Breaking News (Updated): Ron Paul surges in Pa.

While some people pay attention to the alleged contest between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (and she won big), almost unnoticed is the Republican primary.

Many people think Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain has won the GOP nomination.

Actually, he has. A long time ago.

But Texas Rep. Ron Paul's revolutionaries continue to plug away. With 45% of Pennsylvania's 9,268 precincts reporting, Paul has captured 15% of the vote. He's easily beating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has only 12%.

Two things will moderate joy in the Paul camp. One, Huckabee suspended his campaign and stopped campaigning weeks ago. Yet, he's still getting 12%. And second, McCain is capturing 73% of the GOP vote -- which was apparently reduced by some thousands of Republicans who changed their registration to vote Democratic for Clinton, as ordered by their leader, Rush Limbaugh, to promote further prolonged feuding among Democrats.

On the other hand, Paul will point out, McCain has already won the party's top ticket spot and yet is drawing only 3 out of 4 Republican ballots.

(UPDATE: With 98% of Pennsylvania's 9,268 precincts reporting Rep. Paul has narrowed the lead of Sen. McCain by 1%, to just 57 points. Paul captured 125,204 votes or 16% to McCain's 570,188 or 73%. Mike Huckabee trails both with 89,344 or 11%.)

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[JP]

How can McCain possibly win the presidency when over 1/4 of his base won't vote for hm and the Democrats are turning out 5 times the vote? The GOP is cooked. Let's wait and see what happens at the convention, esp. since PA delegates are not bound.

[Ryan Cowles]

Mr. Malcolm --- Thanks for the note. I know the majority of your readers probably think we (Ron Paul supporters) are off-the-deep-end crazy, but those who really try and understand Congressman Paul begin to see that he only wants what is best for our country. I cherish our United States, as I imagine you do as do most of your readers.

Thanks for being honest and acknowledging the material fact that McCain is not winning Pennsylvania 99% to 1% like he SHOULD be if he were the party's clear choice.

It's truly a saddening year for my Republican Party.

Ron Paul supporters not only have big hearts for Congressman Paul, but also for our country.

[Fred]

Nearly 1/6 Republicans in Pennsylvania voted for Ron Paul. Considering that he only received $120,000 in donations in March, hasn't received any media attention, and has an extremely limited campaign staff, I consider that outstanding.

I continue to be amazed by the dedication of Ron Paul's supporters. If only other candidates could raise so much enthusiasm in their supporters, we would actually have meaningful Presidential elections.

[Dr Kibble]

The underlying theme here is that there are a vast number of people who are dissatisfied with the current Republican Party. If the GOP had a big tent, it would welcome Ron Paul supporters, listen to their concerns, and adapt. This is the optimist in me speaking. The pessimist in me believes that the GOP will not change and will face certain defeat come November.

Ron Paul supporters will continue to wave signs on street corners and try to change the Republican Party back to what it once was. We also hope to get the rest of American to at least listen to Ron Paul's message. We continue to do this even though Ron Paul's odds are slim to none of winning the GOP nomination. It reminds me of a passage I came across in the Bible:

Matthew 11:16
But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, "We piped to you and you did not dance; we wailed and you did not mourn."

[ellen]

The fact that Ron Paul is pulling 16% (with 85% reporting) is ASTOUNDING considering the uphill battle he fights to be acknowledged as existing-much less actively running. I looked hard-very hard- to find mention of his candidacy anywhere in the national media, leading up to this PA primary. Even C-span has dropped the ball and acts as if there is no Repub. contest at all.

Against such odds, and with no hope of success "in the conventional sense", Ron Paul energizes 100,000 people in PA to come out and vote for him? What are these people saying? There is a story here-a huge one--thank goodness you all have a basic nose for news to touch upon it. Where the heck are your colleagues---snoozing on the job??

[Ron Moss]

Ron Paul, Andrew Jackson, all sounds familiar. Silence him , silence him. Same people, just a repeat of history. We get what we deserve. Are prices really going up or is the dollar coming down. Do we really know up from down any more?

[Edward]

I'm suspicious that Hillary has committed voter fraud again, like she did in NH.

[Linda Rayborn]

I admire the dedication of Ron Paul supporters, but what he proposes is just too far out there to be possible and Ron Paul himself does not seem to campaign very hard. Just shows up for the debates and that's about it.

I am a Huckabee supporter and am glad that Mike got a huge amount of votes considering he is not in the race, has supported McCain and is campaigning for him. I would vote Huckabee (I already did in SC) in the primary too, but we must rally to Senator McCain in November. I hope and pray Senator McCain can see what an asset Mike is to the party and add him to the ticket because we will need all the conservatives, youth, black Republicans, evangelicals and the cross-over Democrats that Mike's populist message appeals to in order for the Republican's to win. We also need Ron Paul supporters to vote McCain in November.

[Dr Ward Ciac II]

Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul!

[Michaelb1]

"She won big"
Really? She netted 3, maybe 4 delegates.

[Paul]

The GOP leadership is in for a real shock. The resistance is growing not lessening in the ranks.

McCain is washed up. His record is one of self interest at the expense of country. He is a Keating Fiver and the Dems will tear him to pieces.

The Dems are a mess now but mark my works by September 1st the GOP will be in Open Revolt.

Regardless of the GOP leaderships efforts the ranks are not having any of it any more.
Have you been to the Gas pump this week?
Have looked at the cost of Bread?
Do you have 53 trillion to pay for the unfunded liabilities McCain, Obama and Clinton have worked so hard to lay at our lap.

What about the war? We have done what for seven years? I remember a carrier landing and the president's statement Mission accomplished!

OK so How will this war that costs 1 trillion a year end? When will it end?

Lastly, I saw almost our entire military move in the seventies and eighties to bases over seas, every community they abandoned suffered and are a shadow of what they could be. WHY IS THAT? Did you know one of John McCain's best AZ buddies went around the country buying up those bases and making a killing!

Have you any idea how to fix this problem? No neither does McCain or his Crew! They are all burnt out has beens.
I vote for Ron Paul and regardless of the out come the penny has dropped and the GOP is in for a decade long brawl.

McCain's words are less than meaningless. Hell he does not even know what the Presidents Working Group is? It is also known as the Plunge Protection Team! Do the research? This aging old man is not able to keep his cool or his mouth from running in expletive mode. He has balls I read on one Blog. So what they are made of LEAD and poisoned what brains he had too.

McCain is a total mistake! GOP I expect better, now get ready because we have the time and money to cut you aging and out of touch mad fools out of party and that is what I and the 300,000 will do as soon as possible.

[Neocons Are Children]

Only children are addicted to power to such an extent, that they have to rig the system to get their way. You will forever be looked upon as children amongst men, little neocons. You should be delegated to the status of small rodent in your communities, because that's your heart and soul and it also accounts for your lack of vision and imagination.

[ReadABookChumps]

Try reading one of Ron Paul's books chumps. In his books you'll find that he's been fighting against foolish government intervention and has been constantly fighting to reign in the governments spending sprees. The only guy to obey the Constitution and the only guy that actually understands economics and the dangers that US imperialism poses to liberty, peace and prosperty.

But those issues aren't important to you childish media chumps. You're far more interested in lapel pins and dubious connections to "America haters".

Dolts.

[RPismyPrez]

I just want to see RP speak at the Nov convention and show the idiot Republicans what foolish people they are, before they get their heads handed to them by the democrats.

We got a hardcore socialist future ahead of us.

[Joe]

Put a stick in it. The GOP is dead with McMunster as the candidate.

Will the real GOP candidate, Ron Paul, please stand up.
It's time to assume the role, good doctor.

[Pete]

Dr. Kibble,

Another Bible passage that comes to mind is Judges 7, where God has Gideon reduce his force from 32,000 to 300, so that all would know who was the force behind their victory over the Midianites.

Still got my fingers crossed for a miracle!

[Todd in Sacramento]

If one in six people were active in thier congressional districts we would win the battle for freedom and liberty. It takes a minority not a majority to sway your local congressman's vote. The real political power is in the House not the presidency. Even one in twenty would get the job done, but you got to have some balls and knock on your congressman's door and pound on his desk with your fist demanding a return to constitutional government.
WAKE UP!

[Doug D]

That's got to put him close to 1 million votes for the campaign.

125,000 in PA is more than the 110,000 he received in California.

16% is nothing to sneeze at.

Double-digits again, for the 11th time, but the first in a primary.

[Joe]

better move harder to the right Mr. McCain. And that means free markets, less war, more less gov't, personal liberites, etc. Oh wait ...McCain's actually a Demo ... who doesn't believe in the Constitution or any of the above. Sorry John ....Your toast come November! I'm a Republican and I approve of this message. 4 years in Obama/Hillary hell is better then one day of McCain!

[jan]

You "so-called Republicans" ought to take a good look in the mirror and ask yourselves what really is important- in your personal life AND with your country. Is a woman's right to choose any of your business anyway? And if life is so precious, then why do you support wars? Don't people die in wars? Our economy is a mess because of this disastrous and expensive war. Maybe this is God's payback for the killing you promoted! You should all be supporting Ron Paul in droves!! Read his website. You can't possibly think McCain is the better candidate, you'd have to be a moron or have your heads in the sand. I'll send my tax bill to all you that think war is the answer to our problems. You have no right to declare yourselves a true republican unless you can honestly stand for what Ron Paul does - defending the constitution. It should be a priority for EVERY American!

[Steve]

Ron Paul baby! 16% in PA!! This is strong victory for us Ron Paul supporters. PA beat out CA in total number of votes for Ron Paul without any media coverage. Plus we are having delegate success that should at the very least, embarrass McCain and the rest of the country club Gop'ers. Here in DC I get exposed to the some of the National GOP Committee people and they think Ron is a nobody!! But little do they know that a whole movement is growing, let's take back GOP!!!!!! Limited Government, low Taxes, and a strong national defense!

[p sarver]

we don't think the Ron Paul supporters are off the deep end crazy-the problem with Ron Paul is that ppl think Ron Paul himself is off the deep end crazy and would not do well in general election.

Ii've run into his supporters and no tactic is beneath them.They ran smear boards on Huckabee.They jammped up his phone banks back when Huckabee was running.All dirty pool. Sorry. I just can't see,no matter how well it looks like he did here,that he would ever carry a general election.He appeals to a tenacious but small group of supporters.

[blakmira]

Armstrong County in Pennsylvania:
Ron Paul was at 71% in Armstrong County, then mysteriously he lost votes and went down to 15%.

Vote tally with 13% reporting:
McCain - 118
Paul - 524

Vote tally with 48% reporting:
McCain - 2,063
Paul - 409

Wow. How does a candidate lose votes?

If you believe that half a million people in Pennsylvania voted for McCain and only 1/5th of that number voted for Ron Paul, I've got some swamp land in the desert to sell you.

Can you say "vote count fraud" and pre-programmed Diebold tampering? Or should we just whisper those words and pretend it hasn't happened in every primary and election in the past few decades?

[Evgeny Libek]

I have said it before, and nobody seems to listen...

The GOP made a HUGE mistake to shun Ron Paul.

Rep.Paul was signing new GOP members by the thousands -- far beyond all of the other candidates combined -- yet the party "leaders" treated him like a fool, and made NO effort to understand why.

They still haven't the slightest clue about the dynamics behind Ron Paul's ability to BROADEN the party.

Fred, Rudy, St.Huck, Mitt, and McMilitary -- they all behaved like frenzied, drunken, homo-erotic jocks at a public shower, jostling to achieve the loudest towel-snap on Ron Paul's a$$.

Nobody bothered to realize the damage this could do to the party's future, nor to add up the VOTES.

Romney would have likely won the nomination, had he only the courage to consider Ron Paul's message.

After G.Dumbleyou Bush, you'd think this party (my former party) would have grown-up.

Now, the cruel irony is, the GOP depends upon Hillary Clinton to save them, by returning the favor (she's doing a fine job discrediting Obama, and driving a wedge between the Bluedogs and the Democratic Party's future).

Typical politics... a rival for even the most profound stupidity is never found wanting from the slightest gaze across the aisle.

You'd think, by now, that the smartest generation would realize that the next generation is always significantly smarter.

[Marilyn in Texas]

Linda Raybourn,
You mosted at 8:46pm that Ron Paul doesn't campaign hard. He has been campaigning all over the country, drawing big crouwds, especially at the universities and colleges. But the media just hasn't covered him. He does campaign very hard.