This is the best result Ron Paul could have hoped for, because now the neocon press cannot dismiss the poll has irrelevant!!!!!

Well, I always thought he was in for the long haul as the conventional wisdom is he is nobody's first choice but people might settle for him as their 2nd choice. Once Gingrich, Cain, Santorum, Huntsman drop out he may pick up a lot of those votes.

Still, you'd think a former governor of Minnesota could take both Bachman and Ron Paul in the straw poll, especillay with Romney only placing 7th.

Imagine how big Bachman had won if Tpaw wasn't in the race? Talk about a beatdown!

I think Rove and the boys are about to tear this poor woman apart.

His problem is most of the pundits and the GOP wants to box him in as the social conservative even though he's running as a full sprectrum conservative..he's running a better campaign than most of them.

That's pretty excellent for Rick Perry.

Nominating Bachmann would ensure victory for Obama. I hope the party isn't crazy enough to nominate her. Say what you will about TPaw's attack on her, it was a valid one.

She told us her strategy to get things done in Washington, and that was to elect 60 Republicans to the senate. :/

That's a strategy for total failure. I agree with TPaw on this one. She's great on the issues, but she has ZERO plan to get anything actually accomplished. I don't want someone in the white house who is principled and ineffective. That's the last thing we need right now. Plus, let's be real, she has not got a shot at beating Obama. She's like a watered down Sarah Palin, with nothing to point to in terms of legislative accomplishments.

She led on this.
Lost.
She led on that.
Lost.
She led on another thing.
Lost.

I'm kind of stunned by the level of support she has, to be honest. Her nomination would be a suicide mission.

I'm stunned at the level of support she has, too -- never expected it -- but I'm being "real," and I don't think she lacks a "shot" at beating Obama. I think almost anyone could beat him, in fact, and she is the most conservative of the possibilities. I'm not saying I've chosen her; I'm waiting to see, but it will almost surely come down to Bachmann or Perry for me.

Oh, and as for her "losses" -- what do you expect of a Congresswoman in the minority? She has exceeded all reasonable expectations.

Ron Paul, who doesn't think it matters if Iran gets a nuke, came in 150 votes behind the winner? Good grief!

So did the paul supporters vote multiple times as they do on every online poll they can find? How do the organizers of this straw poll insure the integrity of the vote? These straw polls are mostly meaningless at this point as the election is still well over a year away. Too many variables can change hearts and minds of voters before the final nomination at the republican convention.

Matt, you are funny! First, Ames is about the organizations, more than anything else. Mitt's organization has put forth ZERO effort toward the Ames. He did not bus in anyone. He has no booth. He has nothing at the Ames. Now, has he been active in Iowa - oh yes. But this has nothing to do with Ames. Only the most loyal would attend, and Mitt told his own supporters not to make a big deal out of it.

Perry was in the same shoes - he does not have any "formal" organizational activity either. However, there is an Iowan organization that is trying to convince him to jump in the race. They were active at Ames. They did not do too well, seeing that Perry with his "minimal" effort barely got a handful more than Mitt with his ZERO effort.

Just so I am clear, I am happy with most of the present candidates. I could vote for most of them, including Mitt and Perry.

Do "a lot of you" prefer a Mormon? Just wondering.