Ron Paul’s GOP Convention Revolt
Andrew Malcolm reports that “the forces of Rep. Ron Paul have been organizing across the country to stage an embarrassing public revolt against Sen. John McCain when Republicans gather for their national convention in St. Paul at the beginning of September.” What form that’d take is decidedly unclear:
According to a recent Boston Globe tally, Paul has a grand total of 19 Republican delegates to Romney’s 260, Huckabee’s 286 and McCain’s 1,413.
The last three months Paul’s forces, who donated $34.5 million to his White House effort and upwards of one million total votes, have, as The Ticket has noted, been fighting a series of guerrilla battles with party establishment officials at county and state conventions from Washington and Missouri to Maine and Mississippi. Their goal: to take control of local committees, boost their delegate totals and influence platform debates.
Paul is, at best, a nuisance candidate. He’s raised wads of cash but he spent little of it and made nary a dent in the primary process. It would be absurd to give a guy who received less than one percent of the amassed delegates at the convention a platform for harming the party.
Ron Paul a nuisance LOL! while both other parties run all over the constitution and freedoms he stands up for them. It isn’t just about winning it is about ideas and paul is actually a true Republican. Anyhow people aren’t ready for real change yet, so have fun with the same old this election.
I’m not a big Ron Paul supporter, but the Republican Party needs some harm done to them. They spent like drunken sailors when they controlled Congress. If Bob Barr runs as a Libertarian he could be the difference in the states where its really close. There’s alot of Republicans out there who still don’t like McCain.
My first exposure to the illustrious “candidate” Ron Paul? Was last Fourth of July, at the Rose Bowl (fireworks show/concert).
A small ragtag band of his supporters (twenty, thirty?), were attempting to make a spectacle of themselves. With signs, loudness, and seeming irreverence.
At that time, I had no idea who he was. But when one of them strolled by, while I awaited entry to the festivities. I gently, smilingly (in a nod to the movie) … repeatedly enunciated Rudy, Rudy.
The response took me quite aback. A pathetically lame joke/question about him not graduating high school. Delivered in …. high school fashion.
Reminds of the time I spent a few minutes in conversation with a Moonie, some twenty seven years ago, when I lived at Venice Beach (hmmm, light appears to be on … bbbut no one’s home).
RonBarr and the Curse of the Really, Really Enthusiastic
Too bad this article was written by someone who does not value their journalistic integrity. Ron Paul has way more support than the author has acknowledged. Obviously, from his comment about “nuisance candidate”, he also has no respect for civil liberty or the Constitution either. Must be a Bushite.
Its OK though because Bush is on his way out too. I respectfully suggest the author get the facts correct the next time lest he lose all credibility.
Just becase most Republicans don’t much like Mccain doesn’t mean ron Paul is the answer. Same to Bob Barr. To both of them, my response is: Get lost, moron.
If you think the people of our country actually decide who is elected president, then you are a fool. Our two party system is a joke. The Democrats and Republicans have homogenized into a globalist One World government movement. The CFR, the Trilateral Commission, The Bilderberg Group, and the Committee of 300 decide who is going to be elected. The wealthy elitists and corporations are running the show. Just look at the three candidates we are stuck with. Do you really think the American people decided on these losers? The caucus system is a joke. They control the mainstream media and all but ignored Ron Paul because they fear anyone who isn’t in their secret societies and under their control. Nothing is going to change. These people don’t give a damn about this country or it’s people. Wake up America!
You left out Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters.
It’s hard to believe that people still support this Ron Paul kook with such fervor, and excuse me but the gimp ain’t no Republican he is a liberal libertarian and like all liberals don’t understand poop about the constitution.But then again He could be the next L. Ron Hubbard.
LMAO! McFiengoldKennedyLiebermancain is a flaming liberal democrat compared to Paul. And you are right, Jaun doesn’t know poop about the constitution, the economy, or much else for that matter.
a platform for harming the party
How is it “harming the party” to try to force some discussion within the party about what the actual values of the party are? The Republican party now bears little resemblance to the one that inaugurated Reagan. That’s a problem. It actually seems to me that the party has been doing plenty of harm to itself over the last eight years. God forbid Paul supporters ask the party why it has strayed so far from its roots.
Read Ron Paul’s book. You know, the #1 bestseller. Then tell me his ideas are kooky. He does have some bad ideas, but he also plenty of good ones that merit serious consideration.
In any case, please try attacking the ideas instead of blindly defending the sanctity of a party that has lost its way.
And maybe give the supporters a break. Once again, God forbid common citizens get energized to participate in the democratic process and challenge the ordained party candidate. Lord knows democracy can’t function with people challenging each other’s ideas.
I think the country is doing just fine as it is. The 9 trillion dollar debt does not seem to be a problem – the inflation on gas and groceries is not really a burden, and our country’s 55+ trillion dollar unfunded future liabilites can be dealt with by our children.
Let’s keep electing the same type of poltician – whether they call themselves Republicans or Democrats.
Paul’s ideas were soundly rejected by the Republican primary electorate. John McCain, while not the ideal candidate, handily beat all comers. He’s going to be the nominee.
Anything that hurts his chance at winning the general election, then, by definition hurts the party.
I guess, James, you’re going to need to add a qualification, here… short or long term?
I would say they all flaming liberals, but ill vote for the liberal who will make war on our enemies, not the 2 who are appeasers or the one( Ron Paul) who is to dumb to even know we have any.
@ James:
I don’t understand this whole notion of “hurting the party”. The Republican party isn’t a sports team. It doesn’t help to have the Republicans win unless “the party” represents some ideologically coherent platform. I am Republican, have been for life, but I don’t know what thjat means any more. Small government? Apparently not. Free markets? Um, doesn’t seem like it. Balanced budgets? Not in years.
So how are Paul supporters hurting the party? I happen to think they are trying to save the party.
Catch-all parties in first-past-the-post, single member district systems just don’t do that. At best, they represent a difference from the other major party.
Certainly, McCain is MORE in line with the principles you suggest than Obama? That’s all that matters in an election.
Ron Paul isn’t a plausible alternative. He got only a handful more delegates than my dog, despite having millions more at his disposal and my dog not being a candidate. (I think she’d have given him a run, personally. She’s awfully cute and can fetch things, which appeals to bitter working folk.)
I’m not arguing that Ron Paul deserves the nomination. I am arguing that his ideas deserve an open hearing at the convention. The party is free to reject those ideas afterwards, but all the delegates (and viewers) should be given some exposure to his ideas.
The convention is supposed be more than a coronation. It is supposed to be an opportunity for the party to argue over its platform.
At least that’s the way it used to be. Now it is just a big advertisement with bunches of balloons and smiles. And the average voter feels more and more disconnected.
Incidentally, if the Republican party’s platform is reduced to “we are strong on terror and we are not the Democrats”, they are going to get smoked in November. McCain might squeak through, but the Congressional elections will be a massacre.
Apparently Sam still believes in fairy tales. Go back to your Harry Potter characters. “We the people..” are no longer a priority. Perhaps it should be changed to “We the corporations…in order to generate higher profit margins…obtain a cheaper labor pool… obtain government no bid contracts…” Just keep telling yourself that everything is fine, over and over. We aren’t 10 billion in debt. Our schools are teaching our kids just fine, even though Johnnny can’t read. Illegal alien problem? OHH! You mean undocumented immigrants! That’s the politically correct term now. Along with unlicensed pharmacist (drug dealer), undocumented customer making an unauthorized withdrawal (bank robber), and a sex partner who hasn’t received prior consent (rapist). Just keep living in your fantasy world, Sam.
Ron Paul is extreme – extremely knowledgeable, extremely right, extremely honorable. The opposition to his candidacy is extreme as well – extremely stupid.
A majority of republicans did not nominate Mr. McCain, there were a lot of democrats who voted in republican primaries who pushed him on to the GOP. Stop the idiocy of party loyalties and lets elect someone who knows what they are doing. The USA is more important than the Democratic or Republican parties.
Long live the libertarian dream of freedom.
I never would have thought there could be so many clueless voters out there.
I really can’t believe it.
First order of business. Read up on the NAU and browse the John Birch’s Society website. You may not be “like” everything you read, but WAKE THE PH**K UP!
You have all bought into this manipulation of what it means to be a republican. Bought into the lies. Yet you ignore EVERYTHING ELSE. Open borders, loss of jobs, treaties that destroy our sovereignty, printing and borrowing billions of dollars, the welfare state – etc.. there is no end. Yet you all rally beyond “war” and “terrorism” as if that is some sort of conservative badge. It is not.
If you all think “bush” or “mccain” are repubicans, I think perhaps you are in the wrong party. You are towing the party line without even knowing what it is. You will follow the drunken captain into the abyss because you want to be a good sailor.
McCain, Bush, Obama, Hillary etc.. ARE ALL CFR members – and ALL want open borders, sovereignty destroying treaties, global taxes, and so much more… yet, let me pat you on the head for being good ol’ lapdogs.
Yet, the one candidate who steps forward and wants:
1. secure borders
2. end the wars
3. sound monetary policy
4. sound foreign policy
5. stop the welfare state
6. reinstate the constitution
etc..
etc..
You all bought into the “news” (who owns the news stations? – research that) and the special interests talking heads tell you who to vote for, and who to shun. You listened to their orders without a glimpse of wisdom, because you are a follower.
McCain is on the verge of needing Depends. Get a gander of McCain – go to vietnamveteransagainstmccain.com and get some wisdom on your beloved democrate, I mean “republican”.
Hillary and Obama are just shills for the corrupt special elite.
Wow. You all turn a blind eye to the basket of ripe, bountiful fruit to eat from the tray of putrid veggies, cause you have been told to.
@James
I would like you to go over Ron Paul’s points and McCain’s points side by side. You would see, very clearly, that Ron Paul is a republican and McCain is not. Your only reason for NOT voting for Ron Paul, it seems, is because he doesn’t have the delegates. That doesn’t win any arguments on who is the more qualified, who has the better message for america.
I don’t think it takes a brain surgeons to see that the elections are rigged to give you a certain choices for you to choose from.
How free is it to choose presidential candidates “handed” to us. “Please choose from this list of preordained candidates, that we supply”? Get a grip dude.
Sounds alot like how the federal reserve operates. We select from a group PRESELECTED, for chair.
Not much of a choice, when we are given the choices.
I think, beyond a doubt, you love the nanny goverment. You love the idea of bombing those pesky little towel heads, all for – Our “friend” over there. You think we need to be an empire to “protect” the world.
I am hoping you snap out of it.
But first, to help you along the way – get out an issues sheet and compare side by side. I also want you to do some research on McCain. Nevermind he wants to bomb everything you do, but look at his policies over the years. The backpockets he is in. THe open borders policies he promotes. The complete lack of economic sense etc..
I mean, c’mon. One could honestly ask if your sanity is in check for evening thinking of voting for McCain on a Republican platform.