Could the wave of Ron Paul enthusiasm actually be transforming in to political support?
From the Utah Republican Party website (with a big ol' hat-tip to marshall over at Wasatch Watcher).
The results:
Utah Presidential Straw Poll Results
2nd - Ron Paul 84 (5.66%)
3rd - Rudy Giuliani 63 (4.25%)
4th - John McCain 58 (3.91%)
5th - Tom Tancredo 23 (1.55%)
6th - Tommy Thompson 17 (1.15%)
7th - Mike Huckabee 14 (0.94%)
8th - Duncan Hunter 12 (0.81%)
9th - Sam Brownback 11 (0.74%)
I'll let you guess who got first with 80.98% of the vote.
But how does this "help get Democrats elected" I already hear you say. Because pacified, didn't you know Ron Paul is Pat Buchanan and hates you? He's just some cranky homophobe!
All of that can be true, and he can still serve a purpose to help Democrats. If 5% of the GOP voters in Utah are supporting him (and if this number increases), we might have found ourselves a voting block in the oppositions party that agrees with the Democrat on the biggest issue of the day. Paul is in direct contradiction to the bravado of baloney the other GOP front-runners project, as should be whomever we Democrats ultimately nominate.
Ron Paul can also add cover to Democrats, just like Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller do for Republicans. If ever asked "which GOoPer do you like the most?" or something, say, "On the Iraq issue, I think Republican Congressman Ron Paul has some ideas." Or "A Republican who thinks like Ron Paul is one we could work with".
It's the whole "pretending to be bi-partisan" (which the voters want), while still jabbing it in their eye!
Paul also speaks almost exclusively on the Iraq War, and more generally about the American Empire and the military industrial complex. He says "we should bring the world Democracy not at the barrel of a gun, but by setting a good example." That's what I believe, and I bet you do too. The more people who hear these words before the election, the more who might actually realize the empty garbage Bush's GOP throws.
So is this straw poll just a blip? Or is it meaningless? Seen any other polls with Paul? Is thinking we can "jujitsu" Paul's ideas to our advantage really that insane?