The Tea Party Patriots held a summit in Phoenix this weekend, planning their strategy for the upcoming 2012 election cycle. Two straw polls were taken, one was won by radio talk-host and entrepreneur Herman Cain, the other was won by Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX). In both polls, former governors Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin brought up the rear. The Tea Party Patriots is just one of the many groups spawned during as the movement began in 2009 after the famous rant by CNBC commodities analyst, Rick Santelli, against the Stimulus Bill. About 2,000 people attended the summit this past weekend.
Herman Cain, founder of Godfather Pizza which is headquartered in Georgia, won the ‘live’ straw poll with 22% of the vote. Tim Pawlenty finished second with 16%, Ron Paul got 15%, with Sarah Palin receiving only 10%. Mitt Romney, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mike Huckabee each got 6% or less. During a second online straw poll, the ‘Paul-lites’ showed up in force giving Ron Paul the victory with 49% of all votes cast with Cain coming in second with 12%. Pawlenty and Palin tied for third with 9% each.
Cain, the only actual declared presidential candidate for 2012 so far, along with Paul and Pawlenty were the only speakers who attended the summit that are potential candidates. The Tea Party Patriots functions as a national ‘umbrella’ organization for some 3,000 independent Tea Party groups. Other speakers include the likes of Andrew Breitbart, Dick Morris, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, and my favorite, Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Center. Co-founder Jenny-Beth Martin kicked off the three-day event said “The mood at this summit shows that Tea Party activists are looking for leaders who share our principles of fiscal responsibility and limited government.”
Herman Cain wins the live straw poll at the Tea Party summit in Phoenix this weekend. He is very popular within the movement, having spoken at other Tea Party events over the past two years. Congressman Ron Paul winning the online straw poll is also no surprise as his supporters are infamous for their activism. During the event, the Tea Party Patriots listened to many speakers and held conferences as they plan their strategy for the upcoming 2012 election cycle.
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February 28th, 2011 at 7:46 am
Sarah Palin coming in 4th with the Tea Party? Not a good omen for the Thrilla.
February 28th, 2011 at 8:24 am
This is all meaningless nonsense. Neither of these chumps will be around for the primaries.
If they have to have a black candidate than West is a better choice by far. For me, everytime I look at a black republican who may have promise I think Colin Powell.
February 28th, 2011 at 10:47 am
I agree with Hondo. Before Obama was running I thought Powell would make a great president.
February 28th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I agree with you, Hondo, that Allen West would make an awesome candidate. But I like Herman Cain. He’s quite the fireball and knows what he’s talking about.
As far as Colin Powell, I was never a fan, especially after the Gulf War. It was he who convinced Bush-41 to end the war too soon, allowing most of Saddam’s Republican Guard units to escape destruction. Had we done the job right the first time around, Saddam probably would have been toppled in the insurrection that followed and we would be living in a much different world today.