Free Republic

NEW ORLEANS -- Mitt Romney won the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership conference here Saturday in a victory that will be taken as a sign of the former Massachusetts governor's strength as a 2012 presidential candidate. That's because the 2008 GOP presidential hopeful elected to skip the conference to continue his book tour. Romney triumphed by a single vote over Ron Paul, who took second place 439 votes to 438. Both men won 24 percent of the vote. Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich essentially tied for third with 18 percent of the vote each.

Results are in from the Southern Republican Leadership Conference 2012 Presidential Straw Poll. Here are the top four: 439 Mitt Romney 438 Ron Paul 330 Sarah Palin 321 Newt Gingrich Fox News' Carl Cameron just reported that Romney supporters were "handing out gifts" to attendees, and that Ron Paul sold cut-rate tickets to the event on his website. So, considering that, I would say Palin and Gingrich made pretty good showings.