Christie Wins Tea Party Straw Poll
Hotline On Call reports:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Saturday won a '12 presidential straw poll taken at the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Convention in Richmond. Christ received 14% of the votes, narrowly upending Tea Party favorites Sarah Palin (R-AK) (13.5%) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) (12.5%).
The 15-way poll, conducted among 1,560 convention attendees (more than double the count at the Values Voters Summit last month), was projected to be the good indicator of the WH '12 climate.
"This poll is unique because, for the first time, it takes the pulse of a number of Tea Party Patriot and 9/12 organizations," said Jamie Radtke, Chairman of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation. "While it is early in the 2012 presidential election cycle, Americans are engaged and energized about the leadership of America."
If nothing else, the numbers reveal the preferences of fiscal conservatives--as opposed to social conservatives who favored Indiana Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) in the Values Voters Summit poll--who are undoubtedly wooed by the accolades surrounding Christ for his handling of New Jersey's economy. Currently, he maintains the highest approval rating of any politician in the country.
Others on the ballot included Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Pence, former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA), Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA). (Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were also in the poll as something of a laugh line).
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