Ron Paul surge collects more GOP convention delegates

While the world of politics waits around for Sen. Barack Obama to finally get the message and give up his hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president because he lost yet another heartland state to Hillary Clinton, Texas Rep. Ron Paul continues to creep up on the once-presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.

Overlooked in all the hoopla about the big Portland, Ore., music rally that Obama piggybacked onto and his winning the Forever Cloudy State in Tuesday's voting was the fact that the 72-year-old libertarian-like Republican rebel snagged two of Oregon's 27 GOP delegates.

Sure McCain got the other 25. But depending on whose count you go by, this gives Paul a total of either 21 or 28 delegates to the September Republican National Convention in St. Paul,  Minn. Maybe even a few more.

That puts Paul only about 1,245 delegates behind McCain, who weeks ago captured the necessary 1,191 delegates to guarantee him the nomination.

And as The Ticket reported Wednesday morning, Paul is careful with the dollars his loyal followers have donated. Since early 2007, these dedicated bands of imaginative fund-raisers have donated nearly $35 million and Paul still has almost $5 million of that left. Recently, he's been advertising a lot on radio. And unlike most candidates, he lives with no political debt.

So by September it may come down to mano a mano between two 72-year-olds to see who goes up against the 60-year-old New Yorker or the Illinois kid who'll be 60 in about 13 years.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[terribly smart]

Why can't you get it straight? Ron Paul got 50,000 votes in Oregon--AND FOUR DELEGATES.

http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#OR

I think I do understand however: you have to stagger your positive RP 'blog' articles (e.g. yesterday's) with dirty ones. It's to make good with your 'Blog' editor, right?

[Joe Smith]

I dont get it, when Obama won 10 states in a row and Hilary lost 10.. i did not hear you say Hilary should end the race, but the fact that obama has lost a couple and ALSO won a couple at the same time makes u say he should quit the race? I dont get your logic here..

[N/A]

Andrew, you're a freakin' joke. You think Ron Paul and McCain are old? Go look in the mirror.

[Obama in PA]

Um, what race are you watching?

[travis]

I think you have things backwards in that first sentence Mr. Malcolm. I think most of us are waiting around for Hillary to get the message and drop out. Obama's in the lead and will probably stay there despite whatever heartland states Clinton manages to scoop up in her downward spiral.

[jj]

wield this article, implying that obama is not going to win the nomination. very unprofessional reporting

[George]

Good to see we've finally discarded all those "mathematical facts" of delegate counts, since they were getting in the way of all the melodrama.

[Caleb Hartz]

Barack Obama's hopeless chase for democratic nominee? Do you have alzheimers?

[AZ Buzzer From Outa Town]

Hahaha....that was hilarious - 'While the world of politics waits around for Sen. Barack Obama to finally get the message and give up his hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president ' -

I might suggest taking a step out of your home and around your country.....better yet....leave the US....EVERYONE in the world is waiting for HILLARY to get the message and give up! She is currently leading nothing. Not the popular vote. Not the number of state wins. Not the pledged delegates, Not the super delegates. Not to mention she is severely in debt from an ill-managed campaign.

The world is actually frustrated and frankly a bit annoyed that she won't realize the she has already lost!!

[Bob Devine]

Rest assured, as the sun rises in the morning, Andrew
Malcolm's persistant bias will be the death of him as a reporter.

[David Abbott]

If Ron Paul were to win the Republican nomination for President...It would completely restore my faith in the Democratic process of these United States. In my opinion, Congressman Paul, if elected President, would not only restore our Financial liquidity, he would also restore our lost credibility as a peace loving society. All of the other candidates bring nothing to the table but certain bankruptcy and never ending conflict, both stateside and abroad.

[dave]

ignoring (almost) that the undertone of this item is (once more) hysterical sarcasm: at least it is composed in a manner that allows to read it in a literal sense, if one chooses to, without insulting anyone's intelligence too hard (unless one might be the author, perhaps). almost: as has been explained so many times, mccain has far from locked this up, and you will yet have to wait and see if either the gop or the dem conventions will actually show the lack of judgment and/or chutzpah to hand the nomination to anyone not even qualified to run for office; let alone to protect the constitution, and lead the country. and what about the inconsistency of first lamenting obama's losing campaign, and then wondering whether RON PAUL (or even mccain) would get to 'defeat' obama (where does this leave clinton? doesn't this reverse and contradict your initial statement about obama's impending defeat?). and the term of the presidential office is 4 years, not 13: so if the healthier (both mentally and physically) of the two candidates will get into office at 72, he might easily last there for at least 4 years longer than obama ever will. still some might worry, though not him, about a risk factor more corporeal than age, in any president: that is, integrity. and while the now preemptively un-declared ex-presumptive-nominee would certainly have had none of that to worry about either, RON PAUL has plenty. but rLOVEution can't be for cowards or traitors. RON PAUL is aware. and we know the delegates know too. but of course, so do you.
and RON PAUL has been waiting for quite a while now for either obama or mccain to forget their gutlessness for long enough to confront him on his message, for him to explain it publicly to them and for everyone to see why he is the best choice for PRESIDENT in a very long time.

[T Livingston]

"While the world of politics waits around for Sen. Barack Obama to finally get the message and give up his hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president because he lost yet another heartland state to Hillary Clinton" ----- Is this journalist serious. lol You obvously have not been listening to what the world of politics is saying. This article is about Ron Paul but you shot yourself by starting off like this. Shame on you.

[Eddie]

Andrew writes:
"While the world of politics waits around for Sen. Barack Obama to finally get the message and give up his hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president because he lost yet another heartland state to Hillary Clinton..."

What race have you been watching, Mr. Malcolm? It should read:
While the world of politics waits around for Sen. HILLARY CLINTON to finally get the message and give up HER hopeless chase of the Democratic nomination for president because she lost yet another state to BARACK OBAMA...,

I don't know anyone yet who has called for him to drop out, yet you write like that is the case.

Why do you continue to write about Paul anyway? Just to get hits on your website from his followers? If he has no chance, why not use your blog space to write about something more significant in your opinion?

[CD]

Hey Snarky, too bad you can't get any attention other than taunting the ron paul supporters. I feel sorry for you. How old are you? 2?

[John]

Nice sarcasm, Malcolm. Tell me, other than page views for your employer, what's your motivation here?

[Rich Lugar]

I was a fan of Ron Paul and it ticked me of how he got treated durring the debates by the no nothing wing of the Republican party. All the Dems need to say is what did you do to make things better when you were in power. The answer more gov. spending, pork and waste than the Dems ever attempted. Why exactly do we need two parties they seem extreamly simular to me. Bob Bar may yet get my vote.

[Rick]

I commend the Times for noting in Andrew Bush's bio that he used to work for Laura Bush. That simultaneously indicates his political bias and his willingness to parrot the party line, however inane.

[Phil]

You are just another propaganda spewing mouthpiece for the Neo Cons. You wouldn't know true Individual Liberty if if slapped you across the face. Your support of McCain will be your undoing as any voice of influence (minor as it already is). McCain is the modern version of the last Roman Emperor Nero. While he waddles though his pathetic campaign the once great GOP burns like Rome did as the Empire fell.

[Jason]

Why do you continue to mock Ron Paul and his supporters? Do you not understand the reasons why we continue the push to get more delegates?

I guess you are just trying to get more page views on your website.

I'm sorry, but your little article here rubbed me the wrong way.

[sean truitt]

mr malcolm, my question to you is this:
"am i being sarcastic?"

please, answer "honestly".

[Tom deSabla]

Andrew Malcolm: "the 72-year-old libertarian-like Republican rebel snagged two of Oregon's 27 GOP delegates"

CNN: "Ron Paul got 50,000 votes in Oregon--AND FOUR DELEGATES"

Would this "truth deficit" of yours be attributable to your lack of a brain Andy? Or to your lack of a soul? We'd better get that "Turn Andy Malcolm into a Human Being" resolution passed pretty quick, don't you think?

We care so much about you Andy, and since our caring can only be measured by resolutions and taxpayer money spent, I really must ask - where is congress on this vital matter of national security? I guess they just don't care about your humanity like we do.

Let's hear it for the resolution to make Andy Malcolm a Human Being! C'mon, we can put a man on the moon, surely we can do this!!

[richard from houston]

Mr. Malcolm: You only opine about Ron Paul's chances cause you get so many hits to your trifling blog. I will never click on your LA Times blog again. You're that old curmedgeon all of us wish would die painfully because of your haughty snarky disposition. You're a jokester and journalism is for queers.

[Al]

I think Ron Paul would make a great president.

Those who disagree go to his site find out what he has to say.

Then go and compare it to Obama's or McCain's.

Then tell me which issues Obama's and McCain's plan's are better than then Pauls. (And saying I will give everyone free excellent health care, and not explaining HOW is just politicians blowing hot air.)

I get the feeling most people just believe everything the media tells them, so they assume Paul and his supporters are wack jobs, and Obama is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and yet they never even went to find out for themselves. Just go and look at what both have to say, and not what the media says. If you still think Ron Paul is a quack then at least I know you made that decision based off of your own findings.

[John]

You people have a problem with recognizing sarcasm and satire.