Ron Paul forces Mitt Romney out of the GOP race

Clearly spooked by a few of Rep. Ron Paul's second-place finishes kind of close behind him, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Romney was so flustered in his dropout speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington Thursday, that he didn't even mention Ron Paul.

That's not unusual, actually. Hardly any other candidate and virtually no major media, especially CNN, has mentioned his name for the last year, so terrified are they of his stare and his libertarian-like views, including downsizing the federal government, bringing American troops home and abolishing the Federal Reserve.

Sometimes it seems almost like a media conspiracy to ignore the former ob-gyn. Except for not one....

but two Jay Leno appearances. They even give Paul less speaking time in the debates, if they don't ban him altogether.

Despite spending some $35 million of his own money and $55 million more that once belonged to other people, the 60-year-old Romney youngster was forced to give way to the 72-year-old, 10-term congressman from Texas, who has fired up thousands of dedicated and determined and very vocal and frustrated followers, young and old, across the country and permeating the Internet. He's even got one big-name donor, one big-name endorser and another perhaps maybe.

Ron Paul signs are still flapping in the prairie winds across Iowa, where Paul's caucus finish ahead of Rudy Giuliani launched the former New York mayor's eventual political decline. Then, in New Hampshire despite being barred from the nationally-televised Fox News debate, Paul beat former Sen. Fred Thompson, which began his inevitable political death spiral.

In the face of Paul's relentless campaigning here and there and his successful fundraising -- he raised nearly $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, more than any other Republican -- Romney, who only has an estimated $165 million of his personal fortune left, had no choice really but to quit.

Romney's exit follows the similar Paul-forced departures of other far more famous GOP candidates -- Giuliani, Thompson, Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore. Jeb Bush didn't even consider trying.

That leaves only Pittsburgh-native Paul, somebody named John McCain and this Mike Huckabee fellow from Arkansas, who seems to have had considerable trouble keeping a job. He's been a radio talk host, a Baptist preacher, lieutenant governor and governor. And Huckabee's had trouble raising money. He got only $1 million in the third quarter compared to Paul's $5 million.

So Huckabee can't last much longer.

That will leave only McMaverick, a former Navy squadron commander and POW who endured nearly six years of solitary confinement in Vietnam and then, worse, 25 years of listening to congressional speeches. He didn't get around to mentioning Paul either in his speech Thursday, but he was probably afraid.

Paul's website reports he's raised another $5.3 million just since Jan.1, which is more than Hillary Clinton can loan herself in one week.

Paul has given the Democrats until early August to choose between Clinton and Barack Obama, who's so young he can't remember life without color TV.

According to an authoritative Ron Paul campaign news release, with all of his accumulated fifth, fourth, third and second places, Paul claims to have 42 delegates to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul come September.

That puts him only about 660 delegates behind McCain and barely 1,149 shy of the number necessary to seize the party nomination in the name of the Ron Paul Revolution.

And Texas doesn't vote until March 4!

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Darren D.]

Andrew,

Thanks for the mention of Dr. Paul!!

It totally took me back to March 6, 1981 when after years of your dominance, Walter Cronkite finally gave up on the fantasy that he could compete with you.

Ron Paul 2008 - I will caucus in Washington tomorrow.

[Keith]

They really just don't get it do they?

[Warlord George Walter Bush]

Vote for Ron Paul 08 or I will use the Patriot Act on you!!

[Nate]

The only thing funnier than this posting is the comments from the Paul supporters who missed the overt sarcasm.

[Rhys]

The funny thing is Andrew, you're an excellent writer and this was your most disjointed article I've read. Was it that hard to write about all Ron Paul's successes? :P

kidding. good stuff. We'll start work on making "the Times" come from LA instead of NY.

Plus you're closer to our future Chinese masters.

[Joseph Hughes]

Why are there so few of us RP supporters??? Is the majority afraid of change.. Afraid of freedom... JUst afraid to do what is right.... Maybe afraid of everything.. Just know we are not hero's... Wonder why????

[Daniel Cochran]

*Cheers*

Nice piece, thank you.

My recap of the McCain CPAC speech:
(The reason he did not mention Dr. Paul was because he was to busy speaking from both sides of his face.)

He starts out by saying he is sorry he avoided CPAC in 2007 to appear to not be conservative. Then states conservatives are good to have in your corner for the vote. He then goes on to admit that he has differed from conservatives over the years, but while not agreeing with them, they should just forget and forgive.

He goes on to say that he will make decisions that even after counsel against such non-conservative stances, we should just realize he's made up his mind and will not change. Here again, we are supposed to just go along with it and believe he's right even if we know he's wrong.

He mentions the Constitution zero (0) times, but he's applying for the job to "...uphold and defend..." the Constitution. He talks very little about economics, which is his major short coming with his lack of understanding of it.

He says he is for liberty of man through out the world, but then mandates that the world should adhere to his version of liberty. Going on to promise to threaten and worst to more people in the middle east.

By contrast, one speaker mentions the Constitution and the rights given therein fourteen times. By contrast, someone profoundly more gifted on economics talks of the value of our dollar, the financial mess our huge Federal government is causing, and the reduction of the National debt. By contrast, one speaker did not have to ask for forgiveness on his record, voting, and bills. By contrast, one speaker talked of civil Liberties, Freedom, and Peace through cooperation with other nations not conflict.

Who was this one speaker you may ask yourself?
Ron Paul the only conservative in the Republican race for the President in 2008.

Again thanks,
Daniel

[Pat]

Are you guy in the same room taking bong hits together? Who is their right mind would honestly believe that Ron Paul knoked off Romney? What a joke!

[roben]

The Ron Paul revolution is going all the way.
There are some things that all of Paul's supporters need to know.
1. The media blackout is not going to stop.
2.For us to win we need to campaign as if it is up to us, and if we each convert 1 person to vote for Dr. Paul a week we will still be way behind.
3. Ron Paul needs us all to do more in this campaign than we have ever done before.
Remember people buy what the advertisers sell. It is done with repetition repetition, repetition.
Coke is sold not becaus it is healthy, it is sold with catchy jingles, and slogans repeated over and over and over.
How can we raise 100 million dollars so that we can advertise over, and over and over?
Ron Paul is the best candidate to be elected out of all the candidates running for office this year, but we can only win with repetition repetition repetition

[Marjorie Miller]

Thanks Andrew Malcolm for another great article on Ron Paul! I love your humor! If someone loses their sense of humor, they've lost everything!

Ron Paul rEVOLution!!!!

The bet was on the British winning as well!!!

Ron Paul Revere rides again!!!! The NeoCons are have taken over!!!

[Rene]

I am a ROn Paul supporter, but still found this hilarious. There are bits of truth among all the sarcasm. You are a great writer.

[Larry Wall]

Rick Toone - That is funny! And this is what I would like to see! Really what interest does John McCain have for being President? He wants to be the commander in chief of this war so he can go down in the history books.

But wouldn't it be better to be in the history books as the one who saved our nation? I think so!

Ron Paul for President! We need to all join together even more than we have ever done. We need to be out there. We need to sticker our cars, hold up signs, and go door to door. Once we start getting very good attention people are going to be like why has then been blacked out from us!

Even if you do not like Ron Paul, it really ticks me off for how he is being treated! These people are deciding his fate, and ultimately ours!

[Larry Wall]

Let's go picket in front of Fox, MSNBC, and CNN buildings and let them know we care about the truth and do not like them trying to sway the votes one way by blackening out Ron Paul.

WE TO TAKE A MAJOR, MAJOR STAND!

[Maria]

Mr. Malcolm,

No matter the end of this whole primary drama. I appreciate and respect your fair and balanced reporting on the Ron Paul Campaign.

It gives hope to readers/the public that there is still some honest, objective, and fair journalists still out there.

PLEASE don't ever fall prey to the MSM.

Thanks again

[Wallace]

Wait. Consider this: Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are the same person. Have you EVER seen both in the same place at the same time?

And no, no, no. Don't say "Yes, at that debates." That was clearly a Ron Paul muppet. Couldn't you tell. His voice sounded exacty like Frank Oz and you could see the wires under his armpits.

[Eric Nordstrom]

Mr. Malcom,

Very good article. Why is this in a blog and not on the "front page"?

[Gary M]

Although I shouldn't be surprised, after Romney ended his campaign, and Dr. Paul's CPAC speech, I was VERY upset to see the news on not just Fox, but CBS that evening. Both networks sat there and told the country that the Republican race was down to two! How is this tolerated!?

I was so mad at first but then I realized that getting upset wasn't going to do any good. So I rolled up my sleeves and went back to work to help spread the word.

[Curtis]

Hilarious use of sarcasm. I can only hope Schmuckabee drops out soon so you can do it again!

(I do find it sad, however, that some of my fellow Ron Paul supporters did not pick up on the humor).

[A.J. STEVENS]

DEAR MR. MALCOLM ... THERE IS NO WAY TO THANK YOU ENOUGH. FINALLY, A MAJOR NEWSPAPER REPORTING ON RON PAUL! WILL OTHER LARGE NEWSPAPERS, CNN, MSNBC, ETC. DO SO? EVEN THOUGH MANY THOUSANDS OF RON PAUL SUPPORTERS HAVE ASKED THEM FOR MONTHS TO FAIRLY REPORT ON ALL CANDIDATES, THEY DON'T. IF DR. PAUL'S PLATFORM, EXPERIENCE, IMPECABLE RECORD DURING TEN CONGRESSIONAL TERMS, AND CONSTITUTUIONAL MESSAGE THAT WOULD MAKE OUR ANCESTORS PROUD, WERE TO BE HEARD BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THEY WOULD VOTE FOR HIM IN A MINUTE! TOO BAD THE MEDIA STILL WANTS OUR FUTURE GOVERNMENT TO BE A CLONE OF 'POLITICS AS USUAL'.

WILL EVERYONE WHO READS THIS POST, PLEASE GO TO RONPAUL2008.COM AND WATCH THE VIDEOS OF DR. PAUL SPEAKING ABOUT HIS PLATFORM. 'BILL MOYERS JOURNAL' IS A GOOD ONE AS ARE MANY OTHERS. THANK YOU.

[Brandon Howell]

Very moving article and alot of truth Ron Paul is the Dr. This Nation needs!!!

[Dave]

Most American people, like baby birds, wait each night in front of their television sets for the corporate news bird to land in their living room and lovingly puke down our necks with that day's regurgitated news.

[Nathan]

Are you kidding me? This article was sarcastic. Is it really possible that only Jon figured that out? "Romney was so flustered in his dropout speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington Thursday, that he didn't even mention Ron Paul." Did that not tip you off to the fact that this article was sarcasm. You are the reason Ron Paul never has and never will have any chance at becoming president.

[Mike]

Thank you for finally showing me that someone in the media DOES notice and DOES care. Go Ron Paul!

[Ed]

Thanks for the entertaining post Andrew. Genuinely funny.

But - there really is a serious message that is at the heart of the Ron Paul Revolution - and once facet is about raising the awareness of our actions abroad and the cost to ourselves and to the world at large. So far the Iraqi's have paid a price of at least 600,000 since the beginning of the invasion:
http://www.thelancet.com/webfiles/images/journals/lancet/s0140673606694919.pdf

Of course we need to add to this the 500,000 child deaths caused by the murderous sanctions against Iraq in the 90's:
http://www.iraqwar.org/childunicef.htm

... and gosh - we're starting to talk about a significant human toll. (Sorry I'm not as good at sarcasm as you are Andrew).

Another fact:
According to the Geneva Convention, even during wartime, it is required to allow adequate food, water, and medicine to the civilian population of an enemy. Sanctions such as the ones imposed are not only an act of war, but are a violation of even wartime ethics.

American Foreign Policy has to change dramatically - and I'm afraid even Obamas 'Aggressive Diplomacy' (a.k.a. murderous sanctions) won't do it.

So please excuse the fervor of the average Ron Paul supporter. We're genuinely concerned about what's going on in the world - and our tongues are not in our cheeks.

[Mollyteacup]

Redking: I have stopped watching TV to get my news. Enlightened people use the internet. The MSM will go the way of button boots :-) Most young people do not trust them. It won't be too long until they are HISTORY!