Texas Rep. Ron Paul has won the Values
Voter Summit's presidential straw poll, while Herman Cain and Rick
Santorum placed second and third, respectively.
At the three-day event, which was
sponsored by the Christian conservative groups American Family
Association (AFA) and Family Research Council (FRC), Paul received 37
percent of the survey, or 732 out of 1,983 votes cast, the AP
reported.
Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman
Cain came in second with 23 percent, or 447 votes, while former
Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum rounded the top 3 with 16 percent,
or 323 votes.
All three presidential hopefuls spoke
at the event. In addressing the crowd on Friday, Santorum chided
Obama for no longer defending in federal court the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) – calling it an “abomination” – and for
allowing gay couples to marry on military bases in states where it's
legal now that “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” has been lifted, which he
labeled a violation of DOMA. He also pledged to fight marriage
equality “in every state to make sure that marriage remains between
one man and one woman.”
(Related: Buck
McKeon: Military chaplains being “forced” to officiated gay
weddings.)
In announcing the results of the poll
on Saturday, FRC President Tony Perkins said it was too early in the
process to determine who will be the GOP nominee.
“You saw the response – Herman Cain
had people on their feet; Rick Santorum connected with people,”
Perkins said. “I think there's still the hearts and the minds and
the passions of the 'values voters' are still there to be won.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry placed fourth
in the survey with 8 percent (167 votes), Minnesota Rep. Michele
Bachmann, who earlier this year won the Iowa Straw Poll, placed fifth
(8 percent/157 votes) and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
finish sixth with 4 percent (88 votes).
(Related: Mitt
Romney calls for “civil debate” in denouncing anti-gay Bryan
Fischer.)