Ron Paul, yes, Ron Paul wins another straw poll; grass-roots surge for the Republican?

Another big win for Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas today. A runaway win, too.

Paul easily captured the straw poll at a regional Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, picking up nearly twice as many votes (612) as the second place finisher, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (382).

Another Republican representative, Michele Bachmann, came in third with 191 votes, and business executive Herman Cain was fourth with 104 votes. No one else topped 100 votes.

Paul also beat out Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum, among others.

Coming after Paul's widely hailed performance at last Monday's first major GOP debate in New Hampshire (scroll down for that story), Paul's latest win (he also won the straw poll at last winter's CPAC conference) will likely energize his already-energized supporters as signs that their man is gaining grass-roots strength among likely Republican primary voters.

Straw polls, of course, are as lasting as, well, straw. They mean absolutely nothing about winning actual delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in August 2012.

However, they do serve to call weekend media attention to a successful candidate. And, Paul's supporters hope, cause them to look more into Paul's libertarian small government, antiwar, anti-foreign-military-involvement stances, which drew him significant applause during Monday's debate.

Ticket readers will recall that someone named Romney won the big-time Ames Straw Poll in Iowa in July 2007.

The Iowa Republican Party has convinced many in the slow-news summer days that what is actually its traditional July fundraiser somehow matters on the scale of campaign import.

Candidates spend more than $1 million to ship in busloads of supporters, buy them tickets and food and try to pack the ballot boxes on a humid Saturday.

However, in 2007 another former governor, Mike Huckabee, who finished second in the summer straw poll, came along to derail Romney and actually win the Iowa caucuses six months later. Romney has said he will not compete in Ames this time around.

But in the early days of primary campaigns like this, straw polls and real polls are the only actual measurement of a candidate's possible strength among party voters. Paul has not done so well recently in independent professional polls, which Paul supporters dispute and denounce as biased.

Seriously, who among us has ever been asked if he/she supports the 76-year-old Air Force veteran, former OB/GYN and 11-term congressman from southeastern Texas' 14th District?

But straw poll wins do succeed in gaining candidates much-coveted media attention and are then cited by supporters as proof of their candidate's credibility.

RELATED:

Ron Paul easily wins GOP New Hampshire debate

Ron Paul calls fellow Texan Rick Perry 'very much the status quo'

Ron Paul sees the political mainstream ' swimming' over to him now

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters (Paul and Romney, June 13); Richard Shiro / Associated Press (a happy Paul).

Comments

[Mr. Blog]

This is happening... This is real!!!!

Be Brave America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Ron Paul in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ed helmstetter]

when you say "Candidates spend more than $1 million to ship in busloads of supporters, buy them tickets and food and try to pack the ballot boxes on a humid Saturday" do you mean ron paul`s campaign did that? If not then could you clarify that ron paul won as he did without doing that?
now that would be some journalism

[Tominellay]

Thanks for the nice article on Dr. Paul's straw poll win, Andrew.
I'm retired now and living overseas on a fixed, U.S. dollar-based income. I think it's absolutely necessary that we operate on a system of sound money, and I would urge all Americans who are retired or nearing retirement age, to support Ron Paul's candidacy. The value of our money is being destroyed daily by government debt and the Fed. Paul is right!

[Mark N]

Way to go LA Times!! Finally, some in the MSM are taking notice. Thanks for the fair coverage on Dr. Paul.

Tell us more about the man--America is ready.

[Pat Mason]

No surprise here. Ron Paul always does well in most polls, if not win them outright. More people now are swinging his way because his message is solid. Personal freedom, Liberty, non-Intervention, sound fiscal policies, Free Enterprise, Civil Liberties, and World Peace resonate among the population more than ever. We have tasted the destructive policies of the Neocons on both sides of the aisles, and the American people are sick of the Warhawks and Police State advocates who are wrecking this nation. This may be our last chance to put a real leader into the White House. We are teetering on a financial, social, and geo-political collapse this country has never experienced. Only Ron Paul can turn this ship around.

[Brandon]

One of the things I admire most about Mr. Paul is that he doesn't make himself the solution to our nation's problems. Instead, he places the philosophy of liberty at center stage and argues that it and individuals embrace of it are the best means for working ourselves out of the complex problems we face today. In an environment flush with huge personalities and bloviated promises this is a very welcome reprieve.

[Chris]

This is great news. Im glad to see so many people taking notice of Ron Paul. The revolution has begun. My vote is for Ron Paul for Pres in 2012

[mule.ear]

So, Mr. MalcoLm, we meet again. Is it that time already? It seems only yesterday you were ridiculing Ron Paul and his policies.

I can't help but notice the change of tack (or is that tact?): "anti-foreign-military-involvement stances" instead of isolationism?

I think that, as a group, Ron Paul supporters take this stuff pretty seriously; maybe too much so. And you've often been there for us, poking us in the ribs, or eyes.

I kind of miss that. What happened? Did you realize that the wars will never end until we do something to stop them? Did the TSA grope you or someone you love at the airport? Did you see one too many You-Tube videos of police brutality? Did someone close to you lose their job, or maybe their retirement portfolio?

I sincerely hope that none of the above has happened to you, but I'm grateful for your change of tone. It's a good thing not to take one's self too seriously, but it's also good to face the problems we have head-on.

Whatever the reason, thanks for not poking me this time.

[Fred Ford]

Huntsman has to many Obama associations. He is a Trojan horse to the Republicans as Obama was to the Whitehouse. Big strong horse on the outside
Big Jack ... full of Marxists Socialist and Communist as it turns out.

[Fred Ford]

Then you sir are an American fraud

[Tominellay]

Nice comment by Brandon at June 19, 12:46 PM...We don't need the best orator or the best looking suit-and-tie in the White House; we need the man with the correct philosophy, armed with morality and courage.

[Gleam]

It's amazing how much support you can get with a platform of "just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean that I'm wrong".

[Defend the Constitution]

Critic46, reducing the size of government down to only what is needed to ensure our liberties is how it is supposed to be.

[JTWilliams]

Do the readers have a concept of what these conferences (RLC, CPAC) would be like without Ron Paul and his supporters? It's clear there would be ALOT (30%+) of empty seats. Like Dr. Paul or hate him, does anyone believe that Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty are growing the Republican Party? "Mainstream" Republicans are a total mess, and can't agree on much. Are they the party of George W. Bush? God, I hope not! Are they STILL, 20+ years later, the party of Ronald Reagan? They're not the party of Goldwater; Goldwater, Jr. supports Ron Paul!

If you believe in limited govt, constrained by the Constitution, you will eventually come to Ron Paul's decisions. If not, you are a big government Republican- not unlike Democrats. We have seen our constitution eviscerated, and our country bankrupted. If we don't change the system, we will get internationalized socialism, of an increasingly authoritarian strand. What is the UN, the IMF/World Bank, the WHO, the WTO, etc.? That means the END OF AMERICA. Wake up people!

[Sheepdog]

Aproved by a moderator!! What a crock! Like they are going to allow pro-Ron Paul supporters!...lol