Admitting incompetence

This CNN headline tells you all you need to know about how useful corporate journalism is:

Rep. Ron Paul surprise winner of CPAC presidential straw poll

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, a stalwart foe of government spending, won a blowout victory Saturday in the annual Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll.

With participants naming "reducing the size of federal government" as their top issue, the 74-year old libertarian hero captured 31 percent of the 2,400 votes cast in the annual contest, usually seen as a barometer of how the GOP's conservative wing regards their potential presidential candidates.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finished second with 22 percent of the vote, ending a three-year winning streak at CPAC. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin finished third with 7 percent of the vote, followed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty at 6 percent and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence at 5 percent.

It could only be a 'surprise' to those entrenched ostriches who refuse to acknowledge growing public frustration with the ever-more unbridled warfare/welfare state. Are journalists today so incompetent that after a year of Tea Party rallies, following on the heels of Paul's spectacular primary fundraising in 2008, they can't connect the dots?

Gee... just imagine where the GOP could be right now had they embraced this particular harbinger, instead of marginalizing him. Ever since the establishment froze Paul out, and he focused on the Campaign for Liberty effort I've been reminded of the old Star Wars line:

"If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could ever imagine..."