Weekly Standard Cruise 2012 Straw Poll

My stringer reports that cruisers had a chance to vote for a 2012 GOP nominee, with the understanding that it's far too early, etc.

There were 15 names on a ballot that was handed out. About three-quarters of the cruisers (183 in all) voted.

Here are the results:

Write-ins:

Gary Johnson 1
Bill Kristol 1
Michele Bachmann 2
David Petraeus 4

On the ballot:

Tim Pawlenty 1
Mike Pence 1
Rick Perry 2
Haley Barbour 2
John Thune 3
Jim DeMint 3
Bobby Jindal 4
Jeb Bush 5
Chris Christie 8
Sarah Palin 8
Mike Huckabee 9
Newt Gingrich 21
Mitt Romney 26
Mitch Daniels 31
Paul Ryan 51

It's a wide open race.

Also, my stringer adds that it's been a hugely successful cruise: It has featured excellent talks and panels (a special highlight--this morning, on the 2010 and 2012 elections, with Barnes, Continetti, Eastland, Ham and Kristol). There have been fun port stops (though Kristol for the third straight day was spotted spending shore time in a used bookstore--two in fact, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island--rather than enjoying beautiful scenery and sights). And there was last night's after-dinner cognac and cigar smoker on the Lido deck, where some of the senior citizens showed more stamina than the young TWS staffers.

More panels today, Quebec City tomorrow, and the final blowout cocktail party Friday night are still to come.