CPAC 2010 Straw Poll: Tim Pawlenty Gets 6 percent

[Avidor]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/20/cpac-2010-straw-poll-resu_n_470319.html

Texas Rep. Ron Paul - 31 percent
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- 22 percent
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- 7 percent
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty - 6 percent
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich - 4 percent
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- 4 percent
Indiana Rep. Mike Pence - 5 percent
South Dakota Sen. John Thune -- 2 percent
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels -- 2 percent
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum -- 2 percent
Mississippi Gov. Hailey Barbour - 1 percent
Other - 5 percent
Undecided - 6 percent

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Interesting that the Republicanites heavily favor the guy who is opposed

to the Iraq War, although perhaps that is not their main reason for choosing Paul. It's more likely his Libertarian orientation, which appeal mightily to the rich and the stupid.

Still, it suggests that Obama would lose no political capital among ordinary people by bringing the troops back from the Middle East.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I'm not sure that the teabaggers know much about Paul's war policies.

My impression is that they like him because of his loony libertarian views (which contrast oddly with his fanatical anti-choice position, but the teabaggers would like that, too). It's kind of like some DUers who liked Paul because he opposed the Iraq war, and they weren't aware of how wingnutty he is on other issues.

I really wonder whether the teabaggers' fondness for Paul reflects much on how the general public would respond to a troop withdrawal. The reality is that those characters are opposed to everything Obama does, no matter what it is. If he withdrew the troops they'd object and if he kept them there they'd object. The teabaggers at CPAC aren't ordinary people; they are crackpots and racists and greedy fuckwits who hate taxes, liberals, minorities and poor people. I think the reason Timmy the Tool didn't do better in the straw poll is that he still isn't crazy enough for them (though not for want of trying).

[dflprincess]

3. I'll bet finishing behin Palin and Pawlenty was a shock to Gingrich

I wish I could have seen his face when the results were announced.