CNN is reporting that the conservative activists at CPAC have hilariously decided that Ron Paul should be the next president. Mitt Romney came in second – apparently he was not able to pay enough lackeys to overwhelm Paul’s appeal to the activists. Newt Gingrich was third.
Of course, Paul is not going to be the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. But he can now go out and raise a lot of money, and become a huge thorn in the side of whoever ends up winning the nomination. Again. Pass the popcorn. đŸ˜€
Please share widely!
I’d love to be able to use this limerick again:
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p>Oops! I guess I just did…
Seeing that a pro-choice, thrice married thrive divorced, confessed adulterer, Hollywood friendly, gay friendly, big business, bailout supporting Trump is also a non starter.
CPAC bad: pro-choice, bailout supporting
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p>CPAC good: big business
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p>CPAC irrelevant: gay friendly, Hollywood friendly
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p>CPAC IOKIYAR: thrice married thrive divorced, confessed adulterer
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p>Given that the CPAC GOProud v. gay-hater schism seems to have been won by teh gayz!!, methinks that gay friendly and Hollywood friendly is irrelevant to CPAC, though certainly not to all GOP-leaning groups.
Paul supporters have shown they are experts at storming small but influential gatherings of Republicans to make their candidate appear to have more support than he actually does. I remember stories in 2008 about Paul supporters overwhelming small GOP caucuses to give him the victory (I think I remember some GOP officials stopping said caucuses when it became clear the Paul-ites were going to win). This is exactly what they did here (and at the last CPAC, btw).
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p>I think most in the GOP (and the media) probably know this by now and will not give him a boost save for the necessary “Paul wins CPAC straw poll” stories going around the next few days. But hey, 2012 is a different year, and with the GOP being taken over by ultra-conservative outsider activists, maybe Paul will get some traction.
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p>I think CPAC showed the Republicans and the conservative movement is very divided right now, this should be an interesting primary process to say the least. Meanwhile, Obama prepares unopposed (I hope?)…
The Paul people spent $100,000 to bring in people to vote for him in the straw poll. So I discount his win heavily. That said, it says something that Romney came in second at 22% with three times the votes of anyone else (Palin-7, Pawlenty-6). I don’t really expect him to have that much of a lead…
How much did Romney spend to get his people in? I believe in the past when he’s won the straw poll, he spent pretty heavily to get there.
I couldn’t find the info on TPM.
Right here. TPM archives rather quickly.
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p>As for Hoyapaul, I imagine Romney spent some cash, as did Gingrich and most everyone else. I’ve read nothing that Romney spent more than the others to stack the straw poll the way Paul’s supporters did.
for Mitt Romney.
Needed a good laugh this morning…when you’re done, send the popcorn this way!
May you live in the interesting time of Dick and Rummy getting booed at a CPAC conference. A hopey changey peace prize war monger PNAC endorsing black guy from Chicago/Hawaii/Indonesia/Kenya. Take your pick. It is after all a post 911 world full of racsist homophobes and if you see something you should say something on your way to CVS to get your unicorn flu shot.