By Joe Holley, Houston Chronicle

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain rode his big, blue bus into Houston on Saturday, revving up a tea party gathering at Minute Maid Park with his impassioned speaking style, but at the same time counseling pragmatism when picking a president.

Cain told the crowd of 300 that even though he’s out of the race, they need to determine which of the remaining candidates has the best chance of winning the general election and then throw their support to that person. They chose Texas Congressman Ron Paul, but many of them admitted feeling conflicted.

Cain didn’t say whom he supports, although he has promised he soon will be making “an unconventional endorsement” in South Carolina.

“I know that many of us are befuddled by the candidates we have left,” he said, “but don’t lose sight of the mission. … Our mission is to send Obama home.”

The former Godfather’s Pizza executive and motivational speaker, whose candidacy ended amid allegations of sexual harassment, was the climactic speaker at the two-day event sponsored by a confederation of Houston-area tea party groups. In addition to Cain, the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll featured several U.S. Senate candidates and current and former elected officials, among them former Texas congressman Dick Armey. The former House majority leader also advised pragmatism.

“Once in a lifetime we had a Ronald Reagan. We can’t sit and wait for another Ronald Reagan,” he said. Armey heads a tea party support group called Freedom Works.

Despite the calls for a pragmatic approach, many at the event struggled. Their trouble, they said, was deciding whether to go with their heart — if they can figure out who to give it to — or, as Armey advised, to go with their head and support whoever gets the nomination.

Not an easy choice

Some among the crowd in the baseball park’s Union Station hall — a smaller turnout than organizers expected, perhaps due to the $75 fee — said they got the message, but it wasn’t an easy choice nonetheless.

“We looked at Perry first, but when he got hurt, that made it tough,” said John Quigley, 66, of Spofford, a retired Methodist pastor.

“What we’re looking for is the best candidate to beat Obama,” said his wife, Yvonne Quigley, 77, also a retired Methodist pastor.

Evelyn Montalvo, 58, a retired registered nurse from Richmond, voiced a similar dilemma.

“We’re all in flux,” she said. “I’ve always been a Newt (Gingrich) supporter, but I don’t like his attacks on capitalism. I can support Romney, but he’s not my first choice.”

“I’ve been a Romney guy all along,” said Dave Rosenthal, 50, a geophysicist from Missouri City. “I was for Perry. … I think he’s been great for Texas, but now I think it’s time for him to come home.”

There was, of course, absolute consensus on the enemy.

“Barack Obama is the most radical president this country has ever seen,” said Ted Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general who is running for the U.S. Senate. Between jibes at his foe, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — who was scheduled to speak but didn’t show up — Cruz warned in a fiery speech that the state and the nation “are under assault.”

Wealth gap noted

Buddy Pilgrim, another speaker, declared Obama’s was “the most anti-business administration in the history of the country.” Pilgrim, the former president and chief executive officer of the chicken supplier Pilgrim’s Pride, is also running for a seat in the Senate.

“The gap between rich and poor is at its highest level ever because of the demagogue in the White House,” he said.

Also speaking was the newest U.S. Senate candidate in the race, former SMU football star and ESPN commentator Craig James, who grew up in the Houston area.

“We have two real good playbooks in this country,” James said. “We have the 10 Commandments, and we have the Constitution.”

Evangelicals check in

James, whose remarks rivaled those of Cruz on the fiery scale, told the crowd he was “a humongous free-market guy,” and “if you can’t agree to a balanced budget amendment, then you’re a fool — an absolute fool.”

State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, reported on the Friday-Saturday meeting of some 150 evangelical leaders from around the country at the ranch home of former Judge Paul Pressler, near New Ulm.

Patrick said they, too, were having a tough time agreeing on a candidate who both reflected evangelical, social conservative values and could challenge Romney for the nomination.

Many in the group had met with Perry in August, expecting him to be their champion. Patrick reported that after several rounds of voting Saturday, the group endorsed former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.

Patrick also counseled pragmatism. “Our No. 1 objective is to defeat Barack Obama,” he said. “God will help us choose. If we listen, if we ask for wisdom, we will find the right candidate.”

‘Goliath’ holds forth

Cain was the rock star of the event. Wearing his signature black hat, he strode to the rostrum buoyed by a standing ovation. Even though he has ended his campaign, he assured the crowd he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Since they have forced Goliath out of the race because I chose to put family first, I’m going to create an army of Davids,” he intoned.

Cain told the crowd that his trademark 9-9-9 tax-reform plan was still alive, with congressional candidates across the nation making it their issue and with legislation being drawn up in Congress.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul won the presidential straw poll with 54 percent of the vote, followed by Santorum with 15 percent and Perry with 13 percent. Romney got 4 percent of the vote.

In the U.S. Senate straw poll, Cruz got 49 percent and James got 13 percent. Dewhurst, the presumed front-runner, came in last with 7 percent.

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain rode his big, blue bus into Houston Saturday, revving up a tea party gathering at Minute Maid Park with his impassioned speaking style, but at the same time counseling pragmatism when it comes to picking a president.

Cain told the crowd of 300 that even though he’s out of the race, they need to determine which of the remaining candidates has the best chance of winning the general election and then throw their support to that person. He didn’t say who that person was, although he has promised he soon will be making “an unconventional endorsement” in South Carolina.

“I know that many of us are befuddled by the candidates we have left,” he said, “but don’t lose sight of the mission. Our mission is to send Obama home.”

The former Godfather’s Pizza executive and motivational speaker, whose candidacy ended amid allegations of sexual harassment, was the climactic speaker at the two-day event sponsored by a confederation of Houston-area tea party groups. In addition to Cain, the so-called Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll featured several U.S. Senate candidates and current and former elected officials, among them former Texas Congressman Dick Armey. The former House majority leader also counseled pragmatism.

“Once in a lifetime we had a Ronald Reagan. We can’t sit and wait for another Ronald Reagan,” he said. Armey, who heads a tea party support group called Freedom Works, is backing Mitt Romney.

Despite the calls for a pragmatic approach, many in attendance admitted to feeling conflicted. They were having trouble, they said, deciding whether to go with their heart – if they can figure out whom to give their heart to – or, as Armey advised them, go with their head and support the former Massachusetts governor, the likely nominee.

Some among the crowd in the baseball park’s Union Station hall — a smaller turnout than organizers expected, perhaps because of the $75 fee — said they got the message, but their choice wasn’t an easy one, nonetheless.

“We looked at (Rick) Perry first, but when he got hurt that made it tough,” said John Quigley, 66, a retired Methodist pastor from Spofford, who attended the event with his wife, Yvonne, 77, also a retired Methodist pastor.

“We realize there’s no perfect candidate,” John Quigley said.

“What we’re looking for is the best candidate to beat Obama,” Yvonne Quigley said.

Evelyn Montalvo, 58, a retired registered nurse from Richmond, said she faced a similar dilemma.

“We’re all in flux,” Montalvo said. “I’ve always been a Newt (Gingrich) supporter, but I don’t like his attacks on capitalism. I can support Romney, but he’s not my first choice.”

“I’ve been a Romney guy all along,” said Dave Rosenthal, 50, a geophysicist from Missouri City. “I was for Perry in the beginning but not anymore. I think he’s been great for Texas, but now I think it’s time for him to come home.”

What they can agree on

There was, of course, absolute consensus on the enemy.

“The Obama administration is the most anti-business administration in the history of the country,” said Buddy Pilgrim, a former chief executive officer of chicken supplier Pilgrim’s Pride. Pilgrim is running for the U.S. Senate.

“The gap between the rich and poor is at its highest level ever,” he added, “because of the demagogue in the White House.”

“Barack Obama is the most radical president this country has ever seen,” said Ted Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general who also is running for the U.S. Senate. Between jibes at his opponent, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — who was scheduled to speak but didn’t show up — Cruz, in a fiery speech, warned the crowd that “the state of Texas and our nation are under assault.”

Also speaking at the event was the newest U.S. Senate candidate in the race, former SMU football star and ESPN commentator Craig James, who grew up in the Houston area.

“We have two real good playbooks in this country,” he said. “We have the Ten Commandments, and we have the Constitution.”

James, an accomplished speaker whose remarks rivaled those of Cruz on the fiery scale, told the crowd that he was “a humongous free-market guy,” and that “if you can’t agree to a balanced budget amendment, then you’re a fool, an absolute fool.”

State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, reported on the Friday-Saturday meeting of some 150 evangelical leaders from around the country at the ranch home of former Judge Paul Pressler, near New Ulm. Patrick, who attended the meeting, said they, too, were having a tough time arriving at a consensus candidate who both reflected evangelical, social conservative values and could challenge Romney for the nomination.

Many in the group had met with Perry in August, expecting him to be their champion. Patrick reported that on Saturday, after several rounds of voting, the group endorsed former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Patrick also counseled pragmatism.

“Our number-one objective is to defeat Barack Obama,” he said. “At the end of the process, God will help us choose,” he said. “If we listen, if we ask for wisdom, we will find the right candidate.”

Cain was the rock star of the event. Wearing his signature black hat, he strode to the rostrum buoyed by a rapturous standing ovation. Even though he has ended his campaign, he assured the crowd he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Since they have forced Goliath out of the race because I chose to put family first, I’m going to create an army of Davids,” he said.

Cain told the crowd that his trademark 9-9-9 tax-reform plan was still alive, with congressional candidates around the country making it their issue and with legislation being drawn up in Congress.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul won the presidential straw poll with 54 percent of the vote, followed by Santorum with 15 percent and Perry with 13 percent. Romney got 4 percent of the vote.

In the U.S. Senate straw poll, Cruz got 49 percent and James, the neophyte candidate, got 13 percent. Dewhurst, the presumed front-runner, came in last with 7 percent of the vote.

joe.holley@chron.com