Despite a speech from U.S. Sen. Jim Risch backing Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul won Friday’s pay-to-play vote. Paul’s surrogate was Washington state Rep. Matt Shea of Spokane Valley. How strong a win? The former Libertarian got 43 percent (173 votes) to the former Massachusetts governor’s 34 percent (135). Trailing them were Newt Gingrich with 12 percent (47 votes), Rick Santorum at 10 percent (40) and Jon Huntsman with 1 percent (4). A total of 399 people from across Idaho participated. Rick Perry's campaign asked not to be included on the straw poll ballot. What’s it mean? It cost $30 to participate, and party officials cautioned against making too much of the result. The poll was a party fundraiser held at the Riverside Hotel in Garden City/Dan Popkey, Statesman. More here.

Question: Do you see any significance in this vote?