CMU students back Paul in straw poll

The College Republicans at Central Michigan University recently conducted a straw poll on the campus.

The poll on the upcoming Michigan Republican presidential primary featured two questions: which candidate the participant plans on voting for and how likely he or she is to vote in the primary.

In all, 101 people voted in the poll. Ron Paul came in first with 49 percent, followed by Mitt Romney with 36 percent. Rick Santorum came in third with 11 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich with 4 percent and Fred Karger with 1 percent. Buddy Roemer did not receive any votes.

Among the 53 people who were likely or very likely to vote in the primary, Paul received 47 percent, Romney received 34 percent, Santorum received 13 percent, Gingrich received 4 percent, and Karger received 2 percent.

"This poll was a great way for us to gauge the feelings of students here on campus. In a year where we have a hotly contested primary race, it's good to see students getting involved in the election process and being enthusiastic about it," said Nathan Inks, chairman of the College Republicans.

Inks went on to say, "With Michigan's primary being early in the nomination process, our state plays a vital role in determining who will be the party's nominee, so this poll enabled us to see which way the younger voters are leaning in this election. Young voters are becoming more involved in the political process, and it's important for the GOP to see where they stand."

The College Republicans collected votes from various places across campus. Over a dozen College Republicans volunteered to conduct the poll.

The straw poll was not a scientific poll and was merely intended to gauge the general political leanings of the university community.