Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina top Western Conservative GOP presidential straw poll

Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina top Western Conservative Summit’s GOP presidential straw poll

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Ben Carson plans to assemble an all-star team of corporate and economic experts after his announcement Monday to help him devise specific, detailed, goal-oriented plans to reshape and resize government, trim costs and create a more fair tax system. (Associated ... more >

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Sunday, June 28, 2015

DENVER | Ben Carson won the Western Conservative Summit’s GOP presidential straw poll for the second year in a row, but the bigger surprise may have been the poll’s runner-up.

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina came in second in the vote of 871 conference attendees, edging out Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Ms. Fiorina and Mr. Carson were the only two candidates to gain more than 200 votes, followed by Mr. Walker, with 192 votes.

All three spoke at the sixth annual conference, but Mr. Carson and Mr. Walker were the headliners at the top-billed Saturday night event at the Colorado Convention Center, while Ms. Fiorina spoke to a smaller crowd Saturday morning.

On the Democratic side, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb won easily, placing well ahead of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Coming in a close third was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The summit, sponsored by the Centennial Institute and Colorado Christian University, wrapped up Sunday.

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I'm glad to see Walker did well but more than a little surprised at how well Dr. Carson and Florina did.

BEN CARSON WINS PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL

'I say I can do it because I'm not a politician'

Published: 3 hours ago

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Dr. Ben Carson, the famed brain surgeon, won a presidential straw poll conducted at the Western Conservative Summit, beating out other Washington outsiders former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Carson received 26 percent of the 871 votes cast, with Fiorina at 23 percent and Walker was at 22 percent. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who was represented by his father, Rafael Cruz, followed with 11 percent – the only other candidate to make it into double-digits at the Colorado conference Sunday.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, all presidential candidates in 2012, got 2 percent, 1 percent and 2 percent respectively despite having addressed the event in person.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush received just four total votes.

Carson dazzled the crowd by roaming the stage and speaking without notes.

“The professional politicians say you can’t do it because you’re not a politician,” he said. “I say I can do it because I’m not a politician.”

Another candidate who addressed the group, former New York Gov. George Pataki, got no votes at the conference.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/06/non-polit...8RBJubm6ZJl.99