Dino Rossi and Clint Didier—the anointed GOP candidate and the Tea Party candidate in the de facto August Republican primary going for the chance to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November—both spoke and answered questions at a Tea Party event yesterday in Vancouver in advance of this weekend's Republican convention there.

The Everett Herald has an excellent report:

Where Rossi avoided direct answers to most of the questions, Didier didn’t, and his answers were what they wanted to hear.

For example, on whether each backed Arizona’s controversial law dealing with immigrants, Rossi responded that the nation needs a “tall fence and high gate” to deal with those crossing into the country illegally.

Didier simply said, “Yes ma’am, I am 100 percent behind it.”

On whether to audit or ax the Federal Reserve, Rossi said audit then decide while Didier said, “After we get done auditing it, we need to get rid of it.”

The two differed sharply on whether the United States should leave the United Nations.

Rossi said the U.S. should “be careful” about a pullout and look to use its veto power to deal with other countries.

Didier said, “I want the United States out of the U.N. and the U.N. out of the United States.’

Moments after Didier departed, organizers revealed results of a straw poll of the race. To no one’s surprise, Didier picked up 99 votes and Rossi had 12.

This would all be much more daunting for Rossi and the establishment party if delegates to this weekend's convention were actually nominating a candidate. They are not.