Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

    Republicans at last weekend’s GOP Advance in Arlington have been trying to explain Ron Paul’s victory in an informal straw poll with some going to silly lengths to discount it.

    A straw poll among only about 500 people is no big deal, but backers of several of Paul’s GOP presidential opponents look a bit childish in their bids to pour cold water on the Texas congressman’s win.

    Some said only Paul’s campaign “bused in” supporters, despite no evidence of buses in sight and plenty of evidence that his camp took the poll more seriously than the smaller Thompson, Huckabee or Romney crowds.

    Rick Sincere, a Libertarian Republican whose name speaks to his honesty, said in his blog, “the fact is those supporters showed up on their own after being encouraged to attend by others from inside and outside the campaign.“

    A few party regulars said second place was really first place and Fred Thompson really won. That’s a good way for a party to start accumulating a lot of silver medals.