It's a very skewed sampling of a very unrepresentative state and the votes are practically bought. If anyone wanted to pay enough money, he (or in this case, she) could come out on top.

The reason Romney and Perry ignored it in their own ways (and, in the case of Perry, snubbed it by stealing the press over it) is because as front-runners they don't need to waste the money to buy the straw poll. It was only important for candidates who were considered nobodys, because a straw poll win will give them some free press for a few days as the 24-hour news channels analyze to death the most irrelevant piece of political news out there.

The simple fact is that Romney is the strongest Republican candidate, followed by Perry, and one of the two of them will end up going up against Obama. Whether or not that person wins will probably have a hell of a lot to do with what the economy and jobs situation looks like, because it will be a referendum on the do-nothing President rather than a vote "for" the other candidate for a lot of voters (particularly independents).

I support Romney, but I could hold my nose and vote for Perry despite his social conservatism. If neither of them wins (and assuming no one better, like Christie, jumps into the race) I will just not vote rather than give a vote to anyone else. Maybe I'll write my own name in as a write-in. I'm old enough to be President.