Ron Paul Wins Iowa Straw Poll Of GOP Presidential Candidates

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul won a straw poll of Iowa voters Saturday, beating out his fellow GOP contenders by a huge margin.

The Texas congressman won 82 percent in the National Federation of Republican Assemblies' straw poll, out of 430 total votes cast, followed far behind by Herman Cain, who took home 14.7 percent of the vote. Rick Santorum came in third with 1 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich with 0.9 percent, Michele Bachmann with 0.5 percent, Rick Perry with 0.5 percent, Gary Johnson with 0.2 percent, with Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman zero percent.

MSNBC reports that Paul's campaign purchased a large number of tickets for the straw poll and distributed them to supporters for $10, half off the price. Cain's campaign reportedly also purchased a large number of tickets and was selling them for $20 but had difficulty distributing all of them.

Earlier in the day, Paul addressed a packed house of supporters, drawing huge applause when he called for the U.S. to withdraw troops fro Afghanistan, according to CNN.

"I think it's time for us to come home and mind our own business," Paul said. "I fear much more the erosion of the protections of our liberties here at home and the erosion of our economy than I do from any foreign adversary."

The Des Moines Register reports that most of the crowd left immediately following Paul's speech, leaving just about 100 people in the audience to hear rival GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, and about 75 people for speech by Anita Perry, the wife of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

In his speech, Santorum defended his conservative stances on abortion, gay marriage, and other social issues, saying "They're trying to Huckabee me."

"If you look at the debates, every single moral, cultural question has come to me first," Santorum said.

"I was in a conversation with [2008 GOP presidential candidate] Mike Huckabee the other day. I said, 'Mike, they're trying to Huckabee me.' They're trying to paint [me] into that box that you're the social conservative candidate and ask you all these social conservative questions."

"Well as far as I'm concerned, bring it on. ... I am not ashamed for standing up for life, family and faith which are the foundation of our society."

 

 

Comments

[Dennis Freytes]

10:24 AM on 11/18/2011

YOU CAN DO IT RON PAUL!!!

[Trevor Oblouk]

11:34 PM on 11/14/2011

Ron Paul is the only one who believes what he preaches. All the other flip flop and go where the money is.

[had410]

12:22 PM on 11/06/2011

Ron Paul wins Iowa..............

[had410]

12:12 PM on 11/06/2011

Ron Paul wins people polls, corporatists win media polls.

[spyker1]

01:13 AM on 11/05/2011

Elect Ron Paul in 2012

[vierge99]

12:14 PM on 11/02/2011

Can you please change the photo to show Mr. Paul in a more dignified pose instead of one that conveys the idea of confusion. Also, of course he is winning polls... he is the only candidate that makes sense and the people are really interested in common sense these days.

[Maria Pellio]

10:28 PM on 11/01/2011

"The obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people."

Ron Paul

[Mike6514]

09:22 PM on 11/01/2011

Sorry folks. Ron Paul seems like a nice guy, but I don't get a fuzzy feeling about him in the White House. I imagine him going overseas as President, and other world leaders mocking him as he gestures and makes a speech. Just like Chevy Chase did on SNL's Weekend update, when he woul mimic someone just out of their eyesight...or they play a game of handball and play 'keep away" from Ron.

[rkenna]

08:42 AM on 11/02/2011

That is the problem with this country, people want to vote for the president who looks, sounds and acts most like president. You probably like Romney or Perry right? Or Obama, he is a pretty darn good motivational speaker and public speaker. Does that make you a good president?

You need to focus more on what is in his heart and in his head rather then "fuzzy feelings."

This statement alone sums things up, I don't hear any of the other candidates speaking like this.

"I think it's time for us to come home and mind our own business," Paul said. "I fear much more the erosion of the protections of our liberties here at home and the erosion of our economy than I do from any foreign adversary."

I think the opposite of what you think, I think world leaders will respect this man, after all he is a Doctor not a trust fund baby career politician, and he is about ending wars and getting out of their business. they will respect that.

[Mike6514]

09:14 PM on 11/02/2011

You are right. But we aren't in the rose colored glasses world. Unfortunately, most oters don't think that way.Obama was the president of tomorrow. Now he's the president of yesterday and we're looking for the president of tomorrow again. W and Bill are bigger than Obama right now.

[vierge99]

12:19 PM on 11/02/2011

Mr. Paul has said specifically that he wants to end our current dealings overseas. Let the world leaders mock him. They will just be doing it out of jealousy as our nation gets stronger and more prosperous.

[Richard Padilla]

11:55 PM on 10/31/2011

WE ARE THE PEOPLE N WE WANT RON PAUL!!!

[JohnFromCensornati]

06:36 AM on 11/01/2011

The polls clearly indicate that you couldn't be more wrong. The GOPeople want Romney a lot more than they want RP.

[MarketAnarchist101]

06:58 PM on 11/01/2011

if we are going by polls.. they clearly indicate that Paul and Romney are the only front runners in this race.. because disregarding straw polls in favor for national ones is highly 'democratic'.

[1ccc1]

03:58 AM on 11/02/2011

It's swinging. As cain and perry implode, so will the media's ability to shut him out. And people are talking.

[Cornelius F Brantley Jr]

08:53 PM on 10/31/2011

There is only one reason (and not a very good one) for progressives not to jump ship to vote for Ron Paul in the GOP primary: he is the most likely Republican to beat Obama in the general election.

[MoreFreedom]

03:42 PM on 11/02/2011

That Paul "is the most likely Republican to beat Obama" says that voters in general (not those in bed with one party or the other) prefer Paul to the statist alternatives.

Disaffected Democrats (anti-war, anti-drug-war, anti-bailout) might consider switching parties to vote in the Republican primary for Paul. That would really irritate the statists and pro-war candidates.

[Pdubya]

09:11 PM on 11/03/2011

that is why the "blue republicans" formed. at my local OWS, I handed out 22 party change forms, with 10 firm committments to do so in our closed primary. several more indicated their understanding of the plutocracy and disgust with obama's continuance of monetary, foreign and domestic policy abuses. obama supported the bailouts (see speech October 1, 2008), diddles with troop movements but no changes in foreign policy, expands militarism, flouts the constitution with executive abuses (assasinates american citizens w/o congressional approval or judicial process), and expands the drug war, TSA, and corporate cronyism.

I am no fan of recent past republicans either. My position is that we have a two-headed monster with interests that are NOT American.

Paul is the only Statesman that has come our way in a longgggg time. His record and predictions proves he walks the talk.

Lets vote for We The People this time and Restore America Now.

[HJ 3]

09:26 PM on 11/30/2011

I have voted for Democrats and Republicans. Even hoped Obama would help.

I've had it. Ron Paul for President!

[Brian Blackman]

03:47 PM on 10/31/2011

It is very apparent to me that many Americans do not understand the meaning of ‘principle’, for which Ron Paul epitomizes. Also evident is that the last 100 years have produced a conditioned mindset of entitlement in Americans. This delusional perspective of what America is lives far from the constitutionally based, non-interventional government that our forefathers gave their lives for. Blinded by these dependencies, Americans may soon learn again what it means to live under imperial rule. Politically, the Republican party cannot win without Ron Paul. The Libertarians of this country will surely make that clear come election time.

[cschlup]

03:46 PM on 10/31/2011

Ron Paul is like a breath of fresh air. When he speaks, you know you're getting the truth about the state of our country and how we got here. Great that we don't have to worry about some indiscretion or wondering if he held a different belief last year, or five years ago, or ten years ago.

[rkenna]

08:45 AM on 11/02/2011

Or if his pastor was anti american or if he was born outside of the country or if he is muslim a bunch of other wild stuff we are dealing with now.

I doubt RP will get a BJ in the oval office either.

[RMForbes]

02:23 PM on 11/02/2011

He has been corrupted by the social conservatives too. He was forced to change his views on abortion from it is not the governments job and tow the normal Republican'ts line to no abortions anywhere for any reason.

[MoreFreedom]

03:45 PM on 11/02/2011

Paul's position on abortion is that the States or people should decide for themselves, per the 10th amendment. At least with this approach, many states will allow abortions so they will still be legal here (but might require travel). But I doubt any changes would occur regardless, as the SCOTUS has ruled that it's a right that belongs to the people.

[jsgaetano]

03:13 PM on 10/31/2011

Wow... if Ron Paul wins, the GOP may lose national relevance in 2012. That's about four years earlier than I predicted.

[MarketAnarchist101]

12:39 AM on 11/01/2011

Oh yes oh great pundit.. the supporting of murderers.. the cheering of liars, cheats and thieves are things to be celebrated.. except for the fact that when Ron Paul wins it will mean that both parties.. because of their Big Government tendencies will cease to exist in their current function.

[jsgaetano]

03:13 AM on 11/01/2011

Ok... someone is off their medication...

[jsgaetano]

02:34 PM on 11/01/2011

I have to laugh at how jealous you are of something as lame as someone's HP account. If you want to be a pundit, maybe you should start posting things people find intelligent. But we both know you're not even capable of that.

[PostCapitalist]

02:57 PM on 10/31/2011

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi192.html
What Would Really Happen If Ron Paul Were To Be Elected President?

[vierge99]

12:28 PM on 11/02/2011

His books are wonderful to read. I just finished The Case For Gold last night and strangely it's one of the best economic history books I've read.

[ausscyn]

01:40 PM on 10/31/2011

YAY, RON PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I was in Iowa, I'd have been happy to buy a hundred tickets & distribute them to people!
We the People, believe in Ron Paul, who never has to make apologies for anything he says or does, unlike the rest of the field.

[jsgaetano]

03:14 PM on 10/31/2011

Yes, his radical anti-American ideology has always been very consistent Bircherism.

[miket23]

03:32 PM on 10/31/2011

"radical anti-Ameri­can ideology"

how so?

[cschlup]

03:34 PM on 10/31/2011

Anti-American? Really. The guy that's been defending the Constituton his entire political career?