Ron Paul wins straw poll in Ohio

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Published time: October 24, 2011 15:44
Edited time: October 24, 2011 19:44

Are you still a fringe candidate when you pull in more than half of all votes? Just ask Ron Paul.

Even with the establishment cringing at his libertarian leanings and his ideas otherwise radical for a Republican candidate, Congressman Paul received nearly 54 percent of the votes in an Ohio straw poll over the weekend.

The Ohio Republican straw poll was held in the Buckeye State on Saturday, and the majority of the votes cast went to the Texas congressman who continues to show both success and support in his race for the GOP nomination, despite little attention from the mainstream media.

While news outlets have largely focused in recent weeks on the surging popularity of Herman Cain, the pizzaman only raked in nearly half of what Paul got in the straw poll. Following Paul’s first place victory, Cain came in second with around 26 percent of the votes. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney received around 9 percent, giving him a third place standing. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, came in fourth.

Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, both considered top tier candidates earlier in the race, each received less than 5 percent of the vote. In recent weeks their popularity among Republican voters has shown extreme signs of decline.

Paul’s success continues to soar, although he has still not received the same media coverage favored for other Republican hopefuls. In an interview with Alex Jones’ Inforwars last month, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura offered his support for the candidate. “Ron Paul can win. It’s out there. All you got to do is activate and get the silent voters out to vote,” said Ventura. “You have to give them a reason to see their vote.”

Former Presidential candidate Ralph Nader also noted the lack of press being given to Paul, despite his popular ideas and grassroots backing. “He ought to get more attention, instead of ten times more attention being given to Michele Bachmann,” Nader told CNN.

As the American economy becomes a hot topic among politicians vying for the GOP bid, earlier this month Paul revealed his Restore America plan, which he says would cut spending by $1 trillion during his first year in the White House. The program would put an axe to foreign aid and regulations, as well as see a massive decrease in the presidential salary.

His victory in Ohio over the weekend adds to an already impressive list of straw poll wins for Ron Paul. Previously he has taken first place in polls in California, South Carolina and the Values Voter Summit straw poll in Washington.