Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) is the valueiest politician around. At least that’s what participants in the 2010 Values Voter straw poll think. Pence, whose 2012 presidential aspirations are no secret, swept both the presidential and vice-presidential polls.
Pence gave a raucous and engaging speech to the crowd here Friday, which Family Research Council president Tony Perkins told me was at least partially responsible for his double win. Pence, of course, wasn’t the only presidential hopeful to address the crowd yesterday. Rick Santorum spoke, too, though his sixth place finish suggests (by Perkins’ logic) that people here were unmoved by his morality-focused speech. Mitt Romney tried to slay ‘em in the aisles with a series of one-liners that seemed to amuse the crowd here. He came in third in today’s results.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Morals, Morals, Morals! Conservatives Gather For Values Voter Summit]
Last year’s winner straw poll winner, Mike Huckabee, also addressed the crowd yesterday, ripping into the health care reform law with what can only be described as true relish. He finished second in the presidential poll.
Sarah Palin, who didn’t show up here at all, finished fifth in the presidential poll and second in the veepstakes. Because Pence won both polls, Palin was declared the winner of the VP straw poll, meaning — if it means anything — that participants here hope to have Pence/Palin bumper stickers on their cars come 2012.
“What a dream ticket,” Perkins told the crowd.
Here are the full straw poll results from the VVS. The total number of votes cast was 723.
Presidential Poll
1. Mike Pence (24%)
2. Mike Huckabee (22%)
3. Mitt Romney (13%)
4. Newt Gingrich (10%)
5. Sarah Palin (7%)
6. Rick Santorum (5%)
7. Jim DeMint (5%)
8. Bobby Jindal (2%)
9. Mitch Daniels (2%)
10. Chris Christie (2%)
11. John Thune (2%)
12. Bob McDonnell (1%)
13. Marco Rubio (1%)
14. Paul Ryan (1%)
15. Haley Barbour (1%)
16. Ron Paul (1%)
17. Jan Brewer (1%)
Vice-Presidential Poll
1. Mike Pence (16%)
2. Sarah Palin (15%)
3. Rick Santorum (10%)
4. Paul Ryan (7%)
5. Jim DeMint (6%)
6. Mike Huckabee (6%)
7. Marco Rubio (6%)
8. Bobby Jindal (6%)
9. Bob McDonnell (4%)
10. Chris Christie (3%)
11. Mitt Romney (3%)
12. Newt Gingrich (3%)
13. Jan Brewer (3%)
14. John Thune (2%)
15. Mitch Daniels (1%)
16. Haley Barbour (1%)
17. Ron Paul (1%)
Top Five Issues
1. Abortion
2. Government spending
3. Repeal of Obamacare
4. Protection of religious liberty’
5. National Security
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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