Herman Cain Wins Florida P5 Straw Poll

Straw polls are taken too seriously by the Republican party establishment and the media. That said, Rick Perry and his staff have to be going ballistic over all the money they wasted on the Florida P5 straw poll. Perry lost to the poorly organized Herman Cain. What does it mean?

Perry placed too much emphasis on a straw poll and put himself in a vulnerable position. Mitt Romney knew the hard-right conservative that take part in straw polls won't support him. Romney saved himself money and embarrassment. Romney spent a ton of money and won the Iowa straw poll in 2007. The result was Mike Huckabee winning the Iowa caucus.

Cain won the American Policy Summit straw poll earlier this year. Cain winning the straw poll in Florida is not that surprising. Cain has either not taken the time to polish his message or study the issues. Perry is not a policy wonk, but he is a polished politician. Cain fumbling the question on the Palistan two-state solution tells me that this has always been a vanity campaign for Cain. Cain is neither polished or takes policy seriously.



Cain's campaign his staffed with tea party activists that has never worked a campaign. Cain released a bizarre internet Western-themed ad that hardly discussed Cain's positions. The ad made me realize that Cain is the Mike Gravel of this election cycle.

Update: Team Romney is getting really cocky.

One Romney aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, overstated Romney's strength but underscord the team's cockiness when he said, "It's over. Perry's toast."