A tale of two Pauls: Rand, Ryan, and 2016 (+video)
Sen. Rand Paul won another presidential straw poll this weekend as other Republicans trailed off into single digits. But two recent surveys show Rep. Paul Ryan virtually tied with Sen. Paul.
Unless youre seriously addicted to politics, presidential polls 30-plus months away from an actual presidential election are little more than will-o'-the-wisps, bits of numerical ephemera, digital detritus.
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They can be (and usually are) overtaken by unforeseen events; think New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who used to be the man to beat among Republicans and Bridgegate.
But as patterns begin to emerge, the picture can become more interesting.
Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky won another straw poll this weekend.
At the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference in New Hampshire Saturday, the conservative/libertarian who, like his father retired Rep. Ron Paul before him, habitually ruffles GOP feathers won a straw poll vote with 15 percent.
Coming along behind were Gov. Christie with 12 percent; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum tied at 11 percent; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with 9 percent; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 8 percent; Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 4 percent; and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Paul Ryan, and former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton tied at 3 percent.
What ho? Has second-place Christie been rehabilitated? Perhaps. Or maybe its the lull before the storm of more revelations about that spiteful bridge closure orchestrated by his staff to punish a Democratic mayor.
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