Ron Paul Concedes He Cannot Win, Asks Supporters To Be Respectful
Following up on the statement his campaign released yesterday that was ending an future campaigning, Ron Paul conceded today that he isn’t going to be the nominee, and appears to be asking his supporters to cease some of the disruptions they’ve been causing at state party conventions:
Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) has conceded that he cannot win the presidential nomination, but he is not dropping out of the race, his campaign announced Tuesday morning.
The announcement, following on the heels of Paul’s decision to stop campaigning in future primaries and caucuses, seems designed in part to lower the expectations of supporters going into the convention.
“Unfortunately, barring something very unforeseen, our delegate total will not be strong enough to win the nomination,” campaign chairman Jesse Benton wrote in a strategy memo. “However, our delegates can still make a major impact at the National Convention and beyond.”
Ron Paul knows he can’t win, but he’s not dropping out.
Paul-supporting delegates will be able to vote on the Republican party platform and rules. Benton told reporters on a conference call that the campaign has been discussing the party platform with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney‘s team.
“I’d like to thank them for the respect that they’ve showed us,” Benton said.
Many of Paul’s backers have been hoping for a brokered convention, at which delegates bound to Romney on the first ballot could vote for the libertarian-leaning lawmaker on the second.
“We would have been in a very good position going into a brokered convention,” Benton told reporters. But, he said, other candidates did not stay in the race long enough to make that possible.
Benton also argued that, contrary to media reports, “our campaign can win states, we have won a state” — Maine, where he took a majority of delegates in the state convention, despite losing to Romney at the caucus. He added that Paul is optimistic about a similar victory in Minnesota’s convention this weekend.
Paul’s campaign is encouraging supporters, who have clashed with Romney backers in recent weeks, to stay civil at the convention.
“We are emphasizing decorum,” Benton said. “We our doing everything in our power to work with out supporters to make sure decorum and respect are the name of the game.” He added that he knew “our supporters are going to get an excessive amount of blame for problems that arise at heated conventions.”
Clearly, Paul doesn’t want to be associated with some of the moves his supporters have made in recent weeks, many of which have caused resentment and frustration on the part of party officials. One wonders, though, if Paul’s famously uncontrollable supporters will listen to him.
His supporters/cultists are already calling him a sell out and a traitor. And people wonder why I call libertarians the “people’s front of Judea”.
So does this mean that the strategy of the Paul campaign depended on the likes of Ricky Dink, Michelle my Belle, “Hang ’em High” Perry, Newt “It doesn’t matter what I live.” Gingrich and Herman “9-9-9” Cain to keep running just so RonLove could win a brokered convention?
Doug your title “Ron Paul Concedes He Cannot Win” is a spin and status quo propaganda. Ron Paul didn’t concede. He is concentrating on delegate strategy because his campaign grassroots money is limited compared to Romney’s Goldman Sach’s sponsored campaign. So get your fact straight. Your lack of objectivity is unbecoming. The corrupt GOP establishment is scared of losing their power…the people is awake of Federal Reserve, welfarism, endless undeclared war, rising debts, and bank bailouts.
john, I gotta ask ya, when Mr. Benton states: “Unfortunately, barring something very unforeseen, our delegate total will not be strong enough to win the nomination,” campaign chairman Jesse Benton wrote in a strategy memo.
Is he not representing Ron Paul? What else can the words “our delegate total will not be strong enough to win the nomination,” mean?
“I’m angry beyond belief,” said Brian Doherty.
Ron Paul Biographer…Campaign Shift is Utter Idiocy
http://www.slate.com/blogs/wei…..iocy_.html
“How does it feel that Ron Paul kneecapped your book today?” asked Welch.
Doug,
“Clearly, Paul doesn’t want to be associated with some of the moves his supporters have made in recent weeks, many of which have caused resentment and frustration on the part of party officials. One wonders, though, if Paul’s famously uncontrollable supporters will listen to him.”
Are you not a journalist? Have you not seen the multiple videos, blogs, ect, displaying the exact opposite? While you may indeed be one of those that will slink into a cave if bullied, most Paul supporters, by the nature of being tired of being pushed around, will not simply take the abuse and ask for more- indeed they will and do fight back.
For example: at one of our county assemblies, yes ONE Paul person got loud after the chairman refused to recognize speakers. But it had nothing to do with Paul and everything to do with RRoO. (Ironically, it was Santorum supporter that the chairman was disrespecting, and the Santorum folks were more verbal than Paul folks afterwards)
At my own state convention Romney folks tried to con Paul and Santorum supporters with fake Paul and Santorum slates. At my state convention I personally was surrounded and harassed and bullied and physically blocked from walking through a hallway unprovoked by three large Romney men because I was wearing a Paul sticker (their behavior was that of old high school bullies ). At my state convention the Romney supporters were out of control when a gay candidate spoke and when the chairman asked for some decorum, HE was bood! I have seen such horrible behavior from Republicans of ALL candidates.
That is lovely for Romney to use those that support Paul as a scapegoat when he looses to Obama. But one must recognize that the GOP, even BEYOND its own delegate process continues to alienate voters, and I suspect they will continue to do so well past Tampa, putting the presidency right into the hands of the democrats.
Ron Paul brought about a lot of dedicated motivated and energized republicans, however, the party certainly has shown little love and welcome and continues to alienate a base that it needs to win.
Hop on board the Gary Johnson wagon people! He’s better anyway!
@Scotch Man: So which states will Gary Johnson win at the polls to get enough Electoral Votes to be elected President USA?
Well my friend if he is staying in the race then he should have put a bridle on Benton. One day we are racking up delegates and then they turn 180 degrees on us over night. This hunt is over and they did just what they meant to do.
Something stinks to high heaven here.
@ernieyeball: Don’t know why this link to the Slate item works when I first post it and then it fails. Seems to happen no matter where it gets copied and pasted.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/05/15/ron_paul_biographer_campaign_shift_is_utter_idiocy_.html