Romney squeaks by Paul in Maine Straw Poll

Via CNN at 6:20 p.m. ET:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the Main GOP Straw Poll with 39 percent of the vote (2,190 votes).

Texas Rep. Ron Paul came in second with 36 percent of the vote (1,996).

Former Sen. Rick Santorum was in third place with 18 percent (989) and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was fourth with 6 percent (349).

A total of 61 votes went to 'other.'

As that last figure was announced, someone in the crowd yelled, "Go, Rick!", an obvious reference to Texas Gov. Rick Perry who still remains very popular with conservative Republicans.

The spokesperson for the Maine GOP repeatedly cautioned the public that this straw poll was "unofficial and nonbinding." He also said some caucuses decided not to participate.

Most expected Romney or Paul to win; Santorum and Gingrich pretty much defaulted on the poll.

It's a good idea to take the GOP Maine Party spokesperson's advice to heart, and bear something else in mind too. The numbers could change; remember Iowa.

(Filed by Kay B. Day/Feb. 11, 2012)

Trump to moderate GOP debate in Iowa—so what?

Bloggers and legacy media are having a collective meltdown because Donald Trump will moderate a Republican presidential debate sponsored by Newsmax. The debate will be held Dec. 27 in Des Moines.

Bloggers and media aren’t alone in their scorn for The Donald. Two Republican candidates won’t be there—former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Paul was very outspoken about his disdain for Trump as moderator, calling the man who made his wealth in the private sector ‘clown-like.’

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Pundits overlooked ‘Senator Government’ in GOP Presidential debate

I don’t think there was a clear winner in the GOP Presidential Debate in New Hampshire on Monday evening. If I had to pick the most skilled debater, that would be former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. If I had to pick the most passionate, that would be Rep. Ron Paul (Texas). Each candidate made gains simply because Americans learned more about candidates who don’t have the brand recognition of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. I’m sure some media will declare winners.

History was made in that debate and the candidates presented a sharp, united rebuttal to the candidate who was not present—Senator Government.

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Libertarian weighs in on potential GOP presidential candidates

David Boaz, executive vice-president of Cato Institute, weighed in on potential GOP presidential candidates. [Screen snip from video at Cato.]I’ve often described myself as a Republican with a substantial amount of Libertarian, and that’s one of several reasons I like to read content at the Cato Institute. There’s an interesting video on the site with commentary by David Boaz, executive vice-president of Cato.

Boaz gave his opinions of the GOP possible presidential candidates, confirming something I’ve said in recent conversations.

There is a distinct Libertarian influence on the Republican Party at present and frankly, I think there’s a positive effect on overall fiscal issues and the principle of small government.

Boaz summed up candidates like Gov. Mitt Romney (“looks like a plastic model of a president”) and social conservatives popular with the GOP base (“can’t win a general election.”)

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Digging into HR 1207, no info from Barney Frank’s committee

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) is known for his conservative approach to fiscal policy, and a bill he introduced reflects his ideal. HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, is vintage Paul and serves as a model for legislation in general—it’s less than a page and goes straight to the point. The bill proposes an amendment to title 31 of the US Code, “to reform the manner in which the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is audited by the Comptroller General of the United States and the manner in which such audits are reported, and for other purposes.” Introduced Feb. 26, 2009, HR 1207 is apparently stuck in committee—the House Committee on Financial Services headed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) And as I tried to get information, I had a strange experience with my government.

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