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This writer argued a month ago against the inflated political value given by the media and presidential aspirants to strawpolls, which are generally influenced by the presence, or absence, of candidates and the money their exploratory committees rain on events where these unscientific surveys are conducted.

However one poll on the 2008 race for the GOP presidential nomination taken this past weekend at the Young Republican National Federation's biennial leadership conference should raise some eyebrows for those reading between the political lines.

First, the group surveyed was truly a national crowd with attendees hailing from every corner of the country with no single state having a preponderance of representation, which diluted the impact of parochial loyalty in the results.

This is in great contrast to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll in Memphis a month ago, where a certain US Senator not surprisingly won a vote heavily influenced by the large Tennessee delegation in attendance.

Secondly, because the conference was held while Congress was recessed, not a single presidential candidate was on hand to spike the results in their favor, unlike the contender cattle-calls at both the SRLC and the C-PAC venues.

Third, this will be the only straw poll held with both of these elements, providing a fair measure of how the candidates stand with the party rank and file.

If you are not familiar with the organization, the Young Republicans are more or less the red-headed stepchild of the auxiliary organizations affiliated with the national party. Through no real fault of their own, they command far less respect and stature than the Women's Federation, College Republicans, and Pachyderms and, dare I say, the Log Cabin crowd.

Many people confuse the YR's with the College Republicans, since both groups are targeted towards younger political activists though the former is primarily post-college professionals between the ages of 21 to 40. While some might snicker at the thought of a 38 year old male with a receding hairline being considered young, the register of elected officials is thin when it comes to this demographic.

When a 27 year old runs for public office, they are usually viewed as an upstart with little chance of winning. However, when a 19 year old runs, he or she is afforded quasi-celebrity or novelty status by the media.

The Young Republicans make important contributions to the party's success; they just don't get the credit.

The Young Republicans do much of the heavy-lifting when it comes to campaigns and offer critical professional services, with one important instance being the Florida recount in 2000 when YR lawyers from around the country flooded the Sunshine State to assist with the post-election situation.

So what happened when these unheralded young partisans, many of whom are married, have kids and pay a monthly house note, let their voice be heard on the next presidential election?

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