Published: July 10, 2011

Conservative Leadership Conference Presidential Straw Poll Surprise Result

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The 4th Annual Conservative Leadership Conference was held in Henderson, Nevada, July 9.

The annual event is an opportunity for conservatives to hear interesting speakers, and to participate in public policy discussions. Organizers say it is also a chance to meet other like-minded Nevadans who share the philosophy of limited, constitutional government, low taxation, free markets and a strong national defense.

The all-day event brought in many nationally-known conservative speakers, including sitting Senators and Representatives and Governors. Herman Cain, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Andrew Breitbart and Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson were there.

In all, there were 20 speakers, and at lunchtime, an awards luncheon honored six people. A Cocktail Reception and Book-Signing started at 5:00 pm, with six attendees promoting their books.

A straw poll, conducted by The Washington Times had a surprising result - see the infographic below. Herman Cain, who spoke at the event, came out on top, with Mitt Romney just a few points behind.

The surprise, in third position was Rick Perry, who has not yet announced he will run. This may be an indication that some people are not satisfied with the existing field.

The straw poll was held amongst the 200 conservative attendees, most of whom voted. The strong showing of Herman Cain in the poll may be partly due to him speaking at the event.