Rand Paul Wins Second Consecutive CPAC Straw Poll

[BeyondGeography]

Source: Washington Post

One day after riveting a packed convention ballroom, tea party darling Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) topped the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll, his second consecutive victory in the conservative confab's contest.

Paul won 31 percent of the vote (compared with the 25 percent he won last year), beating a crowded field of more than two dozen names, including a number of potential 2016 GOP presidential contenders. He crushed second-place finisher Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who came in with 11 percent.

Rounding out of the top finishers in the poll, which was voted on by 2,459 CPAC attendees, were former neurosurgen Ben Carson (9 percent) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (8 percent).

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/03/08/2014-cpac-rand-paul-wins-second-consecutive-cpac-straw-poll/

[Aviation Pro]

1. Good....

...the clown car has been serviced and it's fueled up with monkey pancakes. Let hilarity ensue.

[yeoman6987]

4. They think a first term Senator is going to win?

They are crazy. The Republicans could not put up a good candidate if it killed them. So stupid. Thank God!

[totodeinhere]

7. Barack Obama was a first term senator and he won. n/t

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Obama's also sane.

[totodeinhere]

16. I know but being a first term senator doesn't disqualify a candidate.

I would like to see first term Senator Elizabeth Warren run for instance. There are plenty of reasons to oppose Paul but criticizing him for being a first term senator is not one of them.

[yeoman6987]

18. Obama is a once in a lifetime success

It will most likely never be repeated.

[Historic NY]

2. He's still a freaking loser.

[Mr.Bill]

3. Great news! I hope he gets the nomination.

Cue the video of him telling Rachel Maddow he wouldn't have voted for the Civil Rights Act.

The Democratic party doesn't have enough money to make commercials out of all the stupid shit he has said.

[Faygo Kid]

5. The Paulites always show up in force

Ted Cruz would crush him (the crazies), but Jeb will ultimately get the nod. Whoever the Kochs want, that's who wins.

[totodeinhere]

6. Good. Keep putting him up there. He would lose in a landslide to any major Democrat. n/t

[bigdarryl]

13. Not necessary if the democrats are 6 keys down

It doesn't matter who the republican nominee is.So far it's to early to access the 13 keys for 2016 but one key that defiantly goes against the party in power is incumbent.Obama won't be running so that means who ever the nominee is Hillary or Biden they won't be an incumbent

[lastlib]

23. Let's not be overconfident. Any GOPeee nominee will have truckloads of cash

It's important that we knuckle down and do the hard work of defeating him and the monied interests behind him. That said, I think you are correct that he would lose--IF we work hard, make our case against him, and above all, GOTV!

And even more important, WIN IN 2014!!

Come on, Aqua Buddha!

[Gothmog]

8. I would love to see Rand Paul be the 2016 nominee

He is really not that bright

[DesertRat]

10. Did he get his acceptance speech from Wikipedia?

[davidpdx]

22. Either that or he bought a term paper online

I heard that's how he got his degree.

[NastyRiffraff]

11. Oh, please proceed, Republicans

Please!

Meanwhile, we should stock up on popcorn now.

[bigdarryl]

12. This straw poll is a joke the winner

Has never as far as I know ever won the republican nomination.

[DesertRat]

14. Just Reagan and W. n/t

[davidpdx]

21. Good point

But still it's rare. Reagan and W. were able to pull a lot of independents. Paul would have no chance of doing that. He'd also get clobbered in terms of the women and minority vote.

[DesertRat]

25. I don't think he'd even get close to the Republican nomination. n/t

[another_liberal]

15. Here's hoping he's also the Republican nominee in 2016.

If Democrats can't easily beat that Tea Party clown in a national election, we don't deserve to win!

[onehandle]

17. Well, if you are going to nominate a guy who kidnapped a woman and tried to force drugs on her...

...I guess he's your man.

[lpbk2713]

29. That would be a big plus on his resume.

As far as the mouth breathers likely to vote for him are concerned.

[BlueStater]

19. Pathetic.

They can't find anyone better than some grandstanding twerp with nutjob hair? Can anyone tell one thing Rand Paul has accomplished in the senate that qualifies him to be president because I've got nothing.

[cheapdate]

20. I say don't underestimate him

and don't overestimate the American public's ability to turn out and vote for terrible candidates. For example, Americans elected Bush/Cheney FOR A SECOND TERM! There are plenty of Americans who will buy what Rand Paul is selling. Rand Paul is a populist and his message, no matter how awful it sounds to you and I, resonates with a large segment of the population. The GOP candidate will carry the deep red states -- no matter whether it's Rand Paul or someone else. Someone like Paul could take back recent Democratic pickups in Virginia and Iowa. The next presidential election could be another very close one, I think.

[Auntie Bush]

24. This poll is a joke and is meaningless! Didn't Michele Bachmann win once?

A lot of good it did her. By the way...has anyone who won the straw poll ever won the nomination? Maybe Bush did!

[Adam051188]

26. bad vs. evil

i can see rand paul easily beating out hillary or joe biden. seeing as how they are both horrible democratic candidates and all.

[Thinkingabout]

27. When you hear lots of cheering for the dumbest statements and they still vote for those

Saying the dumb things then we should not expect any sane voting results. Oh, My.

[Blue Owl]

28. He's plagiarized his way into their hearts

Ain't that special.