Following the surprising announcement that Ron Paul is third in terms of fundraising this quarter, comes the news that the Cobb country GOP, the biggest Republican organization in Georgia, held a straw poll in which Ron came in second. Here’s how the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported it:

“Year after year, the Fourth of July gathering by the Cobb County GOP is one of the largest in the state. On Thursday, 247 cast votes in a presidential straw poll. To no one’s surprise, Fred Thompson “€” who has a fund-raiser in Atlanta on Friday “€” was the leader. But the fact that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney finished second and third may be significant. Possibly. It was just a straw poll.”

Biased? The MSM? Why, what are you—paranoid?

Here’s the vote break-down:

Fred Thompson: 30 percent;

Ron Paul: 17 percent

Mitt Romney: 15 percent

Mike Huckabee: 13 percent

Newt Gingrich: 12 percent

Rudy Giuliani: 10 percent

John McCain, Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore: 1 percent

That 1 percent for Mad John McCain is especially gratifying: the warmongering has-been is getting exactly what he deserves. But that’s just the icing on the cake: the real news is that the fundraising success of the Paul campaign is being followed up by real electoral strength, and I guess the hopelessly myopic MSM is just going to have to deal with it. Brace yourself for the inevitable smear campaign.