Many of the booths at today's Texas Straw Poll were giving away prizes, however, you had to be present to win. Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter got that message loud and clear. After being one of the few candidates to make the trip to Fort Worth this weekend, Duncan Hunter won today's Republican Straw Poll with 41.1% of the 1300 votes. Fred Thompson, the soon to be candidate, came in second with 20.5% beating out the candidate whose supporters were the most visible, Ron Paul, who's 16.7% put him in third place.

Texas Congressman Mike Conaway attended at the Straw Poll today as a delegate and candidate. Conaway took an early stance in the 2008 Republican presidential primary and endorsed Governor Mitt Romney. The Congressman got behind Romney after a meeting in March where he and his wife had the change to talk with the Governor and found him to be, “a real human being.” “He was the exact same person in front of a crowd of thousands as he was in person,” Conaway said.

The Texas Republican Straw Poll is officially underway in Fort Worth.
The most popular candidate here, at least in terms of signs, buttons and supporters is Ron Paul. Just before 8am this morning, the Ron Paul crowd gathered outside the convention hotel and marched, in a large mob-like fashion, down to the convention center. They were all carrying signs, and chanting for Paul.

Team Big Red Tent has officially arrived in Fort Worth for the Texas Republican Straw Poll. It’s hot in the Metroplex today, but that hasn’t stopped the Ron Paul fans from turning out. Buses full of Ron Paul fanatics are arriving at the convention hotel right now. A quick survey of bumper stickers on cars downtown shows supporters of Ron Paul, Congressman Kenny Marchant (R-TX 24), and even a few George Bush stickers.

The grassroots are out in full force, decked to the nines in their sequenced vests, hats, lapel stickers and more Texas pins than stars in the sky.

Well, now that Groups are up and running, and The Stump is full of our first few candidates up for discussion at the site, let's turn our attention to the next big feature, the biggest feature of them all - Candidate Donations. Within the next seven to ten days we'll have the ability to start processing donations for candidates who have made it on to the official Big Red Tent Slate.

Big Red Tent is an effort to put the tools of the Internet into the hands of our grassroots members so each member can do the most good for the Republican candidate(s) of their choice.

The Big Red Tent community will build a slate of candidates through dialog, what we calling stumping, and voting. Users in our community will be able to contribute -- and raise -- money for all of the candidates on the Big Red Tent slate.