Values Voter straw poll organizers suggest a fix in Ron Paul's win

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011. The cultural conservatives gathered at the summit this weekend care deeply about abortion, gay marriage and other social issues. / AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, Oct. 8, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Rep. Ron Paul scored a decisive victory Saturday in a mock presidential election at the Values Voter Summit, trouncing fellow Texan, Gov. Rick Perry, but an organizer of the straw poll suggested ballot-stuffing may have skewed the results.

In a press conference following the announcement of the straw poll results at the annual Washington gathering of social conservatives, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins all but dismissed the results as irrelevant, citing 600 people who registered Saturday morning and, he said, "left after Ron Paul spoke."

A total of 1,983 ballots were cast. "You do the math," Perkins said.

A year ago in the same contest, Paul came in second-to-last. Speaking briefly with reporters before the straw poll results were announced, the Republican lawmaker said, "If I win, it wouldn't be as important to the media than if I lose."

Paul has a history of scoring unlooked-for straw poll wins by packing the electorate with diehard supporters. But Perkins said it's too early to take much away from Paul's win. "Let me just take you back four years to this event, when we had a straw poll. Mitt Romney won that straw poll," he said. "I think people are still in the process of deciding where they want to go."

Paul got 37 percent of the vote. The rest of the ballots showed how widely social conservatives support is splintered among the rest of the field.

Two other conservative favorites, businessman Herman Cain and former Sen. Rick Santorum, took second and third place, respectively, with 23 percent for Cain and 16 percent for Santorum.

Perry and Michele Bachmann won 8 percent apiece. Mitt Romney got 4 percent of the vote and Newt Gingrich, 3 percent.

For Perry, who is struggling to regain momentum after some disappointing showings in debates and the polls, the results represent a disappointment. The Texas governor is counting on voters who share his socially conservative views to help power his candidacy into the top tier of Republicans. He didn't get the ringing endorsement he might have wished out of the Values Voter Summit. Instead, the gathering put Perry in the midst of a controversy when the Dallas pastor who introduced him Friday later told reporters that Romney's Mormon faith is a "cult" and "not Christian."

Perkins said his organization did "everything to preserve the integrity of this straw poll," including denying campaigns from buying blocks of tickets, "which they attempted to do this year." But Santorum on Friday seemed dubious, and told National Journal that his success in the polls would depend "on how many people, how many campaigns, tried to buy a bunch of tickets and try to stack the poll, which unfortunately happens."

The victory for the longtime congressman and three-time presidential contender over his Republican rivals in the presidential contest was all the more surprising because Paul's principled libertarianism sometimes puts him at odds with the views of social conservatives on issues such as gay marriage and drug laws.

But in a speech hours before the straw poll results were announced, Paul argued that his staunch fiscal conservatism and dogmatic views on liberty were in tune with family values and the Bible.

[ratdass1]

Straw poll wins by packing the electorate with diehard Ron Paul supporters?!??!?... Yeah, OK, That's the ticket!
What do you think...that people go from poll to poll, or that they get paid by Ron to show up ? C'mon!!!!! What it really shows, is that Ron is the only candidate who has consistently voted FOR the people, and that they are finally realizing that he is the only candidate that isn't compromised by paying back fund contributors, and that he is the only one that still believes in our freedom and the constitution of the (nearly destroyed) United States of America!!!
Packing the electorate with diehard Ron Paul supporters.....Yeah....OK. You almost believe that yourself, don't you? Moron.....

[Barracuda_Trader]

As a Christian I can tell you, the so-called mega churches and para-church organization around D.C. are just as corrupt, power hungry and money hungry as any politician.

The Devil is alive and well at Family Research Council. FRC President Tony Perkins is a liar. If there was any truth to his claims he wouldn't beat around the bush. The poll was secure and tamper proof.

Period. End of story.

[Nieuws1]

You are exactly right Jennifer.... I was at the Iowa Straw Poll and every Candidate bussed in Hundreds of voters. It is completely normal for straw polls. You still have to a resident of Iowa to vote and you still need tickets. Bachmann bought 600 tickets for her supporters and bussed them in. Ron Paul did nothing wrong what-so-ever.

[JenniferHyatt]

It is called stuffing the ballot box with voters. Surprising isn't it? Do you know this is an election? And people vote? Herman Cain bused in people to vote for him....but he didn't win. Bachmann bought tickets so people could vote in the Ames Straw poll and when she won you thought she was the next big thing. Yeah, so Ron Paul has people who showed up for him and voted for him...they all did. I don't even understand the argument. It isn't like each person put in 10 votes a piece, one person one vote...too bad you don't like the people who voted.

[BenBurned]

Its so stupid its funny... The mainstream media is so afraid of Dr. Paul winning and toppling their crooked empire that they will do ANYTHING to keep him from being elected..

[Nieuws1]

You are exactly right Jennifer.... I was at the Iowa Straw Poll and every Candidate bussed in Hundreds of voters. It is completely normal for straw polls. You still have to a resident of Iowa to vote and you still need tickets. Bachmann bought 600 tickets for her supporters and bussed them in. Ron Paul did nothing wrong what-so-ever.

[JenniferHyatt]

It is called stuffing the ballot box with voters. Surprising isn't it? Do you know this is an election? And people vote? Herman Cain bused in people to vote for him....but he didn't win. Bachmann bought tickets so people could vote in the Ames Straw poll and when she won you thought she was the next big thing. Yeah, so Ron Paul has people who showed up for him and voted for him...they all did. I don't even understand the argument. It isn't like each person put in 10 votes a piece, one person one vote...too bad you don't like the people who voted.

[bigdogg20]

This woman is just plain dumb. If Ron Paul would really stuff a ballot box...he wouldn't because he has more integrity than this shill of a reporter....he could have done it last year when he came in 2nd to last place, right Lindsey Boerma??? You are way out there are show that you are truly ignorant, and people now see that across the nation. If Ron Paul doesn't win, it will probably be likely the RNC stuffed ballot boxes to get the establishment neocon politician in to do their bidding. Ron Paul is real freedom that will come back the people and he will get the republic straight again. I agree with previous post, if loving liberty, keeping your own money is extreme, I am extremely for RON PAUL 2012.

[JenniferHyatt]

The article doesn't even support the charge. She says the truth...people came to vote for Ron Paul and then left. Ok...so what? That is called voting, not ballot stuffing..and fyi...the campaigns who paid to get people to vote for them were Cain (who bused people in, Romney who bought them ticket, and Perry.) Notice how she tried to imply it was Ron Paul who did that but it was patently false so she couldn't say that. And ballot stuffing is when one person votes 100 times, not when one person votes and leaves..that is called voting. Plain old voting. And after you hear Ron Paul, why on earth would you stick around for the other candidates to try to snow you. We have all heard enough bull. I wouldn't stick around either, but I will vote for Ron Paul.

[tomfox5]

Lindsey Boerma covers the Jon Huntsman campaign for CBS News and National Journal. Don't you think she's going to kick up dirt on Ron Paul? Also, she works for one of the problems, meaning, mainstream media. They either heinously black Paul out or discredit anything he wins. I didn't even bother to read Lindsey's article trash; was just hooked from the title. Actually, however, I did take the time out of my busy day to register for CBSNEWS.com so I could post this. I hope she gets a chance to read this.
Now I'll do what's best, and delete this account.

Ron Paul 2012!!!

[JenniferHyatt]

Wow...packing the electorate with voters. yeah..it is called VOTING. Way to try to twist reality. This is the big "fix"? That he was on a ballot and people voted for him? Amazing. And your big "evidence" was that people didn't stick around to listen to the other smarmy candidates? Why on earth would we? I hate politicians..all except Ron Paul. I won't vote for any of the rest of the them either. I will vote for Ron Paul if I have to write in his name...does that make me a false voter somehow? How disgusting is the media? If you are sick to death of them, join us on facebook on black this out. We are doing something about it.

[S0N_0F_LIBERTY]

I like how the title says "Organizers" yet the author can only quote one making any such statement.

I also how the story basically retracts its titles claim. It's not even worth putting any more effort in to this comment...

[OregonStorm]

What I want to know is when Bachmann will quit........she wasn't even mentioned in this piece and frankly even though I am of the same gender, I am tired of hearing about her 20+ foster children. A wonderful commitment to children but hardly a campaign issue.

[blssme]

I like how the reporter writes Romney was a winner because he 'looked Presidential.' To me he looked like the biggest flip-flopping, insincere, establishment candidate out of all of them. And you say Ron Paul can't win? The evangelicals who fund the GOP are never going to elect a Mormon. Ron Paul 2012