CPAC 2011: Ron Paul Wins Again
For the second consecutive year, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., claimed victory in the CPAC presidential straw poll. Paul took 27 percent of the vote, a few points down from last year's 31 percent -- but there was no Gary Johnson that year to split votes. Johnson made a strong showing with 19% and Mitt Romney finished third with 18%. Romney, Paul, Herman Cain, and Gary Johnson were the only candidates whose PACs or exploratory committees had presences in the exhibition halls. But 3742 people voted in the poll, up 56 percent since 2010.
This victory was expected for... well, for a year. Paul's organization spent $100,000 or so on the event, bringing in excited libertarians who -- and this is a first -- built longer lines and fuller rooms than the ones that Ann Coulter is responsible for. His supporters want him to run for president, but they're thinking a bit about where else to go if he takes a pass; former Gov. Gary Johnson won the second choice category on the ballot, with 19 percent of those votes, and Governor Sarah Palin - who endorsed Ron Paul in 2008 - came third with 9%.[1]
-David Weigel, Slate
CPAC First Place Results
Ron Paul: 27%
Gary Johnson: 19%
Mitt Romney: 18%
Sarah Palin: 9%
Chris Christie: 6%
Tim Pawlenty: 4%
Mitch Daniels: 4%
Newt Gingrich: 3%
Herman Cain: 2%
Mike Huckabee: 2%
Rick Santorum: 2%
John Thune: 2%
John Huntsman: 1%
Haley Barbour: 1%
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May 5th, 2011 Republican Primary Debate (FOX - South Carolina)
The debaters...
ANNOUNCER: Governor Mitt Romney has opted not to attend this evening. Here we have Businessman Herman Cain, Congressman Ron Paul, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Governor Mike Huckabee, Governor Gary Johnson, and Senator Rick Santorum.
ANNOUNCER: Governor Johnson, as a candidate who has smoked Marijuana, how far would you go in terms of legalization?
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): I would say it's an issue of public health. Everything I did in New Mexico was on a cost-benefit analysis. We're spending millions on policing and judges and courts and jails and it's all so expensive... we have a trillion dollar deficit! A 16 trillion dollar debt!
ANNOUNCER: Governor Johnson, if you had a reality TV Show like Donald Trump does, what would it be?
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): I care about physical fitness, so probably something to do with that. I built my own home in Taos, so maybe something up high in the rockies. I'd like to be pretty high up. [2]
(LAUGHTER)
ANNOUNCER: Governor Johnson, do you realize what you just said?
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): *chuckles* I do, I didn't mean it that way, but I'm alright with it.
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August 11th, 2011 Republican Primary Debate (FOX - Ames, Iowa)
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AR): Marijuana is a drug. How is it that in 2011 in America, we are talking about the legalization of pot? It's a joke, we're telling young people to be jokes. What kind of message are we sending to those young people watching tonight? We need responsible leadership in this country like we haven't had these past years.
ANNOUNCER: Governor Johnson and Congressman Paul would you like to comment?
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): Yeah I would - That is absolutely horseshit is what that is! This country is heading towards a financial collapse and you're making personal attacks about a plant! I cut taxes 14 times, built new roads, increased education spending, and balanced the budget with a democratic legislature and you want to talk about marijuana an excuse to attack my leadership!
(APPLAUSE)
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AR): This is exactly what I'm talking about. He cannot keep cool under pressure, there's no composure...
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): Let me say it again - Horseshit! You want to send a message to young people? With these entitlements ... Social Security and Medicare ... young people are getting SCREWED! Young people you are getting SCREWED!
ANNOUNCER: Err... Congressman Paul any comment?
REP. RON PAUL (R-TX): Well I think it might be good to calm down a bit. I've never touched marijuana in my life and if it were legal I still would never touch it. I agree with the sentiment though that we have tremendous problems with debt and runaway spending and the government printing too much money and that's what's really important!
...
ANNOUNCER: Closing statements... Governor Huckabee?
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AR): What this country is lacking is proper conservative leadership. The responsibilities of a Conservative leader - defending traditional marriage, protecting our kids from drugs, protecting the unborn, protecting what those who have worked hard are entitled to... I think this radical libertarian streak is fundamentally anti-conservative.
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): We are becoming Greece in this country and we're getting from so-called conservatives is greasy slogans. They just want more government in your bedroom, your boardroom, and your back pocket.
REP. RON PAUL (R-TX): I think we are heading towards a fiscal collapse. I think we are spending too much money, hurting young people. I think that morality is something separate from government, if we want to defend traditional morality it's incumbent on ourselves to do that.
HERMAN CAIN: 9-9-9. Nuff' said.
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August 12th, 2011
CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Texas Governor Rick Perry joined the 2012 race for President Friday with an announcement sure to reverberate halfway across the country as his rivals competed in Iowa for the support of party activists.
"I full well believe I'm going to win," Perry told South Carolina voters on a conference call about an hour before he planned to kick off the campaign with a speech in Charleston.
Perry intended to declare his candidacy on Saturday the 13th, the day of the Ames Straw Poll, but his campaign felt his performance would be better impacted by an earlier declaration.
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August 13th, 2011
Ames Iowa Straw Poll
Ron Paul: 4,391
Mike Huckabee: 4,184
Rick Perry: 2,635
Tim Pawlenty: 2,262
Rick Santorum: 8,547
Herman Cain: 1,258
Mitt Romney: 787
Gary Johnson: 484
Newt Gingrich: 322
John Huntsman: 64
Thaddeus McCotter: 33
Other: 212
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September 7, 2011 Republican Primary Debate (MSNBC/Politico - California)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX): Social Security is a ponzi scheme!
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AK): No it isn't. People are entitled to what they put in!
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): It is! It is a ponzi scheme! It absolutely is and young people are gonna be stuck with the bag!
GOV. MITT ROMNEY (R-MA): I agree with Governor Huckabee on the importance of protecting medicare from this administration, but I'd also like to question Governor Perry on another critical issue: immigration. While Governor he allowed illegal immigrants to receive in-state rates at state schools. We cannot be soft on illegal immigration.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX): As a governor on the border who grew his economy I think I know what I'm doing.
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): I think he did the right thing! These people are hard working, these people add to our economy, these people help us make social security and medicare work! I'm a border governor, I worked in construction, immigrants are keeping us going! All this illegal immigration talk - it's a dog whistle, it's racist!
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AK): I feel like Reagan talking to Jimmy Carter, because there you go again.
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): Reagan was a border governor like me and Rick! Reagan supported reforming entitlements! He'd be on our side here!
GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R-AK): Reagan believed in moral leadership that you're severely lacking. I saw you waffling on what you think of traditional marriage
GOV. GARY JOHNSON (R-NM): Oh Mr Morality over here and his going after gay people along with immigrants!
RON PAUL (R-TX): I'll just say that without the welfare state, without birthright citizenship this wouldn't be an issue.
NEWT GINGRICH (R-GA): Have I had an opportunity yet to mention I don't like muslims very much? It gets me a big check here and there. Also moon colonies.
HERMAN CAIN: Uz-beki-beki-bekistan.
...
Matt Welch: It looks like the routine for the debates has more or less become the socially-liberal-fiscally-conservative Gary Johnson getting into fights with the big-government-social conservative Huckabee as Mitt Romney and Rick Perry duke it out as more mainstream conservative analogues of each. Meanwhile Ron Paul is basically the more populist-conservative friendly flavor of whatever Gary Johnson isn't really managing to sell.
Nick Gillespie: I think it's pretty apparent that the Republican base isn't liking what Johnson is pitching when you look at the polls. Ron Paul is managing to stay consistent at around a quarter of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire. I'm pretty sure at this point Johnson's getting invited mostly for the ratings and because Huckabee likes having him as a foil.