Breaking News: Ron Paul gives up the race, but not The Revolution

Please sit down to read this.

We are very sorry to be the blog that breaks this news to you. But it's our job. Many of you will be saddened, even devastated, to learn this. Others will say, "What?" or "Who's he?"

But Rep. Ron Paul, whom we've affectionately come to call the Libertarian-like, 10-term, 72-year-old Republican representative from Texas, appears to be -- this is so hard to write -- if not quitting, then almost certainly sort of stopping his race for the Republican nomination for president. Probably.

It's true. No fooling here.

There, it's out. In a special message to supporters late tonight, the congressman, who Tuesday won an overwhelming 70:30 primary victory to continue representing Texas' 14th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, doesn't actually...

use the word "quit" or "stop" or "halt" or "surrender" or "give up" or "forfeit" or "walk away" or "submit" or "retire" or "abandon" or "cease" or "resign."

And, for unexplained reasons, he does urge "loyal volunteers" to keep up the struggle to gain delegates to the GOP convention in September, although John McCain already has acquired more than enough to win the nomination. Paul sounds rather like the general who got safely off the island radioing back to his stranded troops to keep up the good fight.

But it sure sounds like a farewell message that will be a big relief to McCain. Paul says things like: "The presidential campaign will soon wind down." And: "I will continue to make every effort to visit states where enthusiasm for liberty exists."

And also: "While victory in the conventional political sense is unavailable in the presidential race, many victories have been achieved due to your hard work and enthusiasm. For that I am deeply grateful and encouraged."

In a seven-minute, 38-second video, Paul also says: "We must remember that elections are short-term efforts. Revolutions are long-term projects." He says his campaign, which followers won't admit was hopeless from the beginning, was "a significant first step" in launching what many followers called the Ron Paul Revolution.

This would involve a radical downsizing of the federal government, an end to threats to personal liberties such as the Patriot Act, bringing all U.S. troops home, a strict interpretation of the Constitution and abolition of the Federal Reserve that prints too much money.

Although largely ignored by most media -- Fox News even barred Paul from a New Hampshire debate although he had already beaten Rudy Giuliani in the Iowa caucuses -- Paul's campaign was intriguing to The Ticket for its grassroots power and spontaneity and the involvement of many earnest people new to the political process. Because a few people claiming to be Paul supporters prowled the Internet around the clock leaving crude messages and threats IN BIG LETTERS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS !!!! AND YOU K*** W*** WORDS AND MISPILNGS, Paulunteers got a reputation as a bunch of loonies.

But with little national organization, thousands of sincere supporters coalesced into some 1,400 diligent meet-up groups for discussion, door-to-door campaigning, letter-writing, sign-painting and, above all, fund-raising in a dedicated effort to work within the political system despite what they saw as biased media. They made a music video and some female Paulunteers even got mostly-undressed to pose for a Ron Paul pinup calendar.

Paul did capture some fourth, fifth and second places, including the Nevada, Maine and Montana Republican caucuses. But he was dissed by fellow GOP candidates and got noticeably less speaking time in debates, which the grandfatherly former OB/GYN quietly accepted. Still, Paul lasted longer in the GOP White House race than any of those better-known rich guys who were supposed to be front-runners.

In the third quarter of 2007, Paul raised $5 million, five times what Mike Huckabee collected. And in the fourth quarter, Paul raised nearly $20 million, more than any other Republican, including gazillionaire Mitt Romney. Paul's website boasts collecting another $6.15 million this quarter.

Paul said he has formed Liberty PAC to support like-minded candidates around the country. "I don't mind playing a key role in The Revolution," Paul said tonight. "But it has to be more than a Ron Paul Revolution." He suggested "a cadre of hard-core believers is the key to success."

Paul said for legal reasons his campaign could not sponsor a much-discussed march on Washington this summer to demonstrate their numbers, but he might attend if someone else organized it and suggested June 21 was a good date.

He also spoke of "a society slipping into chaos" and cited the ongoing financial turmoil as evidence to back up his denunciation of the Federal Reserve. "We live in dangerous and exciting times," the shirt-sleeved Paul said, cracking his familiar straight face. "The dollar crisis will certainly see the decline of the American empire. And that is no small event."

In his message, Paul urged followers to continue the struggle, adding: "Today's events should be seen as a tremendous opportunity to change our country for the good."

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[George]

Ron Paul is a very decent human being, and would make a very good president. He should run as an independent.

(A number of people have suggested that, but he's always said no. And that's understandable given the incredible legal hoops (and costs) for an independent to jump through to get on the ballot individually in ALL 50 states.)

[voiceofthepeople]

The media may understand Paul supporters better now but they misunderstood them as well as him at the start. Human nature dictates that we ridicule and belittle that which we misunderstand and fear. The policies the good doctor advocated, as ancient as the Constitution itself, went against everything many inside and outside the media had been indoctrinated to believe was good for them. Big government was the way to show you had a big heart and cared about your fellow man. Taking care of yourself and your family first was a sign of blatant selfishness. Vociferously bemoaning a declining dollar was tin foil hat lunacy.

The majority of Ron Paul supporters are passionate but respectful. The LA Times was more times than not respectful to the campaign. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

(Thank you. We try to make this an interesting community of people intrigued by and wanting to understand politics. And few things were more intriguing this time than the Ron Paul phenomenon. mainly his followers and their impressive dedication and creativity. Thanks for visiting and hope you'll stick around and continue to share your insights.)

[John-Ross Swanstone Cromer]

Go Ron Paul!

[Christi]

All I can say is just get out and vote write his name in november. Let everyone you know to vote for ron paul they always nice guys finishes last well lets make it different lets make it to where our nice guy finishes first let knock the socks off of everyone that in running and then knock the socks off of the country.

(Admire your involvement and hope you'll continue to share it here.)

[Aaron B. Walker]

Ok... let's look at the sentences you quote from Paul's video message and analyze them a bit. There just might be an alternative meaning to them that does not fit the mold that ABC News would like it to... (it is ABC, of course from which your conclusions flow... they "broke" this story first).

1) "The presidential campaign will soon wind down." - Well of course it will. Super Tuesday is long over and "Super Tuesday #2" ended on the 4th. There are a handful of primaries left and the season for politicking will soon be over and we'll be on to the convention... where the rubber actually meets the road. This could be perceived as a concessiatory statement, or simply a statement of fact... the season is winding to a close... and it is - not only for Paul, but for McCain, Clinton and Obama as well.

2) "While victory in the conventional political sense is unavailable in the presidential race, many victories have been achieved due to your hard work and enthusiasm. For that I am deeply grateful and encouraged." - This also could be viewed as a statement of withdrawl and concession... or, it could be viewed as a statement and acknowledgement of what all of us true insiders into Paul's grassroots movement knew from day one... there was no way that Paul would come away with a popular vote "win", such as the one that McCain now enjoys (thanks to Romney's mysteriously premature exit from the race). There's still the convention and the nomination process by the delegates, which, as I stated in my post here yesterday, is the true measure of whether or not one gets nominated in the GOP. I must further remind you and your readers that McCain absolutely DOES NOT have the required delegates to seal the nomination. Of the 1200 or so he is counting on today, only a little less than 900 of those are "bound" delegates who have no choice but to vote for him. The remaining delegates are free agents who are not bound and have the freedom to cast their vote for whomever they want. We are still very much headed toward a brokered convention.

I sense from the tone of your blogs that you are really mocking most of the hard core Paul supporters, but I do also get a sense that you understand that Paul is much, much more than a kook and a looney bird. I appreciate your at least pointing out the positive positions for which Paul takes a stand. I'm afraid, however, that you are inaccurate in your assessment of Paul's pseudo-withdrawl from the race. He is still very much in it... no concession speeches or congratulatory phone calls being made on the part of the campaign.

[Chris Watson]

Get your facts straight before you "Report"

Ron Paul is in it till the end!

[lizzie bee]

Well, Andrew Malcolm, talk about sarcasm!!! The only thing you didn't do - physically stab Ron Paul. You even have the audacity to criticize people's spelling or grammar as if you are the epitome or proper grammar and spelling. Here's an example - you used the word lead (in the past tense) when the proper spelling is 'led.' You are confusing the metal 'lead' to the past tense of lead being 'led.' And, of course, your numerous typos. So, before you point your finger outwardly remember that three point back at you. Now, regarding Ron Paul - indeed there is no one like him out there in politico-land. I don't need to state what Ron Paul stands for because thousands in the USA now know about him - as well as up here in Canada. Well, this is my first and hopefully not the last post.

[Ellen]

I watched the video, he didn't say he was dropping out of the race. Keep spreading the lies, it's what the media does best.

[Karri]

Dr. Paul didn't say "decline of the American Empire", he said "disinegration". It's not over till it's over. The world is ready for another Abraham Lincoln.

[Jim W]

Don't give up, everyone! Just re-focus your energies! It's time to join the RuPaul Revolution!

[Richard]

I am a Ron Paul supporter. It is the message and philosophy that has always been important. Most people aren't UNDERSTANDING what is going on; they think only in terms of winning a presidential race as the final objective.

The race was the apparatus that allowed us to get the message out to the maximum number of people and the current mortgage meltdown and it's continuing global unwinding will provide the fertile ground for the seeds of change to take root and grow.

Most people don't realize that the early Christian movement ALMOST died out in the early centuries until certain individuals with passion came along and provided the energy and leadership to cause a new idea to take root - almost 100 years after Christ. That was a whole generation of people.

This is what Ron Paul is speaking of when he says this is about the ideas and not about Ron Paul.

This is the Freedom Movement and NOT the Ron Paul Movement.

We as human beings, no matter what country we live in, want the same things. We want freedom from tyrannical governments with sick thinking, safety, hope, prosperity, love, appreciation. I want that, YOU want that and ever those people you don't like want the same thing you and I want.

We speak different languages, have different color skin, some of us are Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, and even atheist. and we are in UNITY together as we want to have those things in life common to each of us.

I ran for public office at a low level and WON and I will continue to move forward in my own way to share these ideas of Liberty, Peace and Freedom and to expand the base of people all over the country who are educated.

My goal is to help prepare people to become political candidates who support Liberty and the ideas Ron Paul has helped to bring to the forefront.

The North American Empire is in the early stages of crumbling and out of the ashes will be born a new and more healthy country and way of living.

Read your history books and try to find any country that has remained "at the top" forever. There are none.

There is no reason to expect the pattern to change and so the next questions are "when" and "how" and "what next".

The future IS exciting because when the world is in a state of change, you and I have an opportunity to participate in a positive way in that change.

We can make the new world what ever we want it to be and today we have more technology and communications than ever before to make it happen.

That is what this movement is REALLY about. Ron Paul is not the key component here; you and I are.

Ron Paul has just handed the "Baton of Liberty" to the next runner.

[George]

TERROR & FEAR....... are used to achieve complacency and obedience, especially when citizens are deluded into believing they are still a free people.

[USA Mabry]

I could care less if he *actually did* announce his intent to quit. I am still supporting his ideas and ideals not his cult of personality. My party , of which I am a county delegate, has strayed from the principles that make this country great. Both parties trample on civil liberties and give us soft fascism / socialism tilted either "right" or "left".

I will write him in come November.

[Joe]

I think it's about time to revolutionize the mainstream media. In fact, that's part of our plan. I'm sorry that you won't be a part of it. You can claim that this article was accurate but the biggest flaw is in headline, which you know is the only thing most people will read, since it completely inaccurate. There are a lot of people catching on to how this society works and they are determined to fix it for their children's future. You can keep playing along or you can do some good.
"Know what's right, do good, use common sense."

[DX10]

Ever notice that commenters like rplat never really have anything of substance to say?

I knew when I saw the fire in Tim Russerts eyes that Dr. Paul would never get a break from the MSM and that he would only wind up a footnote in the election. But he has invigorated a lot of us old folks who remember, and illuminated a lot of young people who have begun to understand what is being done to them.

It is in the nature of governments to grow and for liberty to recede. Perhaps in time the few can persuade the many.

In my opinion your blog has been fair.

[Nathan]

No he hasn't completely quit the campaign and definitely the Revolution will go on but face the facts that Ron Paul has NO way of winning the Republican nomination. I hope that Ron Paul supporters realize this but still continue on with the Ron Paul Revolution and elect Ron Paul Republicans to congress because real change takes time and a change in the mindset of the general public. If people continue supporting Ron Paul's values and ideas for the next 4 years and longer then in 2012 hopefully someone with his beliefs will run for President and win!!!

[DenisL]

It ain't over until WE say it is over.
Ron Paul has not quit.
He is still spreading the message. We will do the rest.
He has not asked for his name to be removed from any ballot.
Lightning may strike between now and the convention.
Goodness knows that McCain is NOT well liked among Republicans. He is just the best that Americans can vote for with MSM like your self slanting the results.

Please quit spreading falsehoods. Admit the ambiguity of what he said in the video and URGE people to listen to the video themselves. There is a strategy afoot that needs McCain to shoot himself in the foot. You are hurting this by saying he is out when he is only talking about realities and odds. We know the odds. Do you? And the outcome if we fail? Get real and start helping

We ain't giving up!

[Lynn]

Sorry to see you get slammed, Andrew, when you've done so much good for the freedom movement. We are a passionate group! I woke up this morning to the NPR report that said Ron Paul appeared to be dropping out. I give you credit for the fact that you made a point of saying that Ron Paul didn't actually use the word "quit" or any of the others you listed. The reason he encouraged people to keep up the fight to become delegates is exactly the point that this revolution is bigger than the Presidential campaign.

When I attended my precinct convention on Tuesday, there were 16 people there. Of those 16 only 11 volunteered to be delegates--our precinct has 21 open slots. While I know for sure that 7 of the 16 people were specifically Ron Paul supporters, the others were just as fed up with the way the GOP party has departed from its roots of limited government and fiscal responsibility. We passed resolutions that were consistent with Ron Paul's ideas, so I think that the more important battle that night was achieved. If we can have the same impact at the county convention, there will be that many more people going on to our state convention pushing for more freedom and less government--the idea is to get the message all the way up to the national convention in September.

Some supporters still hold on to the slight chance that McCain will self-destruct before September--that would be good, but I'm not holding my breath. Besides, big-government Mitt Romney only suspended his campaign and could jump back in at the last minute to win the nomination. What I see here is a long-term battle of winning over the mass of Republicans who don't necessarily love John McCain but will blindly follow any candidate the neocon establishment puts in front of them. Getting to the national convention is the first big step.

For all those supporters who are discouraged by reports like this, realize that revolutions are not won with a single battle. Those in power at the top will not just step down--we have to vote them out, even if that means (gasp) voting for a Democrat in November. In my own state of Texas, Democrat Rick Noriega is sounding a lot more like Ron Paul than his opponent, Senator John Cornyn, who's a solid Bush backer. Is Noriega a perfect candidate for Ron Paul supporters? Maybe not, but I would much rather vote for someone who supports SOME of Ron Paul's ideas than someone who will do everything possible to thwart them. Remember that Dennis Kucinich is also a strong supporter of the Constitution.

Keep talking about freedom to your friends and family. It's a fact that if we hear something repeated over and over, we eventually will believe it--and what's more believable than the truth?

[granny miller]

I watched his video message last night and I have to agree - he's has withdrawn from the race.
I find it heartbreaking.

I had harbored a secret hope that he would run as an Indie, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

I was planning on going to Washington for the rally/march, but have changed my mind and will stay home.

Ron Paul will have my vote this April 22 & on November 4, but I'm not going to donate any more money or time to the effort.
I think this Nation is screwed no matter who "wins" in the Fall.
We have crossed the Rubicon.
I'm going to batten down the hatches and do the best I can to survive :-(

[Web Smith]

Well, Ron got some MSM coverage with this latest "message". You get the feeling that they are drooling for an actual announcement so they can jump all over it and beat the living hope out of anyone still dreaming of freedom.

Perhaps what we have here is a "coded" message from a Zionist prison.

Elizabeth Kucinich leads one to believe that there is more to Dennis than meets the eye.

[Carlo C]

Andrew, after reading your approach to Dr. Ron Paul and his Constitutional message over these few months, and assuming you are an educated person (educated on our Constitution and its contrast with today's abusive government) I have come to the conclusion that you are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing who happens to be Anti-American and at the end "bought" and "paid for" by the people who really own the LA Times.

The US is full of people of weak character like yourself in key positions within our Media and Government, people who had to make a choice between what is right and what is immediately beneficial to themselves (two positions given to you by the elite and opposite to each other).

At least you have kept your job but you have underlined that our "Free Press" stopped being Free a long, long time ago.

Carlo
Miami, FL

[Michelle]

As a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill, these past few days have been very difficult. The death of our student body president has left the campus in a shocked state, and now Ron Paul giving up the race is just the icing on the cake.

I learned about Ron Paul last October and since then, I have been an ardent supporter, donating what little money I had to his campaign, all the while defending my decision to support him even though my extremely Republican family has criticized me (they were Romney supporters...ugh.) I've become more cynical of our country and the world since becoming a Ron Paul supporter, but my ideas of liberty and freedom have blossomed into something I cherish more than anything.

I will continue the fight for freedom, but it will be difficult. I cherish Ron Paul as I would my favorite teacher, and it pains me to move on, but I must use the information he has taught me. He did not create the American ideals of Liberty and Freedom, our founders did. I must remember that this is not his revolution, it is the people's.

(Well put. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in such a personal way. That seems to be an attribute of many Paul supporters.)

[brelena]

Hi there, Malcolm. I've enjoyed your writings quite a lot, but I'm afraid you missed the point here. This message from Ron Paul is perfect! He’s saying this revolution isn’t about top down management (which is the status quo and doesn’t work.) This is about the principles that each of us can espouse, spread, and live by. At a grass roots level, the liberty movement has sparked so many of us to start turning our local governments around, from the ground up. THIS is the victory. Each of us understands the message. It can be replicated over and over. When one person goes down, ten more of us pop up. We are an army with a message. What a gift this movement is for all of us.
Cheers!
Elena

(And we'll be watching for developments with great interest. Please keep us posted.)

[ellen]

This sounds like an obituary. A very kind, sympathetic and respectful one, but perhaps premature! While Dr. Paul spoke of this campaign "winding down" very soon, it could be that he is merely trying to frame, for his supporters, the longer-range perspective that will be necessary to push the movement forward (only one aspect of which is his presidential bid.)

At first watch of the video, I, too, experienced a profound sense that he was dropping out, even though he never actually said that.

Upon my third listen to the video, a few different points began to stand out in my mind: The grassroots has been "energized", and these "dangerous and exciting times", are quite hopeful ones, because the message is finding unprecedented support. The grassroots must continue its passionate and creative dissemination of the message, with certain centralized functions in which Dr. Paul is willing to play a key role. Examples are: increased organization, funding of candidates, education, Dr. Paul's new book which outlines the core ideas, his availability to speak, etc. What I actually DID NOT hear, is that he is ending the campaign, or dropping out!

Dr. Paul is a seasoned veteran of politics, (and a good steward of the funds entrusted to him.) He sees more efficient uses of resources at this moment than fruitlessly begging the media to notice him. The attention now turns to the energetic determination of the grassroots, and you, Mr. Malcolm and Mr. Frederick, are to be congratulated for your solid journalistic instincts in noticing our existence!

[Joe]

I will still be writing in Dr. Paul and will still proudly have his signs in my yard. The man is what this country needs and it's very sad that the media confirms the hype that the elections are a popularity contest. It's even more upsetting that they wouldn't let him be heard. I've spoken to many people who say, "Ron who?" I always point them to the internet and let them do their own research. Then they are 100% for him and his stances after they research him. Come on people, this is OUR country! Don't tell me you don't know how to read and you don't have internet!