Ron Paul's forces quietly plot GOP convention revolt against McCain

Virtually all the nation's political attention in recent weeks has focused on the compelling state-by-state presidential nomination struggle between two Democrats and the potential for party-splitting strife over there.

But in the meantime, quietly, largely under the radar of most people, the forces of Rep. Ron Paul have been organizing across the country to stage an embarrassing public revolt against Sen. John McCain when Republicans gather for their national convention in Minnesota at the beginning of September.

Paul's presidential candidacy has been correctly dismissed all along in terms of winning the nomination. He was even excluded as irrelevant by Fox News from a nationally-televised GOP debate in New Hampshire.

But what's been largely overlooked is Paul's candidacy as a reflection of a powerful lingering dissatisfaction with the Arizona senator among the party's most conservative conservatives. As anticipated in late March in The Ticket, that situation could be exacerbated by today's expected announcement from former Republican Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia for the Libertarian Party's presidential nod, a slot held by Paul in 1988.

Never mind Ralph Nader, Republican and Democratic parties both face ...

... potentially damaging internal splits that could cripple their chances for victory in a narrow vote on Nov. 4.

Just take a look at recent Republican primary results, largely overlooked because McCain locked up the necessary 1,191 delegates long ago. In Indiana, McCain got 77% of the recent Republican primary vote, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, who've each long ago quit and endorsed McCain, still got 10% and 5% respectively, while Paul took 8%.

On the same May 6 in North Carolina, McCain received less than three-quarters of Republican votes (74%), while Huckabee got 12%, Paul 7% and Alan Keyes and No Preference took a total of 7%.

Pennsylvania was even slightly worse for the GOP's presumptive nominee, who got only 73% to a combined 27% for Paul (16%) and Huckabee (11%).

As Politico.com's Jonathan Martin noted recently, at least some of these results are temporary protest votes in meaningless primaries built on lingering affection for Huckabee and suspicion of McCain.

Given the long-since settled GOP race, thousands of other Republicans in these states, who might have put up with a McCain vote, crossed over to vote in the more exciting Democratic primaries, on their own for Sen. Barack Obama or at the urging of talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, who sought to support Hillary Clinton and prolong Democratic bloodletting.

According to a recent Boston Globe tally, Paul has a grand total of 19 Republican delegates to Romney's 260, Huckabee's 286 and McCain's 1,413.

In the last three months, Paul's forces, who donated $34.5 million to his White House effort and upward of a million total votes, have, as The Ticket has noted, been fighting a series of guerrilla battles with party establishment officials at county and state conventions from Washington and Missouri to Maine and Mississippi. Their goal: to take control of local committees, boost their delegate totals and influence platform debates.

Paul, for instance, favors a drastically reduced federal government, abolishing the Federal Reserve, ending the Iraq war immediately and withdrawing U.S. troops from abroad.

They hope to demonstrate their disagreements with McCain vocally at the convention through platform fights and an attempt to get Paul a prominent speaking slot. Paul, who's running unopposed in his home Texas district for an 11th House term, still has some $5 million in war funds and has instructed his followers that their struggle is not about a single election, but a long-term revolution for control of the Republican Party.

So eager are they to follow their leader's words, that Paul's supporters have driven his new book, "The Revolution: A Manifesto," to the top of several bestseller lists.

While Paul has consistently refused a third-party bid, he has vowed not to endorse McCain, a refusal mirrored by hundreds of his supporters who have left comments on The Ticket in recent weeks. And, no doubt, they'll flock back here today to spread the gospel below.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photos: Associated Press and RonPaul.com

Comments

[Todd]

Give it up Paul-ites! We do have a democratic process-- Paul never could get enough votes, despite more media coverage than his popularity demanded.

He has some great ideas, but is still sort of a wacko. Take his ideas forward, but don't get hung up on him as a person.

[Patrick t]

Ron Paul never got republican support because of his stance on the war. He is not aligned with the majority of the party on this issue. You can't be the head of a party while holding a polar opposite view on a major issue. Ron Paul and his supporters should concede defeat or they should run on a third party ticket. Protest if you want to to push your ideas, but don't try to hijack the process because you think your candidate should have won. Dust yourself off and try to win the next election.

[Patrick Henry]

LIVE FREE OR DIE

[Pragmatist]

Let's see now. All choices have consequences. Even the refusal to choose is a choice and has consequences. So to refuse to vote for the Republican candidate is automatically a vote for a liberal. How intelligent is that?

[Analytical Thinker]

Call me crazy, but doesn't Ron Paul in 2008 seem much like the campaign of Barry Goldwater in 1960. The seed is planted now, but will take a few years to grow into a massive movement of the people. If Dr. Paul is still serving and healthy for 2012, doesn't he emerge as the voice of the new conservative movement, and viable candidate for the entire Republican party?

[Nick Danger's My Hero]

1% of the population has little legitimacy to up-end the government of over 300 million? Neil, you're gonna need more than 1% to lay any legitimate claim to being "the people".

Revolution? Please. If you're looking for change, look to somebody whose answers lay in projecting a better future on the basis of the present realities.

Turning back the wheel isn't allowed in Wheel of Fortune; it's certainly not possible in history.

[Alfred in Dallas]

I understand the dissent among some voters with McCain and his oh too often tendency to moderate his views to appease the dems. It drives me crazy all the time to see him give up his principles and side with the Lib Teddy or even LIberman or any number of other dems...Even I thought about not voting for McCain in the primary, he is our only viable candidate.

At least on one front, Mr. Paul has some sense, in that he wont divide the party by taking on a silly 3rd party role in the election. I do admire the tenacity of his supporters, but to commit subterfuge to commandeer delegates is uncalled for and will only serve to vilify Paul and his supporters and further marginalize him and others in the future from challenging party platform ideals.

To continue in this manner only harms the party, Paul can stand on principle with his dozen or so delegates at the convention like a MAN and voice his objection to the party's platform as anyone else with delegates can do as well.

This fantasy of taking over the convention floor needs to stop before we begin to view Paul much as the world looks at Kucinich as a nutcase.

[L.A. Daneman]

1 million voters . . . or 1 million kooks? A platform of eliminating the Fed Reserve and pulling out of Iraq is tantamount to outlawing gasoline in favor of hay.

A viable leader? What, in his decades of representation in a sparsely populated Texas district, did Ron Paul ever accomplish?

Oh, 'He voted for earmarks, before he voted against them.'

I know 'Dr' Paul supporters, and they are fringe radicals missing the 60's, or unable to remember them. They now support Obama.

[tj]

The reason Paul supporters comment on here is because so few media outlets cover him. It is newsworthy that Paul, who the media cast as a kook, is winning delegates and fighting McCain supporters at conventions of all levels. This is democracy at its best. The people willing to fight for change are the ones who win.
Are there any Brownback, Tancredo, Hunter, Tommy Thompson, Fred Thompson, Romney, Guiliani, Gilmore Hunter voters doing the same? No, they just step in line with McCain and throw their principles out the window.

[Matt]

If you've read the constitution, and you know Ron Paul's policies, you have two choices. You can either support Ron Paul or support a unconstitutional form of government. It's that simple. True patriots will continue to support Ron Paul and others who stand up for the constitution to the convention and beyond!

[Frank]

Rep. Paul claims he's the leading advocate for freedom in Washington, D.C. Yet, his firm belief in free trade and free markets is fundamentally against his own Immigration Policy. If he believes in free trade so strongly, he should be advocating freedom of labour. Labour - a huge part of any market - should be able to move freely across any country's border. That's the logical extension of the argument for free markets. If Rep. Paul is against the idea of labour moving freely across all borders, then he should stop his freedom rhetoric. Right now, he contradicts himself. A house divided against itself cannot stand. And please don't pass me off as some angry minority. I'm a white member of the Sons of the American Revolution on both sides of my family. I desire logical thinking in my politicians.

[Tom]

I will never vote for the three stooges, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Long live RON PAUL! The news media in the good ole USA is the 4th branch of government.

[Jeanette]

I'm so sick of hearing that Ron Paul got 8-10% in primaries! Am I the only one who knows that the selections in this country are TOTALLY compromised!!!! Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate I see signs for, bumpers stickers for, have volunteers knock on my door for. He has my vote even if I have to write him in come Nov. If ya'll don't want to die on your knees with your family's heads blown off before your eyes, I suggest you do the same!!!!!!!!!!!!

[William]

I am a lifelong republican and will bite the bullet so to speak and vote for John McCain come November. I am not happy he is our candidate but I will take him over Obama any day of the week. At least with McCain he wants to control spending which is very important to me.

Dr. Paul should have talked more about controlling spending instead of harping on the war. It would have helped him more in the long run in my opinion.

[A whiff of common sense]

Not a Paul supporter, but when I read something like "correctly dismissed" I have to laugh. And not in a happy or amused way either.

I don't know what's worse -- Paul supporters or the media-programmed status-quo swallowers like Robert who fear him.

[Linda Rayborn]

I feel just as strongly about Mike Huckabee as Ron Paul supporters do for their candidate, but we are down to the final two and we have a choice, between John McCain and Barack Obama. Any way you look at it John McCain is 1000 times better than Obama. If Paul supporters continue to fight against our nominee, you are offering the presidency to Obama!!! Please, reconsider what you are doing and do the right thing, as Huckabee supporters have done. If you want to spend your time constructively on something to help the party in November, work with us towards advocating a McCain/Huckabee ticket. The party will be better for it and we will have a better chance for victory in November. PS Congressman Paul, please speak out for Senator McCain in support of his candidacy and urge your supporters to do the same. You are hurting the party at this point, to continue......

[Tom]

I will never vote for the three stooges, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Long live RON PAUL! The news media in the good ole USA is the 4th branch of government.

[Margaret Schaut]

Voting for proven CRIMINALS who violate the laws THEY WROTE, or for those who made the top corrupt politicians list is what is INSANE, especially if you think they'll suddenly be 'loyal' to their oaths when they take office. Thinking 'business as usual' is good enough for America is INSANE. We are headed down the path of DICTATORIAL FASCISM where all 'petty issues' will be meaningless if we don't take some sort of action NOW. http://www.squidoo.com/american-fascism

It is so-called professional journalists like YOU and your colleagues who are supposed to EXPOSE these things for the benefit of the American Citizens. However, for some reason you are in the pocket of the party line and ignore the grave danger we are all in. Shame on you and all the professional journalists who ignore this at America's danger and the worlds perpetual danger!

[Jules]

Whitman is not going to run..get over it. Ron Paul is nothing but a spoiler (put up by conservative republicans and and lib dems.) just like Ross P...was (by the clintons).
There are far more hillbilly democrats than republicans

[abbybwood]

I hope the Ron Paul Revolution does take over the Republican Convention and I hope they vote McCain out.

There's a good reason the Republican Convention is being held in "ST. PAUL", Minnesota....

Ron Paul is the ONLY anti-war candidate. I will vote for Ron Paul one way or the other in November, even if I have to write him in.

[RIP]

Sponsored by Obama for President--lol

[Tom Hosmanek]

Plain and simple, Ron Paul is a nut job. He is less than a patriot if he lets this dopey disruption take place.

[Mike]

This article is a perfect example of 1940s German propaganda.

[JonC]

I have voted republican in the past, but I will vote for Obama if Ron Paul is not on the ticket. George Bush 3rd (McCain) will continue bankrupting the country with wars we can't afford to fight.

[dave]

there is growing consent in the ranks of the gop leadership that it is inevitable that the constitutional candidate for PRESIDENT RON PAUL receive the nomination; seeing his overwhelming popularity and support with the people, and that the preemptive shot of the neocon fringe fraction that initially had pressed for mccain's premature and baseless presentation as 'presumptive nominee' did and does not generate, in the manner of a 'self-fulfilling prophesy' as had been their hope and expectation - a surge of subsequent support for the widely, and even wildly, unpopular mccain; but instead, has led to massive increase in awareness, of the intended plot and coup against ron paul; and keeps alerting many millions more of guileless people, to the scope of anti-constitutional and illegit censoring and biased media agitation, against ron paul and his clear and vital message; the 'numeracy' too of certain fascist leaning corporate media now has become a laughing stock, as the majority of people are waking up from their previous gullibility as to the repetitive deliberate misrepresentations, misassignments and confusion, e.g. of numbers and percentages of polls and votes, in certain media. the anti-constitutional fringe of the gop have tried to whip up a storm - and a tornado's coming back at them.