The Kentucky senator carried 25.7% in the Conservative Political Action Conference poll, while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker finished second with 21.4% — a closer-than-expected tally in this early test of political strength among conservative Republican activists.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, finished third with 11.5%, followed closely by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson with 11.4%.
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush — perhaps the most criticized candidate at this conservative conclave — finished fifth at 8.3%.
Other potential presidential candidates — including Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, and Rick Perry — had less than 4% in the straw poll. Paul also won CPAC contests in 2013 and 2014.
The straw poll highlighted the four-day conference at which conservative delegates generally agreed they need to elect one of their own to the presidency in 2016, but disputed the best way to go about it.
Some CPAC delegates said Republicans should nominate a true believer, someone who can repeal health care, shrink the size of the federal government and aggressively wage war on the Islamic State militant group.
Others agreed on the need for a conservative nominee but said the GOP needs to reach out to moderates who may hold different views on immigration, education and foreign policy and will be needed to win the presidential vote in 2016.
"I am 60% confident right now," said attendee Brian Long in-between conference sessions. "I'd like to say I'm 80% confident."
As CPAC members swapped stories and handed out buttons and pamphlets in the hallways, the longtime tension between "real conservatives" and "establishment Republicans" surfaced repeatedly. It could be seen in the reactions to one prospective candidate in particular: Jeb Bush.
Although some CPAC members applauded Bush's call for "reform" conservatism, others described the former Florida governor as a dreaded RINO — Republican In Name Only. "He should be a Democrat," said Christmas Simon, a public speaker from Yorba Linda, Calif.
Bush's name drew boos during some of Saturday's wrap-up sessions.
Noelani Bonifacio, 26, a legislative aide to a state senator in Hawaii, said conservatives fight each other too much. Bonifacio said she knows people who backed former Texas congressman Ron Paul during the 2012 Republican primaries, then refused to vote for eventual nominee Mitt Romney in the general election.
"We have a lot of disagreements — which is good — but I think we spend too much time attacking each other," said Bonifacio, who voted for Rubio, a Florida senator, in the straw poll. "We should be attacking Democrats."
Bonifacio said Bush "is not my first choice," but she would vote for him in the general election if he is the nominee because "he is better than the alternative."
Not everyone at CPAC agreed. Some cited Bush's support of a pathway to citizenship for migrants who are in the country illegally. Others criticized his support of education standards known as "Common Core."
Simon — who cast her straw vote for "hard-core conservative" Cruz, the Texas senator — said voters want people who "really stand firm on what they believe in."
Comments
Conservatives interested in restoring and
preserving the US Constitution and Bill of Rights (as written) collect around
Rand Paul. This group includes Tea Party, Constitutionalists and lots of young
people, but it also contains tens of millions of voters who want their economy
back.
Hawks won’t like Rand Paul, because he will
make Congress think through foreign entanglements and agree to less expensive
and bombastic solutions. But Rand Paul is right. Our defense of US sovereignty
and rights should take precedence over the defense of foreigners. We can’t
bribe our way to peace. Our current foreign policy is bankrupt.
There will be lots of opposition by those who
prefer our current circumstances. They
know Rand Paul will repeal the laws that led us to this place and their
“special deals” would melt away. They
will claim that if Rand Paul becomes President, the sky would fall. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are scared to death of Rand Paul. Watch the liberal media bias go on steroids.
We need to elect the candidate the
“establishment” is most afraid of; that would be Rand Paul. We would see a $trillion in spending cuts and
we won’t notice a thing. Most of what
the federal government does is harmful.
Cutting it in half removes half the harmful stuff.
The federal government is corrupt and
bankrupt. The unconstitutional departments and agencies need to close and have
those functions returned to the states. Rand Paul will take us there.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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