(Image source: National Journal)

BY TRACY PFEIFFER

ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN

The numbers for the Values Voter straw poll summit are in, and Texan Ron Paul came out on top.

Here’s CNN.

TJ HOLMES, CNN: “He came out on top in the Values Voter straw poll that was held at a gathering of conservatives in Washington. He got 37 percent of the vote. Herman Cain finished second with 23 percent. Rick Santorum third, with 16 percent. And while Rick Perry and Mitt Romney both came in fourth and sixth, respectively, both in single digits.”

What that CNN report didn’t do is add a little caveat to the win that other media have picked up on.

Some argue, Paul only won because his supporters, including quote- “busloads of college students,” showed up to vote for him.

Here’s a version from MSNBC.

“Ron Paul’s the big winner at this weekend’s Values Voter summit. Passionate supporters of the Texas Congressman handed him another straw poll victory.”

The Family Research Council was one sponsor of the event, and its Tony Perkins first made the suggestion.

And The New York Times’ The Caucus dug up details bolstering the claim.

“Only those who registered and paid to attend the conference were allowed to vote. The fee was $99 for the entire three-day meeting, or $75 for a single day, and $50 for students. Saturday morning, Mr. Perkins said, more than 600 people arrived and signed up just for the day, including large numbers of students in support of Mr. Paul.”

A writer for The New American says it’s possible Paul’s supporters rallied other votes in his favor, but...

“...the reality is that Paul should have been seen as an underdog. Much of the Christian right has looked suspiciously at anyone adopting the label ‘libertarian’ for fear it is an embrace of immorality rather than merely a practical view of the limits of government power.”

Not so, says The Right Perspective, arguing media have opted for pick-and-choose coverage of Paul’s performance.

“Since winning the CPAC poll for the last two years running, media spin has moved from calling the convention a vital pulse-taker for the mood of conservative Republicans to a more minimized role. ...But audience members may have been swayed by Paul’s speech to the convention Saturday, where he connected his views and modern-day politics to Biblical passages.”

But the weekend crew at Fox & Friends won’t be reading too much into the win -- until Paul’s numbers shore up in the polls.

CLAYTON MORRIS, FOX NEWS: “As all these people were giving standing ovations for Ron Paul, there were other people in the room who were just part of the congregation and were just looking over constantly at all the standing ovations.”

ALISYN CAMEROTA, FOX NEWS: “Nobody can lobby the base like Ron Paul, I mean, as we know from the emails.”

“He knows how to win a straw poll. Year after year, he wins the straw poll. But what does it mean? It doesn’t translate past the ‘straw.’”

In the latest Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, Ron Paul came in at six percent nationally.