 plus years away and a lot can happen between now and then. I imagine the mid-term elections are going to get interesting as well.
Posted by: my two cents | Feb 28, 2009 8:11:10 PM
I hope they do choose Romney, his nomination will be another plus for re-electing Obama. They only thing better would be to run Rush "Rubbermouth" instead. I wonder what Romneys net worth looks like now, since he is supposed to be so sharp on the ecoomy ? I would say his personal losses are in line with everybody elses.. Just dealing in larger figures. Does that make us smarter than he is ?
Posted by: 73toms | Feb 28, 2009 8:16:47 PM
Romney, Jindal & Palin are all phoney (Neo)"conservatives" serving their Globalist Elite masters. Dr.Ron Paul is a a true (paleo)Conservative who's Constitutionally adherent. There's no comparison between Dr.Paul & these Globalist shills!
Posted by: SaveOurRepublic | Feb 28, 2009 8:25:05 PM
Post a comment
POLITICAL VIDEOS
THE NOTE BLOG ROLL
- ABC News -- George Stephanopoulos
- ABC News -- Jake Tapper
- ABC News Politics
- ABC News -- The Numbers
- ABC News -- The Blotter
- The American Prospect -- TAPPED
- The Atlantic -- Politics Channel
- The Boston Globe -- Political Intelligence
- Center for American Progress -- Think Progress
- Center for Responsive Politics
- The Chicago Sun-Times -- Lynn Sweet
- The Chicago Tribune -- The Swamp
- Drudge Report
- FactCheck.org
- FiveThirtyEight
- Heritage Foundation -- The Foundry
- The Hill -- Briefing Room
- The Hotline
- The Huffington Post
- The Los Angeles Times -- Top of the Ticket
- NPR -- Political Junkie
- National Review -- The Corner
- The New Republic -- The Plank
- The New York Times -- The Caucus
- Newsweek -- The Gaggle
- Political Wire -- Taegan Goddard
- Politico -- Ben Smith
- Politico -- Mike Allen’s Playbook
- PolitiFact
- Real Clear Politics
- Talking Points Memo
- Time -- The Page
- USA Today -- On Politics
- Variety -- Wilshire & Washington
- The Wall Street Journal -- Capital Journal
- The Washington Post -- The Fix
- The Washington Post -- 44
