Hunter Wins Texas Straw Poll, Paul Kooks Defiant in Defeat

It seems the silly behavior by the Ron Paul nuts didn't quite pay off as they'd expected.

They're now free to enter a mental health facility of their choice.

Hunter wins Texas' first-ever GOP Straw Poll

Republican presidential hopeful Duncan Hunter, a California congressman known for being tough on illegal immigrants, landed a surprise win in the state’s first-ever straw poll Saturday.

Hunter, a chief proponent in Congress of building a security fence across the length of the U.S.-Mexico border, had 41.1 percent of the votes cast. Finishing second with 20.5 percent was candidate-in-waiting Fred Thompson, who is expected to formally launch his campaign next week, and third with 16.7 percent was the only Texan in the race, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside.

Over the past two days, Hunter worked aggressively to win the poll, pursuing delegates, shaking hands, signing autographs, talking issues – even serving meat to delegates during a Friday night GOP banquet.

Paul supporters had big hopes for a victory on Saturday after they brought in delegates by bus, threw parties and held a rally and a parade. But they were thwarted by many delegates’ clear displeasure with Paul’s vehement opposition to the Iraq war.

Shocking isn't it, that taking a position anathema to most Republicans would cost the fringe candidate votes.

Hundreds of Paul supporters – who made themselves a visible presence around downtown throughout the two-day event – loudly cheered during Paul’s stump speech Saturday morning. They held up “Ron Paul” signs and passed out campaign literature and stickers to delegates throughout the day.

Paul, who arrived in Fort Worth Friday night in time to give a speech at his rally, left the straw poll before the results were announced.

Paul supporters said they were let down by the results.

“We knew it would be a hard run with Duncan Hunter on the ground (in Texas) for two weeks,” said Jeremy Blosser, of Arlington, a Paul grassroots supporter. “He was making a hard push because he doesn’t have much left in him.”

Several noted that Paul had more supporters at the poll but most were not eligible to vote because the Republican Party of Texas only allowed those who had been delegates in recent years to a state or national convention to actually cast ballots.

So Hunter beats their brains in on their own turf, and the Paul nuts are still talking smack.

Who is it exactly that doesn't have much left in him?