(Image source: Flickr)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multisource politics news analysis from Newsy.

It’s considered the first test of GOP presidential prowess. And after a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll -- former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty made this announcement on ABC Sunday morning.

TIM PAWLENTY: “We needed to get some lift to continue on to have a pathway forward. That didn't happen. So I'm announcing this morning on your show, that I'm going to be ending my campaign for president. But I'm very, very grateful for the people of iowa, the people of this country, who i had a chance to make my case to...”

Here’s how the winners of the Ames Straw Poll turned out.

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann won 28.6 percent of the votes -- sealing her frontrunner status in the state.

But right on her heels -- bragging rights go to Texas congressman Ron Paul -- who snagged 28 percent of the votes.

And coming in at a distant third -- former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty -- who poured lots of campaign cash and energy into the Hawkeye State.

CNN’s Candy Crowley predicted the news would be devastating to Pawlenty’s campaign. She said as much in analysis right after the results were announced Saturday.

“Pawlenty, if you looked at those numbers got less than half of the Paul numbers. … Drops fairly heavily to Pawlenty at about 13%.”

So the poll had a huge effect on Pawlenty’s campaign -- but Slate’s John Dickerson is yawning at the whole thing. He reminds readers -- for the rest of the candidates -- history suggests you can take the results with a grain of salt. And...

“The two poles of energy in the Republican race highlighted the tension that faces the party: between sending a message to Washington and sending a candidate who can win an election. … Tea Party activists … alienate those same independent voters.”

But an article for The National Journal disagrees -- saying Pawlenty’s drop out shows Ames can predict at least one thing...

“[It] cements the straw poll's reputation as a place where struggling campaigns come to die. Pawlenty joins a list that includes Lamar Alexander, Sam Brownback, Elizabeth Dole, Dan Quayle, and Tommy Thompson, all of whom dropped out of the race after disappointing showings in the quadrennial mock election.”

Overshadowing it all -- everything is bigger in Texas -- or -- when Texas is in South Carolina.

Texas Governer Rick Perry declared his candidacy during a speech in South Carolina, hours before the straw poll results were announced.

“With the support of my family and unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today as a candidate for president of the United States.”

Perry -- by the way -- didn’t compete in Ames -- wasn’t even on the ballot -- but still got 718 WRITE-IN votes. That placed him sixth.

Follow @Newsy_Videos on Twitter.

Get more multisource video news analysis from Newsy.

Transcript by Newsy