During a 52-hour voting period Tuesday through Thursday, over 250,000 votes were cast by Townhall.com/HotAir.com readers in the largest and most secure digital poll of conservatives ever.

Newt Gingrich won with 36.5% of the vote. Mitt Romney was second with 18.8%. Michele Bachmann received 17.7% and Ron Paul received 17.4%. Rick Perry finished up the pack with 9.5%.

1st place votes
Newt Gingrich: 36.5%
Mitt Romney: 18.8%
Michele Bachmann: 17.7%
Ron Paul: 17.4%
Rick Perry: 9.5%

Townhall.com/HotAir.com readers were also asked for their 2nd choice. Michele Bachmann was the favorite second choice.

2nd place votes:
Michele Bachmann: 25.4%
Newt Gingrich: 20.6%
Mitt Romney: 20.4%
Rick Perry: 18.2%
Ron Paul: 15.4%

Of those that picked Gingrich as their top choice, a plurality picked Romney as their second with Bachmann close behind.  Of those that picked Romney as their top choice, nearly half picked Gingrich as their second with Bachman also close behind.

Bachmann voters preferred Rick Perry as their second and Rick Perry voters preferred Michele Bachmann as their second.  

The results suggest that while Gingrich is currently the choice of conservatives, this election is far from decided. With 45% of readers sticking to their support of Michele Bachman, Ron Paul and Rick Perry, and with three weeks to go before Iowa, it appears the race hasn't become any more solidified than it was a month ago. I guess we should expect anything different after the summer and Fall we had.

Where Bachmann and Perry voters if their candidate falters may decide this race in the end.

Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman were not included in the primary due to their support in an average of national polls being less than 5%. Polling was conducted among registered readers of Townhall.com and HotAir.com and each email ballot was digitally encrypted to work only once.

Stay tuned to Townhall.com and HotAir.com to follow the Republican primary as it marches through Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and onto Super Tuesday.

One never knows -- maybe we should hold another one of these primaries right before Florida or Super Tuesday to see if conservatives are finally coalescing around a single candidate.

*Editors' note: an earlier version of this article reported switched the results of Bachmann and Paul. This has been corrected.

Tim Montgomerie has a great rundown of the concerns being expressed by UK Conservatives.

It sure is hard to keep good news a secret...

For the past few years, a lot of us at Salem Communications and Townhall.com have read and admired the work done by Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissey and the infamous AllahPundit on HotAir.com. In four quick years, they’ve grown the site from the new kid on the block to easily the most popular site in the conservative blogosphere. Salem and Townhall have been in the battle for conservative values for years on radio, in print and on the Web and bringing HotAir.com into the family seemed completely natural.

Thankfully Michelle agreed.

After many conversations with Michelle, Ed and Allah, Salem Communications agreed to acquire HotAir.com last week. HotAir is playing a critical role in the battle for the country’s future and all of us at Salem are tremendously excited by what the future brings. I couldn’t agree more with Tom Perrault, Senior Vice President of SWN who says in the press release, “The addition of Hot Air doubles the size of Salem’s expanding footprint in online conservative commentary. It’s a perfect fit for us, since we can leverage talk radio, print and other online assets to aggressively grow the site, while offering political organizations and advertisers an even more effective way to reach and engage the conservative audience.”

Stay tuned…

The official press release announcing the acquisition:

***

Salem Communications Acquires HotAir.com
Blog Site Joins with Townhall to Create Largest Conservative News and Commentary Voice on the Web

WASHINGTON, DC --Salem Communications (Nasdaq:SALM), a leading U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and magazine publisher targeting audiences interested in faith, family and conservative values, announced today at the Conservative Political Action Conference that it has acquired HotAir.com – the popular right-of-center blog showcasing the news, analysis and commentary of Ed Morrissey and AllahPundit – from Michelle Malkin.

HotAir.com – combined with Townhall.com – creates the largest conservative commentary, analysis, and news network on the Web with more than 3 million unique readers.

Best-selling author, blogger, and syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, who started HotAir.com in 2006, said of the acquisition, "Hot Air has experienced phenomenal growth -- beyond our wildest expectations. With its established radio platform and fast-growing Internet brands, Salem is perfectly positioned to take Hot Air to the next level as a conservative multimedia powerhouse."

Jonathan Garthwaite, VP & General Manager of Townhall/Hot Air, commenting on the acquisition said, “I have always respected Michelle Malkin and the insights and opinions presented by Hot Air. I look forward to working with Ed Morrissey and AllahPundit during a critical period in determining our country’s future. The combination of the #1 conservative opinion and news site and the #1 conservative news and commentary blog creates a real force for conservative values in 2010 and beyond,” he added.

Townhall/HotAir is a part of Salem Communications’ Internet division, Salem Web Network (SWN). Tom Perrault, Senior Vice President of SWN said, “The addition of Hot Air doubles the size of Salem’s expanding footprint in online conservative commentary. It’s a perfect fit for us, since we can leverage talk radio, print and other online assets to aggressively grow the site, while offering political organizations and advertisers an even more effective way to reach and engage the conservative audience.”

“The acquisition by Salem Communications is an exciting step for Hot Air. I am looking forward to working with my good friends at Salem with their large radio network and websites,” said HotAir blogger Ed Morrissey. “I have worked for a very good friend and mentor for the last two years, Michelle Malkin. Congratulations to Michelle for her vision and hard work in turning Hot Air into one of the most frequented political websites,” Morrissey added.

"It's an honor to work with a company as respected as Salem and an amazing opportunity to expand Hot Air's reach ahead of the midterm elections,” said AllahPundit, who blogs under a pseudonym. “Eternal thanks to Michelle Malkin, for having taken a chance on me when no one else would. I can never repay her for her kindness."

About HotAir.com

Began in April 2006 by political commentator Michelle Malkin, HotAir.com has grown into the most popular conservative blog on the web. Bloggers Ed Morrissey and AllahPundit provide round-the-clock breaking news, commentary and insight from a conservative perspective. It is ranked among the top blogs on Technorati.

About Townhall

Townhall.com was launched in 1995 and has grown into the #1 conservative commentary and news site online. Townhall also publishes Townhall Magazine, a print magazine full of investigative reporting, commentary and dynamic photography.

CONTACT:
Jonathan Garthwaite, VP & General Manager, Townhall/HotAir
703-294-6046http://www.hotair.com
http://www.townhall.com

About Salem Communications

Salem Communications (NASDAQ: SALM) is a leading U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values. In addition to its radio properties, Salem owns Salem Radio Network?, which syndicates talk, news and music programming to approximately 2,000 affiliates; Salem Media Representatives™, a national radio advertising sales force; Salem Web Network™, an Internet provider of Christian content and online streaming; and Salem Publishing™, a publisher of Christian-themed magazines. Upon the close of all announced transactions, the company will own 94 radio stations, including 58 stations in 22 of the top 25 markets. Additional information about Salem may be accessed at the company's website, www.salem.cc.

Sale of 'Hot Air' Shakes Up Conservative Blogosphere

Scott Brown's website

The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the D.C. gun ban in March and the city records the lowest murder rate in 45 years... Coincidence?

In June, state dinner crashers Tareq & Michaele Salahi will have their own party in on the National Mall.  Two days of Polo (USA vs. India), hoity toity socialites, fireworks and Land Rover -- all within a mile of the White House.

Ummm.. Awkward.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Townhall interns get the pleasure of unpacking, stuffing, stamping and mailing the books. The books arrived and the interns have been trying to keep up with demand all week.

Everybody wants Townhall Magazine and Sarah Palin's new book this week so there will be no sleep until they're all packed up and shipped.

Get your copy of Going Rogue and 12 issues of Townhall Magazine while supplies last.

*Don't worry OSHA, no interns were harmed during the making of this film.

I thought you'd get a kick out of seeing today's pile of books the Townhall interns have until 4pm to pack up and get to the post office - which isn't always happy to see us coming with 3,000 conservative books to mail.

New subscribers (and renewals) get a FREE copy of Sarah Palin's new book. The Townhall interns get the pleasure of unpacking, stuffing, stamping and mailing the books. The books arrived and the interns have been trying to keep up with demand all week.

The book is selling out across the country and it was even tough for Townhall to get a hold of enough copies. Subscribe or renew today and get your copy free while they last.

Please indulge me a hometown moment.  6-5 in 12 innings.  Go Twins!

The somber faces in the Chicago plaza today couldn't be more of a stark contrast from eleven months ago. 

From Copenhagen:

Michelle Obama, dressed all in yellow, preceded her husband and spoke passionately about sitting on her father's knee as a child to watch and take inspiration from the Olympics and the performances of gymnasts Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci and athlete Carl Lewis.

Seeing how Michelle Obama was born in 1964 and Carl Lewis’ first Olympic games was 1984 in LA (when Michelle was 20 yrs old, attending Princeton) I suspect she wasn't actually on her father’s knee cheering for Carl Lewis.

However, Olga Korbut of the U.S.S.R was in the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics when Michelle was 8 and 12 respectively.

I guess she wasn’t inspired by the U.S.’s Mark Spitz 1972 record seven gold medals, proud of the 1976 sweep of Boxing gold medals by Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Leo Randolph, Howard Davis Jr, or upset by the U.S.A. Basketball team’s loss to the Soviets in the most controversial game in international basketball history.

I was just given a preview of what's coming next in the ACORN sting.   Glenn Beck's Fox News show today is going to be a good one.   Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe deserve a medal for their courage.

ACORN has been caught red-handed.  The video and audio couldn't be more clear if it was in high-def...so what is ACORN's response?

"It is ACORN’s position, at this time, that the videotape is doctored and that the voiceovers change the real dialog. We demand, as counsel to ACORN, that FOX cease publication of these tapes unless it can produce proof that the conversations actually took place."

And they're threatening to sue FOX News.   If the conversations never took place and the ACORN employees did nothing wrong, then why did ACORN fire them so quickly?  Wrongful termination lawsuit time?

Count me on the side of people who don't think Congressman Wilson's "You lie" outburst is a particularly big deal.   I tend to think the pomp and circumstance of joint sessions is always a bit over-the-top.  Once a year is acceptable to parade the royalty cabinet into the House chambers, have the President make his State of the Union and lay out his agenda for the year, but last night was not a State of the Union speech. 

It was an orchestrated political attack by the White House, Pelosi and Reid in the greater policy battle over government-controlled health care.   The previous 30 health care speeches by the President didn't do the trick so they had to raise the volume and use a bigger stage -- and a setting that expects the audience to sit down and shut up regardless of what rhetoric, lies or unfounded accusations are hurled.

It may be arguable that Wilson's outburst will help the Democrats unite and thus was ill-advised, but this is a political battle against government control of 1/7th of the nation's economy.   The Democrats' vision is very different than the Republicans'.   Who wins this battle will have major consequences on our country's health care system.  It won't always be a cotillion ball.

So pardon me if I don't join in the condemnation of Congressman Wilson.

Being lost on the media is the fact that less than twenty seconds before Congressman Wilson's outburst -- "appalling", "unacceptable", "egregious" and "embarrassing" according to an hour's worth of MSNBC -- the President called Sarah Palin a liar.

"Some of people's concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost.  The best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens.  Now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible.  It is a lie, plain and simple. "

More enjoyable and odd is the inclusion of Joe Wilson's statement in the official transcript on the White House site.

[THE PRESIDENT:] There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants.  This, too, is false.  The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You lie!  (Boos.)

 

THE PRESIDENT:  It's not true.  And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up -- under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.  (Applause.)  

According to the transcript, the President received 54 applauses and 1 boo.

I guess I shouldn't expect the White House transcript to include the gasps, eye-rolling, "what bill?" signs.

What exactly is going on inside the most talked about detention facility on the planet?  Check out this exclusive footage from Townhall.com



The animation brilliance is courtesy of Bob Arvin at 3dBob Productions.

Disturbing on so many levels...

Obama seemed to suggest to the townhall meeting crowd that doctors might choose to amputate the feet of diabetics instead of working with the patient on an exercise and diet routine -- because the insurance companies will reimburse more for the surgery than the preventative care.

Not the first time he's gone after those darn greedy doctors who are harvesting body parts for money.

Ann Coulter at her finest.