Contact: Bob Sturm, 703-396-6974; after 6 PM Eastern & on weekends, 703-307-8176

MANASSAS, Va., May 1, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- ConservativeHQ.com is conducting an online poll of conservative and Tea Party activists to determine who has the most and least support for vice president to run with probable Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said:

"This is a continuing poll -- we are just getting started -- but with results already in for nine possible veeps, one thing is clear: Conservative and Tea Party activists want one of their own as the GOP's vice presidential candidate -- someone who has championed their cause and been proudly identified with them, not someone who has just learned to mouth the right sound bites."

Of the nine politicians who have been rated so far, four stand out at the top of the pack. In the order of their approval ratings, they are: Senator Rand Paul (KY); Congressman Paul Ryan (WI), the Chairman of the House Budget Committee; Governor Bobby Jindal (LA); and Senator Marco Rubio (FL).

"The race is on! Stay tuned for continuing results at ConservativeHQ.com. A new potential running mate will be featured each weekday," Viguerie said.

Poll Details

Each day we ask the readers of ConservativeHQ.com: "If Mitt Romney becomes the Republican nominee, who would be his best choice as vice presidential running mate?"

And we explain: "Each day we will offer you a different choice, and ask for your reaction. We are not asking you to vote for the best candidate. We are asking you to give your evaluation of each candidate. In this way we will see who is acceptable, and who is not acceptable, to conservatives and Tea Partiers."

Then we give them four choices:

Favorable. Would make me more likely to work and vote for the Republican ticket.
Neutral. Would not change my likelihood of working and voting for the Republican ticket.
Unfavorable. Would make me less likely to work and vote for the Republican ticket.
Undecided.

Here are the complete results so far:

Rand Paul
59% Favorable
27% Neutral
11% Unfavorable
2% Undecided

Paul Ryan
50% Favorable
35% Neutral
12% Unfavorable
3% Undecided

Bobby Jindal
34% Favorable
40% Neutral
23% Unfavorable
3% Undecided

Marco Rubio
31% Favorable
36% Neutral
30% Unfavorable
3% Undecided

Susana Martinez
18% Favorable
49% Neutral
21% Unfavorable
12% Undecided

Mitch Daniels
18% Favorable
47% Neutral
33% Unfavorable
1% Undecided

Chris Christie
14% Favorable
46% Neutral
37% Unfavorable
3% Undecided

Bob McDonnell
12% Favorable
54% Neutral
23% Unfavorable
11% Undecided

Rob Portman
6% Favorable
51% Neutral
29% Unfavorable
15% Undecided

NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called "one of the creators of the modern conservative movement" (The Nation) and one of the "conservatives of the century" (Washington Times). He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.