The rebel forces of Paul -- Ron Paul -- organize to resist John McCain

As far as Sen. John McCain is concerned, the Republican presidential nomination is a done deal and he's working on uniting the party behind him. But thousands of Republicans -- particularly supporters of Texas Rep. Ron Paul -- aren't buying that.

In the Pennsylvania primary, more than 215,000 Republicans cast ballots for Paul or former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who quit campaigning weeks ago. Together, they captured 27% of the Republican vote.

That was tame compared with the uproar last weekend at Nevada's Republican Party Convention. Or before that in Missouri.

About 600 well-organized Paul supporters overwhelmed McCain's forces, as The Ticket reported earlier this week, and engineered a rule change that permitted national convention delegates to be nominated from the floor, wresting the task from party establishment leaders.

That evening, party leaders unexpectedly adjourned the session, saying the proceedings would take too long to finish that night.

But tongues were set wagging about whether the adjournment was a maneuver to save McCain from the embarrassment of being swamped by Paul delegates.

Eric Herzik, a political scientist at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the disruption reflected, among other things, that McCain had "yet to capture the hearts and minds of Nevada Republicans." Previously, Paul forces had elected about one-third of the delegates to the Missouri state Republcan convention.

As the 72-year-old Paul, who is unopposed in the November election for his 11th House term, suggested to his dedicated troops earlier this year in a video, they should prepare for for the long haul.

And buy his new book, which has promptly soared to the top of Amazon.com's bestseller list.

All of which suggests there might be some drama or at least confrontations in St. Paul at the GOP's national convention in September after all.

-- Maeve Reston

                                                                                                                                Photo Credit: AP

Comments

[Bruce Liddel]

Kieth: what has been gained by the governmental war on drugs, and who is gaining?

I empathize with you over the tragedies you have witnessed. I deplore recreational drug use of any kind. Nobody on this forum has asked you to begin using drugs for recreation. What others have asked you to do is to look beyond the issue of drugs as good or bad, and question whether or not ever-increasing centralized government intervention is necessarily good or bad.

You have indicated that you dismiss everything Ron Paul stands for, because of his entirely consistent position that the drug war has not helped matters as much as it has hurt matters. That's similar to dismissing a person's foreign policies because of their views on abortion. This may just be human nature on your part, but this is also an opportunity for you to think on a higher level, if you are willing to try.

Ours is not a perfect world. Government cannot make our world perfect. Government can, and usually does (to one degree or another), engage in murder, theft, and enslavery. If your government engages in these pursuits on your behalf, and with your tacit approval, then you become as guilty as your government.

This is why Libertarians believe the power of government should be limited and decentralized. One size does not fit all, and indeed most laws have unintended consequences.

[shaneinwy]

There is something wrong with the author of this. They forgot to use words like "insurgent", "truther", etc. They forgot the time tested method of picking the biggest kook out of a group and holding them up as a generic example of the group. Did they not get the memo that said that Nevada and Missouri are not newsworthy?

Where did this person get their political journalism license, a cracker jack box?

[Carol]

Keith,

There is something you don't understand about Ron Paul's stance on drugs. First, let me explain that I am a Mormon, so I don't even drink tea or coffee, let alone do drugs.

The point about the war on drugs is that it has failed. Since the drug war began, the availability of drugs has increased dramatically, the cost has gone down, making it more accessible, the potency of drugs has increased, the numbers of addicts have increased, and the amount of drug-related violent crime has increased.

In addition, our thoroughly bankrupt country has countless numbers of non-violent marijiuana possessors sitting in prison at a huge cost per day. People who didn't harm anyone else but themselves....

I have sat in several lectures about drugs where two questions are asked:

1) If marijuana were legal, how many of you would use it...?

2) If marijuana were legal, how many of you think other people in this room would use it...?

To the first question, only 1 or 2 people answer yes. To the second question, half the room says yes.

We thoroughly trust ourselves to regulate ourselves, but we don't trust other people. Which is like the government, which tend to think we are all morons.

If marijuana were legalized, that does not put it on the shelf at Safeway next to the parsley and cilantro. It does mean that it won't be a tool to finance criminals.

When an activity is illegal, it makes it very difficult for people to seek help for that problem, since they are in effect confessing to committing a crime.

Ron Paul believes that whether or not you choose to use marijuana is not the responsibility of government. It is a personal decision, like religion. It does not mean you have to think that smoking drugs is a good thing. I happen to think it a very foolish thing, something that I would never do.

I happen to think that taking drugs is like robbing yourself of your own ability to choose, especially if you become an addict and therefore a slave. However, I do think that what you take in to your own body is your individual responsibility, not that of the government.

There certainly can be laws that punish those who harm others while under the influence of mind altering substances.

[Dan]

I teach my children why they should not use drugs. I take an active part in their lives and do not rely on the government to tell me or my family what is good or bad. I think the government should pursue drug pushers because they prey on people, but putting people in jail because they are addicted to a substance is not the answer. Addiction is a disease not a crime.

I will vote for Ron Paul because there are no credible candidates left at this point.

[Eli C]

Go Paulunteers! Shake the GOP up like Clinton is shaking our party up!
Also, Ron Paul is by far the candidate with the most INTERGRITY on the GOP side.

[Joshua]

the rEVOLution is much bigger than this election cycle.... and the establishment knows it and is quaking in their brown boots.

[James]

Do your own research people. Ron Paul is the real deal! Stop fearing and let the person who can best run your life take the responsibility and do it. THAT PERSON IS YOU! Ron Paul doesn't want to run your life. He wants to step back the power of the government because it has gone overboard and let the people govern with freedom.
It is amazing how little people know and afraid to know answers to questions.

[david bitner]

prefering to sleep with a clear conscience, i stopped voting for the lesser of 2 evils a dozen years ago. this year i will write in ron paul.

[jason]

maybe it will come clear that the fascist republican/democratic media conspired to keep the movement down, as it has done many times before (i'm sure) ..
many of ron paul's supporters don't even belong to a party or participate in big politics ..
convention in st. paul .. is this a set up ?
i think he should run independent so that his prolific postion as president can be used to endorse congressional and senatorial candid-apes ..

[Raleigh]

Paul is what this country needs. Those who are blinded by Clintons and Obamas lobbyist written speeches and antics are sorely mistaken. Viva La REVoLutioN!!!!!!!!!!

[Jay]

Heres some information to chew on, all of you who think the reason Ron Paul is popular is because he wants to decriminilize marijuana. That has absoluetly nothing to do with the reason why, many individuals, much like you, actually see what he is about. Ron Paul has the mindset and determination needed to help this country out. It is not about marijuan being legal or illegal, its about the rights we as citizens have. The Constitution was founded on equal power to the states. According to our Constitution, the states are to have equal power, one instance of this would be to set restrictions on certain sunbstances such as marijuana. Deeming it legal for medicinal reasons would obviously be the first step. If they then decided to legalize it for personal use, so be it. It is so horrible to see that the Federal Government has so much power over the states. Its rather sickening. Ron Paul will fix that, a man like this does not just get so many interested for no reason. He is the real deal, do not read the propoganda. Go to his website, he is all about helping US meaning our country and us (me and you)

[jstme]

Hemp is the common name for plants of the entire family of Cannabis, although the term is often used to refer only to Cannabis strains cultivated for industrial (non-drug) use. Hemp is cultivated virtually everywhere in the world except for the United States, and its cultivation in western countries is growing steadily. For example, Canadian Hempseed exports surged 300% last year. China and other eastern countries never prohibited its cultivation and use it extensively.

Industrial hemp has thousands of potential uses, from paper to textiles to biodegradable plastics to health food to fuel but it has not been the great commercial success that the enthusiast hoped for in countries where it is legal to harvest. It is one of the fastest growing biomasses on the planet, and one of the earliest domesticated plants known. It also runs parallel with the "Green Future" objectives that are becoming increasingly popular. Hemp requires little to no pesticides, replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen, controls erosion of the topsoil, and produces lots of oxygen, considering how fast it grows. Furthermore, Hemp could be used to replace many potentially harmful products, such as tree paper (the process of which uses bleaches and other toxic chemicals, apart from contributing to deforestation), cosmetics (which often contain synthetic oils that can clog pores and provide little nutritional content for the skin), plastics (which are petroleum based and cannot decompose), and more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

Great blog.

[steven]

everybody get off Keith's back. He's beyond our grasp. And he's also no longer participating in the discussion.

p.s. i too am terrified of Real ID.

[Jeremy]

To the guy that said he quit researching Paul when he got to the decriminalization of marijuana part: Do you realize the only reason pot is illegal?? Take a guess while you sip on your scotch on the rocks....Alcohol is BY FAR a more destructive drug than pot

[Jake in Los Angeles]

Keith checked out, I think because he was getting too close to a realization.

But in case you are still around, Keith-
Sorry for the tragic stories of your friends but it was their personal decisions that led to their demise not drugs.

I happen to be one of these pothead Paul supporters I guess. I smoke weed pretty often and even use cocaine and other drugs recreationally. My friends and family, most of which don't use, are pretty aware of my habits and it hasn't affected them in any negative way at all. Why? Because they accept me for who I am and support me the same way that I support them, with love and understanding.
You see, drugs do not rule my life, I do.

Keith, drugs didn't work for you and so you were quick enough to realize that and so you stopped. I commend you for that but where you try and impose your decision on others is what I can not defend.

It is not being an American that makes us free it is that we are human and all humans have inherent rights. We have the right to make our own decisions for ourselves.

And frankly if one's decisions lead to their death than they rightly deserve to die.

[keith hater]

everyone hates you Keith. your ignorant. go jump off a bridge. oh no but wait. then they might make gravity illegal.

[mgeez]

I'd like to elaborate on the 'decriminalize marijuana' statement someone made.

1. Ron Paul does not want to decriminalize it. Instead of giving our federal government the power to make it a crime, he wants to let each state pass its own drug laws. So in California, say, marijuana, cocaine, and LSD could all be legal (maybe I'm pushing it too far, but who knows), but in Oregon, all drugs would still be illegal. This reflects on a problem that California is having with its legalization of medical marijuana, because the DEA comes in to California all the time, busting medical marijuana shops because of federal law, when it is still legal in the actual state.

Also, take note at how much MORE revenue states could make if, after making a drug such as marijuana legal, imposing a tax on it, such as the tax that is already apparent with alcohol and tobacco.

2. While I'm sure some people may be supporting Ron Paul because of his stance in this issue, Ralph Nader did the same thing years ago, did he not? And when he was running he was no where near as popular as Ron Paul is today.

These are all things to consider.

[Drumz]

No rulers, no wars. No laws, no crime.

[evan little]

I respect no one more than, Dr. Ron Paul.

See you in D.C. July 12th!!

[James]

Guys watch the american drug war, the war on drugs is moot if you consider the government has been bringing in the drugs and filling the prisons with non-violent illegal drug users. The drugs that are illegal are the ones we can aqcuire ourselves, the rest you have to go to a "doctor", the legalized drug dealer and the drugs are just as bad or much worse. Illegal drugs creates a blackmarket, which creates crime and most importantly corruption, see the prohibition, that's what happening but on a much larger scale. Look at the Frank Murrah case where 2/3 of the new york police force was indicted for corruption or the iran-contra affair where the cia was using drug money to overthrow governments in other countries. Fact: I can get illegal drugs just as easy as legal drugs and people end up doing them(its reverse pschology) because they're illegal. The first is pot which they put in with the rest of them which leads people to believe that since that's not as bad as they say and you go on to harder drugs. 2.3 million people in prison, that's 25% of the world's prison population. This was supposed to be the land of the free not the slave and that's what they are slaves and they get paid 50 grand a year to keep them in their cages.

[familliar]

well, i think that just like abortion laws, pot laws should be decided state by state.

people went to the polls a couple years ago in california and said MEDICAL WEED IS OK. but yet, it's still federally illigal. this needs to change. federal law should not override state law. and alcohol kills more INNOCENT people than pot. END THE HYPOCRACY!

ron paul is pro-live, and i am pro-choice. but that's OK! because this is a free nation and the people should be able to decide as a state and a people if something should be allowed or not, not the prezident. and i think thats what so great about him.

so...stop arguing about silly nonsense (like hillary and obama) open your eyes to the REAL issues facing us and our children!!!

our stockpiles of milk and butter are at ZERO

we are in a neverending war in the middle east, killing innocent people and spending 170 MILLION dolars a day

it looks like we are about to invade syria.

look at how the mainstream medica can shut out dr.paul, what else do you think they are shutting out?!?!?!

[familliar]

well, i think that just like abortion laws, pot laws should be decided state by state.

people went to the polls a couple years ago in california and said MEDICAL WEED IS OK. but yet, it's still federally illigal. this needs to change. federal law should not override state law. and alcohol kills more INNOCENT people than pot. END THE HYPOCRACY!

ron paul is pro-live, and i am pro-choice. but that's OK! because this is a free nation and the people should be able to decide as a state and a people if something should be allowed or not, not the prezident. and i think thats what so great about him.

so...stop arguing about silly nonsense (like hillary and obama) open your eyes to the REAL issues facing us and our children!!!

our stockpiles of milk and butter are at ZERO

we are in a neverending war in the middle east, killing innocent people and spending 170 MILLION dolars a day

it looks like we are about to invade syria.

look at how the mainstream medica can shut out dr.paul, what else do you think they are shutting out?!?!?!

[Darren]

I personally have never done drugs OR Marijuana, but if alcohol is legal, which by far kills more people every year either directly or indirectly than Marijuana ever has or will (to my count, no one has ever died from smoking it), then let people do what they want. This is what liberty is all about. This is why Ron Paul has my vote, or i don't vote at all.

[Chris]

You sure don't see comment pages like this on McCain's articles! Vote Ron Paul for Freedom!

[Darren]

Keith, should you still be reading this...

I understand where you are coming from, believe me I do. Drug use, if left unchecked, can and will end your life, either by way of simple stability or in death. And I am sorry for your loss. When a friend dies, no matter how, one never truly recovers.

With that said..

Understand that Freedom and Liberty aren't just cute words some people use to make themselves feel like a part of something different. This country was founded in part on those very concepts. Your friends that died chose to do drugs, and simply did too much. Drugs didn't knock on their door and force their way into their blood.

Being part of a free society means you are free to not just succeed, but free to fail as well, with little if any hand holding. It's nice to have friends and family there to catch you should you trip or fall, but when you start giving big entities like government not just the right to try to catch you, but the ability to prevent you from falling to start with, you open the door for them to create measures with which they can prevent anything from happening, and the more power they have to do this, the less freedom you have to do with your life as you wish.

I am sorry for your loss, but they were free to live or die how they pleased, and they chose poorly. Don't let your loss be the rest of our burdens by telling politicians that you want everyone to live how you would like them too because you miss your friends. It makes you immoral and unethical. your friends didn't deserve to die, but they certainly might have earned their deaths. Big difference. Ron Paul wants to ensure that everyone has a right to live however they please whether they make good or bad choices.

That's a real man of the people.