Over the past week, readers cast thousands of ballots in the Spectator‘s brokered-convention straw poll. If GOP voters can’t settle on a nominee, we asked, where should convention delegates turn? Well, the results are in, and — with all the usual caveats about the unscientific vagaries of online polling — several things seem clear:
1) Mitt Romney may be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but in your hearts, he’s playing fourth fiddle.
Of those still in the race, who gets your vote for the GOP nomination?
Newt Gingrich | 29.08% | |
Rick Santorum | 27.07% | |
Ron Paul | 20.91% | |
Mitt Romney | 15.93% |
2) If GOP delegates begin looking for a savior, you’d point them to Paul Ryan.
3) But among the conservative base, adoration for Sarah Palin remains strong. We suggested five people who convention delegates could plausibly tap. Palin wasn’t among them. Still, hundreds of supporters cast write-in ballots for her. Many chided us — called us “numbskulls” even! — for not listing her as an initial option.
Should it come down to a brokered convention, which of these potential dark horses would you like to see emerge?
Paul Ryan | 24.11% | |
Sarah Palin | 17.95% | |
Marco Rubio | 17.39% | |
Mitch Daniels | 11.83% | |
Chris Christie | 9.70% | |
Jeb Bush | 6.68% | |
Rand Paul | 2.63% | |
Other Write-In | 2.16% |
Other notable write-in candidates included: