Originally published March 1, 2015.
Rand Paul has won the CPAC straw poll for the third year in a row — but the real winner was Scott Walker.
Paul got 26 percent of the vote in a field of 17 in the annual presidential preference survey while Walker was a close second at 21 percent.
That means one in five young attendees here on the convention floor found the balding, unhip and often monotone governor of Wisconsin to be exciting and inspiring. Almost as inspiring as “Fonzi” himself — Rand Paul.
Critics of CPAC will tell you that it doesn’t matter who wins the straw poll because the young activists in the audience cannot seem to find a way to actually vote in their own state primaries. And historically that has been the case.
But what if this time is different? What if CPAC, this three-day cardigan Woodstock, actually takes hold and multitudes of these young people put Snapchat on ice for a few minutes and go out and vote?
It would mean added horsepower during primary season for Paul and Walker. But Paul scares the adults, so that leaves Walker — already gaining momentum — the happy recipient of a nitrous oxide boost at the ballot box.
Walker wins.
And if young voters cannot, as usual, pierce the invisible forcefield that perennially keeps them from voting in primaries ... No Problemo.
Walker is continuing to impress in recent polls of actual voters and conservatives appear to be liking him more and more as each week goes by.
Which brings us to the establishment, legacy candidate Jeb Bush. His showing at CPAC was lackluster, at best. He was a stunning doppelgänger of his brother George W Bush — even down to the twitchy mannerisms. He wasn’t sharp off the cuff and he was reaching for a quick exit when the questions got tough.
Bush came in fifth with 8 percent in the straw poll and got an ear-splitting chorus of boos when his tally was announced.
Dr. Ben Carson and Ted Cruz were a virtual tie at 11.4 percent and 11.5 percent respectively and each received generous applause in the ballroom.
When it was announced that Walker and Paul were the top two vote-getters, high-fives and screams from every corner filled the air, and one had to shake off the vibe to come to the obvious conclusion: Scott Walker had stolen CPAC.
Paul may get a plaque from the good folks here at CPAC but Scott Walker is flying home to Wisconsin the winner, looking out the window with a smile as wide as the 800 mile flight, saying to himself, “This is Walker country.”
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