Ron Paul's Finished; Who Takes His Place?

Townhall.com ^ | January 23, 2012 | Mike Shedlock

[Kaslin]

In spite of a carefully timed announcement by Newt Gingrich's ex-wife Marianne on an "Open Marriage, Mistress Proposal", Gingrich rallied from a 16 point deficit on January 3 to a stunning 12 percentage point slaughter of Mitt Romney less than three weeks later.

South Carolina Primary Results

The Associated Press announces these South Carolina Primary Results.



This goes to show you that "It ain't over until it's over."

Dog Whistle Politics

The Financial Times reports Victory Horrifies Republican Establishment

Gingrich didn’t just win the primary. He crushed Mr Romney, by more than ten percentage points, and that after the former Massachusetts governor had a lead of similar dimensions over Mr Gingrich just a week before the poll.

At least among Republicans, Mr Gingrich is so battle-scarred that no matter what dirt is thrown at him – even the fact that his ex-wife said he wanted an “open marriage” – it no longer sticks.

Mr Gingrich is also twice the natural politician that Mr Romney is, and was able to tailor his message on the campaign trail in South Carolina to rouse that state’s voters.

Although he denied it, his continuous references to Barack Obama as a “food stamp president” was called out by some commentators as classic dog whistle politics in a state with a long history of racial tension.

Mr Gingrich will be thrilled with his victory. The Republican establishment, however, will be horrified, because its members think he is unelectable and tarnished in a general election.

If Mr Gingrich wins Florida, expect a huge campaign against him, not from the White House, but from within the Republican party itself.

Who is the New Torch Bearer of Freedom?

I will take flack for this but it's all over for Ron Paul. He finished a disappointing 4th. I do not like the news but I cannot ignore it.

This will not stop me one bit from pointing out the flaws of Gingrich, the flaws of Romney, and the flaws of the Republican and Democratic parties in general. Indeed I hope and expect Ron Paul to carry his message to the end in an attempt to change the Republican platform.

The Republican party needs a new torch bearer. New Jersey governor Chris Christie walked away from the opportunity. Christie was not the perfect candidate, rather he was an acceptable candidate.

Nonetheless, one thing is certain. Neither Gingrich nor Romney is the future of the Republican party. Both are failed politicians of the failed past.

A new torch bearer will not come from the existing Republican establishment. My eyes turn towards Rand Paul.

[svcw]

Thanks

[Kaslin]

May I remind you that some in here were trying to push Rick Santorum out ofter the SC primary where he came in third place. He won the Iowa Caucus. What primary has Paul won? No it’s time for him to drop out

[Kaslin]

You’re welcome

[Leep]

Half of Ron Paul supporters if not more, are libs crossing over to fart with our primary in the first place.

If U.S. foreign policy results in massive death and destruction abroad, we cannot feign innocence when some of that destruction is returned. -Ron Paul or Ward Churchhill?

[techworker]

Voting for Paul in Florida even though it’s a wasted vote in some respects.

I’d like to see the GOP get back to being the party of Liberty, we seem to pro-corporate as opposed to pro-market, but nevertheless I’ll vote for whoever we trot out in November. I just won’t do any work for him or donate anything someone else can do that.

I would like to see Paul stay in this thing long enough to muck things up and grease the skids for Rand who appears to go down more smoothly with less of a bitter aftertaste.

My ideal candidate:
- kill crony capitalism
- legalize weed (No I don’t smoke)
- allow businesses to die (nothing to big to fail)

At the end although I think going more libertarian is better for the country my pocketbook and fat salary would benefit by voting for the lesser socialists. The lesser socialists might at least cut my taxes.

[jonrick46]

"And it's not over for RuPaul, he wasn't in it to win it, he's in it to bamboozle more money for his campaign coffers that he can use later in life."

Spot on!

[AFPhys]

Actually, though I consider Ron Paul dangerous on the whole, there is one primary that I now hope, really hope, that he wins: Virginia.

The way the establishment Republicans forced that to be a two-way race in that state between Romney and Paul demands a change. If I were a resident of VA, I would campaign very hard for RonP hoping that he actually wins it for the sake of sending a message to the national GOP.