Tea Party poll: Ted Cruz, Rand Paul are top picks

Not all that shocking that Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are at the top of a poll asking Tea Party supporters who they’d like to see in 2016. More interesting is the bottomless chasm between the establishment picks and the Tea Party picks.

Report from the Washington Examiner:

Conservative Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul top the biggest Tea Party presidential poll yet, while moderates New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are dumped at the bottom, undermining their hopes of being 2016 crossover candidates.

The online poll of 62,000 grassroots activists provided exclusively to Secrets finds that conservatives and Tea Party organizers stand fully behind the heroes of their movement, including outspoken surgeon Ben Carson, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

…

The poll provided 11 different matchups. From there, the support for each were totaled. Texan Cruz was at the top with 84 percent supporting his candidacy, followed by Kentucky’s Paul at 80 percent and Carson at 77 percent. Last of the 22 candidates polled was Christie at 15 percent.

While not as scientific as standard polls, it gives a strong indication of where the primary state activists are because they were the group targeted..

The results:

1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz-84 percent.
2. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul-80 percent.
3. Dr. Ben Carson-77 percent.
4. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker-70 percent.
5. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin-64 percent.
6. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee-59 percent.
7. Texas Gov. Rick Perry-59 percent.
8. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal-56 percent.
9. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley-55 percent.
10. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio-52 percent.
11. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice-48 percent.
12. Former Sen. Rick Santorum-46 percent.
13. Rep. Paul Ryan-45 percent.
14. Ohio Gov. John Kasich-42 percent.
15. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin-41 percent.
16. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence-41 percent.
17. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez-41 percent.
18. Rep. Steve King-37 percent.
19. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte-30 percent.
20. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.-29 percent.
21. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush-29 percent.
22. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie-15 percent.

Establishment favorites like Jeb Bush and Chris Christie bring up the rear of this poll which strongly illustrates the divide within the Republican Party.