Posted on 09/26/2015 3:16:50 PM PDT by VinL
The results are in at the Values Voter Summit -- and, for once, Donald Trump fails to top a conservative poll.
The straw poll at the summit, a conservative gathering hosted by the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., showed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz winning over voters, leading the pack for the third year in a row.
Cruz, with 35 percent of support, was followed by neurosurgeon-turned-politician Ben Carson, with 18 percent of the vote. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee came in third, drawing 14 percent of supporters, followed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 13 percent.
Play Video Why so thin-skinned, Donald Trump?
Registering at fifth place on the survey results: Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner in many state and national polls.
The religious conservatives in attendance simply weren't buying what Trump had to offer. Despite bringing his Bible on stage when addressing the audience, Trump registered at only 5 percent. Trump was even booed at the summit when he slammed Rubio over his immigration policies and called him a "clown."
Below Trump, Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina came in with 4 percent and 3 percent of the vote, respectively.
Trump's low support among the conservative evangelical base will come as no surprise for those following the billionaire's presidential campaign. Trump has been known to flout convention when it comes to wooing the religious right, even admitting once that he was "not sure" that he had ever asked God for forgiveness.
"If I do something wrong, I think I just try and make it right, I don't bring God into that picture," Trump said in July at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa.
Still, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, who announced the summit's results, said that Trump's fifth place showing was still "pretty good."
Of the issues most important to attendees, the top three included protecting religious liberty, advocating against abortion rights and protecting "natural marriage."
Carson, with 25 percent of the vote, was the first choice for the vice-presidential slot.
At least 2,700 registered participants attended the summit.
I post the article to highlight Ted Cruz's prospects in Iowa. With Walker out of the race, Cong. King and Bob Vander Platts will likely endorse Cruz.
Looking better and better for Cruz in Iowa, I think he probably takes it.
Good.
This wasn’t really a poll.
It was a sampling of people, attending the conference.
Not a poll.
We need votes of non conservatives to.win. Trump is a fair compromise.
CBS, in breathless desperation.
“Oooh look! A chink in Trump’s armor! We’ve got him now!”
You’re right for sure— but, not as much in the primaries. But certainly, Donald is still currently in the lead.
Glad SeeBS is taking a sudden interest in conservative values.
Before Cruz went on a streak, Romney, Ron Paul and Huckabee won so I’m glad Trump didn’t win. This summit doesn’t know how to pick winners.
Once upon a time winning the Iowa caucus earned you a good weeks worth of “earned publicity” and got you on the cover of Time and Newsweek. Nowadays, it gets you a couple or 3 daily cycles on cable news.
I think the GOPe is on to something here. If they would all convert to solid conservatism, their candidates could beat Trump.
Until Cruz has broader appeal than evangelicals, Trump still best bet to beat liberals. Sadly this country now has too many people with no respect for God. Only when it reflects poorly on Trump does the MSM show any respect to Christians’ thoughts.
Steve King probably won’t endorse anyone officially, and neither will any Iowa US congressman, senator, or the governor. They consider themselves hosts to the broader party.
However, it is well-known that King is a big fan and friends with Ted Cruz. Gov. Branstad and Sen. Ernst have both been unofficially favoring Walker. Ernst will probably lean Cruz. Branstad isn’t crazy about Jeb, so might lend off-the-books support to Rubio and might even prefer Christie if fat boy could be resurrected.
Vander Plaats has already been leaning Cruz, based on the the strong Cruz ground game in Iowa.
I am quite please to see Ted winning. I’m surprised that the MSM is, too. My sincerest prayer to God in Heaven is that the media will continue to be so pleased right up through President Cruz’s inauguration.
Doubt it. Trump 20 points ahead of Cruz in IA.
A conservative won a conservative poll.
That’s because the liberal media and liberals themselves despise the religious and social conservative aspects of conservatism more than any other plank.
And too many in both the GOP elite and even people in this thread buy into their meme by saying we have to nominate a “social moderate” to win.
The truth is we CAN’T WIN without a social conservative candidate. The U.S. population is far more conservative on abortion than almost any other issue. And the U.S. government is far more liberal on abortion than almost any other country in the world. And even those who favor same-sex marriage would hardly continue it a major issue they would vote on.
Trump looks cheesy when he walks out to a religious conservative audience brandishing a bible. It looks like he’s mocking them at worst and insincere in his convictions at best.
This summit doesn’t know how to pick winners.
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Yeah, but it is pretty good on Iowa. Ron Paul won in 2011, then won Iowa. In 2007, Rom (28%) beat Huck by 1 (27%), and Huck took Iowa.
But, you’re right, the straw poll has never predicted the eventual president.
Ted Cruz is hands down the champion of Constitutional Conservatism. There is no one that even approaches him in this regard.
That said, this CBS scramble is from the Values Voter Summit. What kind of people attend a Values Voter Summit? Precisely the kind of people that view Ted Cruz as their champion. So it is not surprising at all that Ted would win handily in this forum
But when it comes to the economy, the culture (political correctness threats), veterans and military, and charisma, then it is Donald Trump who is the champion.
CBS likely tasked Reena Flores to attend this Summit and find and report any negative no matter how trite on Donald Trump. And the result is this post.
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