The CPAC convention this weekend in Washington, DC, again demonstrated total division on the issue of who to support for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination, as Congressman Ron Paul of Texas again won the straw poll with only about 30 percent of the vote, with Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts second with 23 percent, and everyone else way back in the single digits.
The chances of Ron Paul being the 2012 GOP nominee are zero, even though he had won last year’s CPAC straw poll as well. His views on removing America’s involvement overseas, while appealing to many, will never be the Republican platform in 2012, and his libertarian domestic views, while very appealing to a lot of young people at the convention and around the country, also has no chance to become standard GOP doctrine.
With Mitt Romney ending up second again, and having been first in 2007 and 2008, it may just be a boost to his candidacy, but still it is clear the race for the hearts and minds of conservatives will be a long drawn out battle over the next year.
With Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee not attending the CPAC convention, and failing to show up well in the CPAC straw poll, it also may help Romney, but it seems likely that there will be a lot of blood letting before any chance of unity, and indeed there is no guarantee of a united backing of any Republican nominee for President in 2012.