WASHINGTON -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got a much-needed boost Saturday, winning a key symbolic vote over former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania among some of the nation's most active Republican voters before besting the field in the Maine caucuses.
Romney's 38-31 percent defeat of Santorum in a straw presidential vote among thousands of activists at the annual convention of the Conservative Political Action Committee bolstered his claim that he can consolidate support among the Republican base."I think it will give people a little more feeling that in the upcoming primaries, Romney can appeal to the conservative wing of the Republican Party," said Michael McLaughlin, a retired foreign-service officer from McLean, Va., who attended the three-day conference in Washington.In a separate nationwide survey of conservatives conducted by conference organizers, Romney bested Santorum by 27-25 percent.The results were a setback for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and provided fresh evidence that he's losing ground to Santorum as the strongest alternative to Romney in the GOP White House race.Gingrich received 15 percent of the straw vote among 3,408 CPAC activists and 20 percent of the vote in the national survey of conservatives conducted by Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, finishing third behind Romney and Santorum in both tallies."Santorum is the candidate who can best articulate and represent conservative values whether they be social or fiscal issues," said Wendell Walker of Lynchburg, Va., Republican Party chairman of the swing state's 6th Congressional District. "He's the candidate with the least baggage among the Republican field."Paul won the CPAC vote in 2010 and 2011, but he finished fourth Saturday with 12 percent in a sign that Republicans are focused on electability this year in their quest to dislodge President Barack Obama.Sarah Palin closed the conference with a populist rallying cry heavy with criticism not just of Obama but also of the "crony capitalism" that she says has infected Washington more broadly.Too often, she said, those who decry Washington as a "cesspool" become comfortable in the "hot tub.""The divide between Washington and the rest of the country has never been greater and never been more dangerous," Palin said."It is time that we drain the Jacuzzi and we throw the bums out with the bathwater."Palin said the Republican party would benefit from an extended primary battle."In America, we believe that competition strengthens us," she said. "Competition relates to victory in 2012."This report includes material from the Tribune Washington Bureau.
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