Rand Paul Just Shredded The Field In The CPAC Straw Poll
AP
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, the second consecutive year he has come away the victor.
Paul captured 31 percent of the vote, and his victory was much more sizeable than last year. Coming in second was Sen. Ted Cruz, who garnered 11 percent of the vote. Cruz upped his share of the vote from 4 percent last year.
Cruz was followed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who captured 9 percent of the vote. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was fourth with 8 percent.
Paul supporters cheered the results, screaming, "President Paul!" The results came one day after Paul's well-received speech here. His victory was unsurprising, considering half the voters were between the ages of 18-25.
The CPAC straw poll has not been a good predictor of Republicans' chances at the presidential nomination. Some past winners include Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, and Jack Kemp - all of whom flamed out spectacularly in the GOP presidential primaries.
Still, it provides a good barometer of the current feeling of the conservative base.
The poll was open from Thursday at 7 a.m. to Saturday at 1 p.m. - 2,459 cast a vote.
- Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
- I tutor the children of some of Dubai's richest people. One of them paid me $3,000 to do his homework.
- India not benefiting from democratic dividend; young have a Kohli mentality, says Raghuram Rajan
- Indo-Gangetic Plains, home to half the Indian population, to soon become hotspot of extreme climate events: study
- 7 Vegetables you shouldn’t peel before eating to get the most nutrients
- Gut check: 10 High-fiber foods to add to your diet to support digestive balance
- 10 Foods that can harm Your bone and joint health
- 6 Lesser-known places to visit near Mussoorie