Presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be running third in most polls, but he won what could be perceived as a very important one over the weekend - a straw poll of conservative political activists gathered in Washington.

According to the Washington Post, it’s an indication, albeit an early one, of how an important Republican constituency might vote.

Romney was the first choice for the GOP nomination, with 21 percent of the 1,705 activists who voted at the 34th annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani came in second with 17 percent, while Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) was third with 15 percent.

Last year, activists said they preferred as their presidential candidate Senator George Allen (Va.) - who lost his reelection bid in November.

The New Hampshire primary is more than 10 months away, making such votes little more than a popularity contest at this point, culled from a mere slice of the population that might not represent any electorate.

But the result underscored the difficulty that one GOP candidate, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), faces in drawing conservative support because of past views and statements. McCain - who did not attend the convention, unlike Romney and Giuliani - came in fifth in the straw poll.

Moreover, the mention of his name drew boos from the crowd.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (Ga.) brought the convention to a raucous close yesterday with a speech in which he urged conservatives not to compromise and called for a broader national debate about ideas.

Gingrich, who has not yet said he is running for president, was virtually mobbed by the crowd as he entered the ballroom. He finished fourth in the straw poll, with 14 percent.

Like Al Gore on the Democratic side, Gingrich could make quite a splash if he were to enter the race. But with 19 states potentially moving their primaries to February 5, 2008 - creating a de facto national primary - is there even still time for him to throw his hat in?

Regardless, this straw poll is an interesting indicator of Republican sentiment. Rudy Giuliani may be the new frontrunner and John McCain the conventional wisdom choice, but conservatives clearly have doubts about both. How this bodes for the Democratic field also remains to be seen.