Opinion: Here comes Ron Paul’s call to reject both Barack Obama and John McCain

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Ron Paul is preparing to speak and it appears what he has to say won’t be welcome news for Barack Obama (no surprise on that count) or John McCain (causing him, perhaps, some chagrin).

Paul himself may have passed on an outside-the-lines run for the White House after his insurgent bid for the Republican nomination fell way short.

But the Associated Press reports that at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, the iconoclastic politician will urge others to support an alternative candidate of their choice.

The AP story relates that in his prepared remarks, Paul says: “The strongest message can be sent by rejecting the two-party system. This can be accomplished by voting for one of the nonestablishment, principled candidates.”

Perennial candidate Ralph Nader, who has curried favor with Paul backers, is to join him at the morning news conference at the National Press Club. And, according to the AP, other presidential contenders Paul invited to the event include Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party and Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party.

Here’s hoping they take him up on the offer, because that will make for one memorable photo op.

The McCain camp reportedly made efforts to woo Paul, but that seems to have amounted to little. And they have little agreement on issues.

Meanwhile, all is not lost for hard-core Paul supporters who yearn for the chance to vote for him in November -- they simply have to reside in Montana. His advocates there have gotten Paul on the ballot as the Constitutional Party’s presidential candidate (which could actually affect who wins the huge state’s miniscule 3 electoral votes, as the Helena Independent hashes out).

-- Don Frederick