Cain is first in Florida; Bachmann last

ORLANDO - 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 last in the field of eight.

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. Bachmann, in a stunning reversal of her Iowa straw poll win last month, received only 40 ballots, or 1.51 percent.

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.

Neither Bachmann nor Romney actively campaigned for the poll, and their supporters were not in evidence while the ballots were counted. But both took part in Thursday's nationally televised Florida GOP debate and then addressed activists again Friday.

Bachmann's poor showing in Florida seemed to further diminish her fast-waning campaign, which started strong in June with a well-received debate performance in New Hampshire.

The Bachmann campaign released a statement minimizing the result: "Florida is an important state in the presidential race, but we chose not to participate in the (Florida GOP) Poll, which is open to select delegates. We got into the presidential race late and dedicated our resources to the Iowa straw poll, which is open to all Iowans with a valid ID. Michele won the Iowa poll with less time and money than the other candidates in the race."

Romney has questioned whether any straw polls are a true reflection of voter sentiment and did not campaign in the Iowa contest either.

"This weekend is the defining moment," said Florida Republican Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which held a regional conference at the same site as the Florida Republican gathering.

While other candidates or their surrogates addressed the delegates immediately before the vote, Bachmann and Romney did not. Both might have paid the price. "The road to the White House is right through Florida," said Gov. Rick Scott. "It pays to be here."

While the results clearly raise questions about Bachmann's viability as a national candidate, political analysts also treated them as a rebuke to Perry, who many thought put in a sub-par performance in Thursday's debate.

Bachmann had appeared to electrify Florida Republicans on Thursday and Friday with a new pitch, arguing that conservatives shouldn't have to "settle" for a moderate to take on a weakened President Obama.

But for some, questions still linger about her chances on the big stage. "She's a strong personality," said Jerry Jacobe, an Orlando activist carrying around a "Pro-family, Pro-freedom" placard. But Jacobe questioned whether Bachmann could go the distance with a campaign that's hardly sunk roots in Florida. "It comes down to money, which ticks me off," he said. "But that's the reality. Maybe if she could raise some money, she'd have a chance."