GOP will take off the gloves if Ron Paul wins Iowa

Washington Examiner ^ | 121811 | Tim Carney

[Fred]

The Republican presidential primary has become a bit feisty, but it will get downright ugly if Ron Paul wins the Iowa caucuses.

The principled, antiwar, Constitution-obeying, Fed-hating, libertarian Republican congressman from Texas stands firmly outside the bounds of permissible dissent as drawn by either the Republican establishment or the mainstream media. (Disclosure: Paul wrote the foreword to my 2009 book.)

But in a crowded GOP field currently led by a collapsing Newt Gingrich and an uninspiring Mitt Romney, Paul could carry the Iowa caucuses, where supporter enthusiasm has so much value.

If Paul wins, how will the media and the GOP react? Much of the media will ignore him (expect headlines like "Romney Beats out Gingrich for Second Place in Iowa"). Some in the Republican establishment and the conservative media will panic. Others will calmly move to crush him, with the full cooperation of the liberal mainstream media.

For a historical analogy, study the aftermath of Pat Buchanan's 1996

[svcw]

NEW GALLUP POLL: RON PAUL ONLY GETS 7% OF THE TEA PARTY VOTE

[Bishop_Malachi]

I hate to break it to you, but no Republican will be president this year.

Most people in this country still want handouts. The Far Left doesn’t want to significantly cut entitlements and the Far Right doesn’t want to significantly cut military spending. The result? We cut neither and the trend towards poorer credit ratings, higher taxes,and greater deficits continues.

Which candidate do we have that is electable that is seriously “small government” in philosophy?

[okie01]

Jeez, in your view the country is hardly worth saving.

Should we just give up?

[Bishop_Malachi]

We do what we can do. We donate to the best politicians we can find. We vote our conscience in the primary, then vote party in the general.

All I can say is it’s never too early to start looking for property in Costa Rica...;)