CPAC Straw Poll: One Possible Future

From Hugh Hewitt we find that the Straw Poll of the GOP Presidential contenders at the CPAC yielded these results:

First Choice Vote Breakdown:
Romney 21%
Giuliani 17%
Brownback 15%
Gingrich 14%
McCain 12%

First and Second Choice Breakdown:
Giuliani 34%
Gingrich 30%
Romney 30%

I visited the links that HH listed and took away two main observations:

1. It looks like Romney was ‘salting the mine’ at CPAC.
2. It is striking how strong a guy who isn’t even going to decide on whether or not to run for another year (Gingrich) is a strong contender.

Oh, of course the Gingrich naysayers are out in force – but they are thinking inside the box. Consider Newt Gingrich taking the indirect approach. What if he doesn’t have eyes on 2008, but rather is once again thinking long term?

Newt Gingrich:
1. Is able to work with people from other parts of the ideological spectrum,
2. Has organized and led powerful political alliances before,
3. Is a proven creative thinker capable of big ideas,
4. Is an articulate communicator who can get those big ideas across to the whole of America and the world and
5. Is capable of being a leading agent for change and is more than comfortable in that role.

Is there anything in the above list that wouldn’t make Newt Gingrich an ideal Vice Presidential Candidate in 2008?

Vice President Cheney could someday soon be referred to as the SECOND most powerful Vice President in history.

I’d really like to vote for Gingrich as President. If not that, then having him on the ticket could motivate me to vote for a few more other candidates that I otherwise might have trouble supporting without holding my nose. Here’s a draft for MY bumper sticker:

Update 04/02/07: I meant to mention this earlier, but if Fred Thompson gets in the race I'm making a new bumper sticker (LOL)