Gingrich Wins Tea Party Online Straw Poll; Santorum Close 2nd

Attention, Florida tea partiers: Newt Gingrich topped an online straw poll conducted by Tea Party Patriots over the weekend.

The former House speaker received 35 percent of the vote following Sunday nights Tea Party Patriots Presidential Tele Forum, where Florida tea activists directed questions to Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. (Ron Paul was invited but could not attend.)

TPP said nearly 6,000 tea activists from Florida participated in the call, and 600 voted in the straw poll.

Santorum finished a close second, with 31 percent. Romney garnered only 18 percent of the vote.

Paul received 11 percent and 5 percent were undecided.

Gingrich and Santorum each received a 35 percent share of voters who described themselves as "extremely enthusiastic" about their candidate.

Romney's "extremely enthusiastic" group (21 percent) was barely larger than his "not enthusiastic" cohort (20 percent).

Paul was upside down, with only 11 percent of the voters saying they were "extremely enthusiastic" about him while 50 percent were "not enthusiastic."

Ironically, while the results showed strength for Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator abandoned his campaign in Florida, moving on to Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado this week.

As a national organization, Tea Party Patriots does not endorse candidates, but its leadership said the poll provided an anecdotal snapshot of Florida tea activists on the eve of Tuesday's primary.

Last night's Tele Forum and straw poll demonstrated again that the tea party values are winning in America, said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots.

The three participating candidates all pledged to decrease spending below the current spending level their first fiscal year in office, and vowed to repeal government-controlled health care," Martin said. "As long as tea party supporters hold the elected officials accountable, regardless of whom is elected, our priorities will be addressed.