Yesterday around 5.30, Ron Paul won the CPAC 2010 straw poll, getting more votes than Romney and Palin combined. By 5.45 or so, his victory was already being roundly discounted as unimportant and without any real significance.
Erick Erickson at Red State summed up the poll results and concluded, “We can thank Ron Paul for showing just how worthless straw polls are.” Fox News helpfully reminded us that the straw poll is in no way binding. Thanks guys, because we all thought it was straight to the inauguration from here. Bloggers whom I’m pretty sure would have announced this win as a “Mandate from We the People” had it gone to one of the other candidates — Palin in particular — suddenly found themselves unimpressed and obliged to note that it’s mostly kids voting anyway and not really scientific at all.
To which I have to ask: So what? Little Green Footballs noted that there’s “never been a poll Ron Paul couldn’t win, unless you count a presidential primary race.” (That’s some deep analysis, huh?) But this wasn’t just an internet poll. This was real life — and it required real organization and real effectiveness on behalf of Ron Paul supporters to achieve this success.
A common criticism of the Paul campaign in 2008 was that the online presence never translated to boots on the ground, so it was ultimately doomed to failure. But if this isn’t boots on the ground, what is? The fact the Romney, a three year winner of the poll who blows his nose on money, and Palin, whom I think many would have presumed was wildly popular among the CPAC crowd post-book release, couldn’t manage to win a simple straw poll speaks volumes of the superior grassroots organization of Ron Paul supporters. And that is something which cannot be honestly discounted.
Moreover, many of the voters in the straw poll were young people or students. Again, so what? Young people are by default the future of any movement — it is in fact a tautology to say so. If the young people support Ron Paul, it’s for a reason, and the old guard would be wise to take notice. Because like it or not, in 30 years the Erick Ericksons and LGF’s Charles Johnsons will quite frankly be retired or even deceased. The college students at CPAC 2010, however, will be just hitting 50 — exactly the age at which most people begin to achieve maximum success in their fields…including the media and politics.
In short, that this was an unscientific poll in which a disproportionate number of young people participated and which is in no way binding or necessarily a good predictor of future GOP nominations does not make it any less significant. This is a symbolic victory, yes, but it shows that the group in Republican politics which is best able to mobilize supporters and attract the excitement and commitment of young people is the liberty movement.
And try as the opposition might to discount this victory, their claims rightly ring hollow. Ron Paul will no longer be the candidate stuck in the corner of the stage with one question for everyone else’s three. We haven’t won yet — not by a long shot — but as Dr. Paul noted at the beginning of his CPAC speech, “the revolution is alive and well.”
Cross-posted here.
Tags: CPAC 2010, Ron Paul, Straw Poll
Absolutely agreed!
Ron Paul touches the grass roots of the American people. Not a poll that will ever find the true support for Ron Paul’s Liberatian views.
Point is, if American’s really find themselves in a situation where they say: ok here I am as a non-politically interested tea-partier, but Washington simply has to change now and therefore I [the tea-partier] vote wise and vote Ron Paul.
They are absolutely sick of the Two party system and I sincerely hope that this new grassroots movement will lead to the third Libertarian party pillar one day!
Ron Paul for President!
[...] GOP nominate in 2012? It’s hard to say. Despite Ron Paul’s recent win at CPAC and my optimism about that win, it’s almost certain he will not be the nominee (Not that I’d ever [...]
FOX news makes me laugh…
Ron Paul is the only Republican I will vote for. Fox News advertised politicians do the complete opposite of Republican platform and you try to cast Dr. Paul off as the kook? Well, look who won the CPAC poll despite the smears and misinformation. Fox Antics=FAIL!
Funny part is that the Republican party was formed to FREE the slaves (which the Democrats opposed). Martin Luther King was a Republican. And now they have their own ‘Coffee Party” full of children of the rich and people (of all colors) are ready to fall at their feet. By the way, do you know the difference between the Republican and Democrat parties? Republicans are rich greedy company owners who never worked a day in their lives and Democrats are the children of the rich greedy company owners that are still rebelling against their rich greedy Republican parents. And until Mommy and Daddy stop taking care of them, they will continue to do so. The worse part about it is, the hard working Americans are the ones stuck in the middle because somebody has to work so the money can keep rolling in. Oh, that’s right, Clinton (another poor little rich boy) sent all the good jobs overseas when he signed NAFTA so all the rich, greedy, company owners could pay kids 50 cents a day in sweat shops. (It’s legal over there)
Our major issue in this country is our two political parties. Our forefathers knew that a two party system would be our downfall and took steps to try to stop this type of politics, and thus anyone who seriously thinks that politics isn’t corrupt or slaves to Corporate America hasn’t not been paying attention. George Jr. will go down in History as one of the worst administrations in history and I could go on for hours showing why, but my point is that the Obama administration has offered nothing different (besides health reform, granted) and has in fact continued nearly every single Bush program. Obama has almost the same political donors and thus has the same pressures as Bush did. Health reform will turn out to be the most expensive and destructive waste of tax payer money ever. I just wish I could offer a better alternative for other frustrated people, but I can’t and those that think that the tea partiers are the future, remember that Sarah Palin is an important figure to them.
Curious to see what all you intellectuals have to say about this…….