Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll

From the StarTribune: Business entrepreneur Herman Cain shocked the political world by winning the Florida GOP's influential presidential straw poll Saturday, while Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann finished dead last in the field of eight candidates.

Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO who appears to have caught fire in recent weeks, topped the GOP field with 37.1 percent of the 2,657 votes cast.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current leader in most polls, finished second with 15.4 percent of the delegates' votes in Florida, edging out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won 14 percent.

Michele Bachmann's poor showing in Florida - receiving only 40 ballots, or 1.51 percent of the vote, seemed to further diminish the fast-waning luster of her campaign.

Unlike the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, nearly all candidates running were included on the Florida ballot, and delegates representing counties throughout the state paid their own way to the event. The last three Florida GOP straw poll winners have become their party's nominee.

Among the rest of the field, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a perennial favorite among grass-roots GOP activists, came in fifth behind former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, each receiving a little more than 10 percent of the vote.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich finished sixth at 8.4 percent, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman finished seventh with 2.2 percent.