Straw Poll Champ Ted Cruz Sounds GOP Clarion Call

WASHINGTON - Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won the presidential poll at this weekend's Values Voter Summit for the second year in a row.
    
Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson took second place, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in third place.
    
This year's victory for Cruz came after a fiery speech against Washington Democrats and Obamacare.

"If you want to defend the First Amendment, free speech and our religious liberty, vote Harry Reid out," he urged the conservative crowd.
 
Sens. Cruz and Rand Paul, R-Ky., attended the event hoping to impress a crowd they'll need if they run for the White House. 

Meanwhile, other more moderate conservatives, like Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, were noticeably absent.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told CBN News that was intentional.
 
"They were not invited this year because they just weren't on the top of the list as to what they're doing right now and whether or not it was relevant to the values voters and who they want to hear from. They shouldn't take it the wrong way," Perkins explained.
 
One man definitely on the guest list was former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., runner-up to Mitt Romney in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries. 

He told CBN News that a presidential run is weighing on him heavily.
 
"I'm very serious about looking at it, traveling, getting a lot of encouragement," Santorum said.
 
And he has a clear message for other would-be candidates.

"We have to stop nominating Republican candidates who don't believe what the Republican Party says they believe in," he admonished.

Every year, there's always a lot of fiery rhetoric from the stage and there's a lot of passion in the exhibit halls at these conferences. But how do you translate the fiery rhetoric and the passion into more Christian voters showing up at the polls.
 
Libertarian Sen. Paul thinks he has the answer and people are taking notice.

He's reaching out to a younger, more diverse crowd. His non-traditional views on foreign policy and focus on minority-filled urban areas led a high level Obama administration official to call him the, "most interesting Republican in 2016."
 
"I think it is a compliment, but I also think Republicans need to realize that if we're going to win national elections again, the same old same old that has been losing will not win again," Paul told CBN News.
 
"And I'm spending a lot of time going to areas of big cities where people live in poverty and there is high unemployment and there is this sort of despair and I'm saying you know what? Give Republicans another chance," he added.
 
The GOP will get that chance in November. The question remains, however - will voters turn out in an election where the White House isn't up for grabs?