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Pawlenty Does CPAC: Swings 9-Iron Into Vice Presidential Sweepstakes

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty should have been a fish out of water at CPAC but he seemed to go over well with what normally wouldn't be a friendly crowd.

Even Gawker noted that Pawlenty's "9-iron" speech (as in swinging a 9-iron into "big government") wasn't typical of the "milquetoast moderate" governor.  Conspiracies abound.

"Pawlenty was elected governor of Minnesota as an impossibly boring, milquetoast moderate Republican. (He also failed to break 50% in either election, thanks to the zombie third party that rose from the ashes of the Jesse Ventura era.) His tenure has been unimpressive—his poll numbers plummeted as Minnesota's economy tanked—but now he's tacking hard right and running for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012. (Or, more likely, he's running to be Mitt's VP pick, as he was almost McCain's.)"

Zombie third party?  Hardly.  But this is coming from Gawker.

Conservatives Want Ron Paul As Republican Presidential Candidate: Romney At 22% In CPAC Poll

Ron Paul wins the Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC.

It wasn't even close.  Of course, these are the hardcore conservatives -- though it was a particularly younger crowd.

The Texas Congressman had 31% of the Conservative gathering supporting him (a Daily News poll had him at 80%).
 

Mitt Romney drew only 22% in the CPAC poll, though it was a fragmented vote.

Barack Obama leads Romney, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin in a Public Policy Polling survey conducted right before CPAC. 

As for the rest of CPAC's Presidential Straw Pall, Sarah Palin only managed 7%.  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a social liberal, wasn't far behind with 6%.  Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, 5%.  Newt Gingrich only 4%.  Mike Huckabee, a disappointing 4%.  Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (what's up in Indiana?), Rick Santorum and South Dakota Senator John Thune were tied with 2%.  Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (who used to fare well in such straw polls) trailed the pack with 1%.

Considering that Other (5%) and Undecided (6%) combined for 11 percent, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney were the only two names that looked remotely competitive among conservatives.

Women were only 30 percent of the nearly 2,400 votes cast at the Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference.

All 50 states, including DC, were represented in the voting. 48 percent were students, 54% between 18-25.

On fiscal issues, the TOP PRIORITY of Republicans in Congress was polled to be: cutting federal spending at 58%,
reducing the federal debt at 23% and cutting federal taxes at 15%.

Jim DeMint (73%), Glenn Beck, who had his fun "scolding" the Republican Party (70%), Rush Limbaugh (70%) and Mike Pence (59%) had the highest favorables.

Nancy Pelosi (94%), Harry Reid (88%) and Republican National Chairman Michael Steele (44%) had the highest unfavorables.

McCain Evacuates Michigan

AP reports McCain's pulling everything out of Michigan.

On the same day his former Republican Presidential primary opponent Mitt Romney affirms his statement that McCain can win there, the plug is pulled.

That's ostensibly more honest than what has transpired here in New York, where there are rumors that McCain has an active campaign -- and no active campaign.  President Bush did this in 2004; Signs were hard to come by, writing off the state early yet both 2000 and 2004 numbers through Upstate New York were surprisingly better than 1996 and 1992.

Jonathan Martin at Politico had the story:

"McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush."

Interesting how only today Mitt Romney had been talking up Michigan for McCain, repeating comments he made last week.

Politico made it sound like McCain had once believed he could win in Romney's former stomping grounds.

"Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive."

Republicans in Michigan responded to McCain's departure much the same way Republicans have felt in New York State about national races since ... gosh ... 1992?

McCain's decision didn't go over well with at least some Michigan Republicans.

"We want him in Michigan. We want him to hear our issues," said Mike Bishop, the top-ranking Republican in the state Legislature.

Like Politico, The Atlantic had its own analysis of McCain's resource-driven strategy but no mention of Romney's comments about winning in Michigan last week and again today.