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Values Voter Summit: The (Slightly Edited) Presidential Straw Poll

SIMI VALLEY, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: Republican presidential candidates from (L-R) Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Herman Cain and Jon Huntsman debate during the Ronald Reagan Centennial GOP Presidential Primary Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on September 7, 2011 in Simi Valley, California. The debate is sponsored by POLITICO and NBC News. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Organizers at this conference say that 3,000 conservatives have signed up, which means that the annual presidential straw poll could have a nice, large sample size. Who’s on it?

Michele Bachmann
Herman Cain
Newt Gingrich
Jon Huntsman
Ron Paul
Rick Perry
Mitt Romney
Rick Santorum

You’ll notice that Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer were not included. Heck, they’re not even included on a list of 20 potential vice presidential candidates – but blink-and-you-missed-him vanity candidate Thaddeus McCotter is!

Michele Bachmann
Herman Cain
Chris Christie
Mitch Daniels
Jim DeMint
Newt Gingrich
Nikki Haley
Mike Huckabee
Jon Huntsman
Bobby Jindal
Thad McCotter
Bob McDonnell
Sarah Palin
Ron Paul
Tim Pawlenty
Rick Perry
Marco Rubio
Mitt Romney
Paul Ryan
Rick Santorum

“Undecided” is also an option. I’ll go out on a limb: Huntsman, who supports civil unions and is derisive of those who don’t “believe in science,” will come in dead last.

UPDATE: According to organizers, the polling cut-off was determined by including candidates who had polled at least 3 percent nationally.

I won’t pretend this is the biggest issue facing America, but it is odd. Four years ago, the experimental Values Voter poll included the GOP’s niche candidates, such as Tom Tancredo, and the Democrats’ candidates, as a lark. The 2010 poll included some not-really-even-potential candidates, like Jan Brewer. Also, Mike Pence won the thing. That might be an indication of how seriously to take this.