Presidential Straw Poll | featured news

Former pizza executive Herman Cain surprised rival Rick Perry with an upset victory on Saturday in a Republican presidential straw poll in Florida, dealing a disappointing loss to the Texas governor two days after a shaky debate performance.

Ron Paul won the straw poll here overwhelmingly with 612 votes, drawing big boos and some quieter chants of "Ron Paul." Jon Huntsman finished a surprising second with 382 votes, despite being a late scratch because of a "bad cold." Michele Bachmann was third with 191 votes.

Libertarian Republican Congressman Ron Paul won a presidential straw poll of conservatives on Saturday in a result that showed Republicans have far to go to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama in 2012.

Talk about your political upsets. Rep. Ron Paul, hero of a fervant band of libertarians, unexpectedly won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference today.