Galveston Snoopy (© BlackElk) Totally Rulez Straw Polez ZOT!

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 10-08-2011 | Kim Geiger

[PerryBachmann2012]

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas turned out his well-organized crop of supporters Saturday and won a presidential preference straw poll with 37% of the vote.

Coming in second place in the poll of social conservatives at the annual Values Voter Summit was retired pizza chain executive Herman Cain, who pulled in 23% of the vote.

[gardencatz]

Oh PLEASE tell me he can’t win the nomination. He’s been doing too well this time.

Cindie

[South40]

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry didn’t do so well. Perry won 8%, and Romney took just 4%.

lol!

[Politics4US]

I don’t understand how Ron Paul has so many people organized on the internet. Whenever someone says something bad about him or advocates a different foreign policy than Paul, his supporters show up every time in large numbers.

[PETENICK1]

This thing is over for Perry. Romney has an outside against Cain unless we can abolish “winner take all” primaries.

[doc1019]

No way this clown will ever maintain a lead over Cain, or anybody else.

[Longbow1969]

Oh PLEASE tell me he can’t win the nomination. He’s been doing too well this time.

Nah, Paul can't win. If I had to guess I'd bet a bunch of youthfully paulbots (aka college mush heads) were bussed in to the value voters voters forum and skewed the straw poll.

[Larry Lucido]

Yeah, okay.

[Proud2BeRight]

Trivial as straw polls are, it is good to see Cain win another one. As always just ignore and results for that unelectable nut.

[South40]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0yXqU-w9U0

[cricket]

Poll mastery by Paulbots...or temporary insanity on part of respondents? What?

Better, perhaps; WhatEVER. . .Ron Paul wins for sure, as scariest of our Repubs.

[South40]

As always just ignore and results for that unelectable nut.

Unelectable is right. Ron Paul is a kook.

[newheart]

Ron Paul wins Values Voter poll ahead of Herman Cain

Other reports suggest that 600 people showed up on Saturday, voted and left right after the vote. Now a free market libertarian would likely make the argument that this is simple free market expression.

I disagree. It is an attempt to buy an election. And it is this kind of tactic that makes me wonder how truly libertarian Ron Paul's followers really are.

[RichInOC]

It’s amazing what you can do with a big enough budget for weed and fast food.

[rockrr]

I share your guess. I’ve seen it in action - the paulbots come into an area that is rife with pubbie malaise and overwhelm their opponents at the caucus level. This gives them a certain sort of credibility as they can then nominate precinct level officers and conduct their own little coalition building.

I don’t care for them but I’ll give them credit where credit is due - they know how to work the process.

[4rcane]

internet involve more than just Americans. Thats why Liberals traffic appear overwhelming on the internet but only win 50-50 elections in US

[grumpygresh]

Legalizing drugs is a family value don’t ya know.

[4rcane]

Also, those who use the internet tend to be younger age. Under 40. The younger you are, the age group tend to be more liberal

[PerryBachmann2012]

Having gone to the Georgia straw poll (that Cain barely won), I can say that Herman Cain was the only candidate to bus-in supporters. The only one. He had large buses bringing in supporters/voters from Atlanta. Cain finished in first place by something like three votes, but bused-in at least sixty people. Safe to say if played it like every other candidate there he wouldn't have won.

In fact, here is Cain's Georgia straw poll bus:

The point is: straw polls, all of them, are completely worthless. It's odd to me to see how quickly some cheer them on when Cain is winning, but say "they're irrelevant!" when someone like Paul wins. They're meaningless regardless.

[newheart]

The point is: straw polls, all of them, are completely worthless.

Well said.