Posted on 05/10/2012 10:20:08 AM PDT by RitaOK
Larry Kudlow asks the most pertinent question about Ron Paul’s continuing efforts on the campaign trail after Mitt Romney has all but wrapped up the GOP nomination, which is what Paul hopes to accomplish by continuing to contest it. Paul says he’s not ready to follow Rick Santorum’s lead by endorsing Romney in the near future … and why should he? He’s raising money with a low burn rate, grabbing enough delegates to have the party establishment worried, and putting himself in position to force some policy changes in the party platform. Ron Paul is having the time of his life:
With virtually zero chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination, Rep. Ron Paul said Tuesday that he has no immediate plans to endorse Mitt Romney.
“Not soon,” he said on CNBC’s “The Kudlow Report.”
“I’m not thinking about that as much as what kind of presence we’ll have, how many people we’re going to have there, and what kind of an influence we can have on the platform in Tampa,” he added, noting that there were still plenty of delegates still up for grabs. “It may turn out that we may end up winning Iowa, and we’ve won a couple of these other states.”
Just how close to zero chance is it for Paul, anyway? Let’s assume that Paul can capture all of the delegates in caucus states, thanks to his organizational strength and ability to play the long game. Right now, Romney has 722 untouchable bound delegates from primary states, up through last night’s elections. He’ll get at least half of Indiana’s 46 delegates even if Paul can claw some from the caucus portion of the allocation, so bring that to 745 delegates. Romney should win all of the rest of the primaries by majorities, so California puts Romney over the top by June 5th no matter what happens. It’s over, and it’s been over since at least Santorum’s withdrawal.
But the endgame, as Kudlow puts it, hasn’t been the nomination anyway, at least not for Paul. He wants to influence policy in exactly the way he states in the interview, but more importantly, he wants his supporters holding the levers of power in local and state party organizations. That will make it much easier to move the GOP in his direction — and eventually give his son Rand a clear path to a presidential nomination. When he’s finished setting up his organization and generating as much in contributions as he can, he’ll give Romney his blessing in this election, because by then Romney’s win this year won’t matter to Paul.
Update: CNN asked Paul about rumors that his campaign planned to use its muscle on the delegate floor in Tampa to stage demonstrations against the Republican nominee, or at least the party establishment. Paul disavowed that intent:
COSTELLO: Santorum, Gingrich, Bachmann, Huntsman, Perry, Cain, they’ve all dropped out. Why haven’t you?
PAUL: Well, it certainly isn’t for the reason of disrupting a convention as you were alluding to. That is not in my plan. That is against my plan. I don’t like that being a suggestion.
I’m in it for very precise reasons to maximize our efforts to get as many delegates as we can. I’m still a candidate and to promote something that is very, very important. That is a change in the direction for the Republican Party to be a fiscal conservative Republican Party.
To not be a party that supports endless wars and a party that would look into the monetary system so that we can understand the business cycle.
So we have very precise goals and we are being quite successful in accumulating more and more votes and delegates. Quite frankly, I think the reports early on that we weren’t winning anything, it turns out we did win some of these states like in Maine and Minnesota and these other places. We’re doing quite well.
COSTELLO: I want to ask you about that, Congressman. Your supporters do seem to be taking a page from Evangelical Christian activists in the ’90s.
They’re taking control of state conventions to win you enough delegates to get your name placed formally in nomination. I mean, is the goal to get you a prime time speaking role at the Republican convention, is that why they’re working so hard?
PAUL: Well, being nominated is one thing and you get to give a speech, but that is different than just the leadership conceding sometime and giving you a speech. One is monitored and one is not.
So just to give a speech for the sake of giving a speech and have it edited doesn’t have much appeal to me, but I think moving in an agenda is very important. The best way I can do that is to maximize is number of delegates that we have.
Say what you will, but my experience in Minnesota has been that Paul supporters have organized well enough that they don’t need to disrupt the proceedings. They’re making themselves the new establishment. They look disciplined and focused, so a pointless disruption on the floor of the convention in Tampa would be not just be out of character, it would mainly be self-defeating
That is a change in the direction for the Republican Party to be a fiscal conservative Republican Party. To not be a party that supports endless wars and a party that would look into the monetary system so that we can understand the business cycle. " -- Ron Paul
The TEA PARTY did initially see its greatest moment, when focused originally, like a laser, on the purposeful fiscal raid on the wealth of America, which is the shiny Marxist key to diminishing the United States globally in every other way, with the goal being our subservience, to global powers, to advance a global union of workers, and to enhance and empower all UN efforts to kill democracy and representative government.
For all his deplorable warts that Ron Paul rather proudly proclaims that include endangering Israel, isolating the USA from necessarily defending its allies, significantly cutting our military budget, still, who denies that the gateway to our destruction is being laid through the take-over of our economy for the purpose of destroying it, and through the curious doings of the Federal Reserve that seem to assist in that goal, and through the unchecked spending at break neck speed?
Effectively, the worst of Ron Paul's agenda will come to fruition anyway, under Obama and possibly under Rommney, who himself has no aversion whatsoever to redistributing wealth of Americans.
I like it that Paul despises the GOP-E and find myself hoping he is able to threaten the Establishment in some meaningful way in TAMPA. We have no one else left. All the rest, pundits and candidates alike, have proved to be theater, paychecks and career builders.
Am I the only one who enjoys Uncle Nutty playing with matches, and secretly hoping he ignites something?
Just sayin'. Flame away.
Romney must have pulled his promise to make Rand Paul his running mate.
Ping
While Paul may have some good ideas on the economy, his other ideas are insane. I don’t see the Republican/Conservatives agreeing to be truthers and blame America firsters.
I don’t see conservatives or Republicans being anti-Jew.
Paul is a nut case. He’s not a Republican. He’s a libertarian and should go back to that party and run as one. The fact that he is running as a Republican shows how dishonest he really is.
And the fact that he is supported by the Occutards and many who voted for Obama just shows what a train wreck he is.
Pong :)
He’s holding out to see if Mittens picks his son for VP.
Well of course he wont. He is in it all the to the convention. He wants to get as many delegates as he can so he can influence the platform.
I expect he will make his case and that the platform, rightfully, will reflect some of his good views (ie on monetary policy and constitutionality).
After that, either during or after the convention I expect he will endorse Romney.
If Romney wins, I’d love to see him appoint Ron Paul as the Secretary of the Treasury.
It is possible Paul may endorse Romney after the Texas Primary when Romney crosses the 1,144 dlegate number...but, for the reason I gave above, I highly doubt it.
Critical Endorsements and Support for Mitt Romney
http://www.jeffhead.com/endorseromney.htm
The GOP Primary and caucus Tracker
http://www.jeffhead.com/GOPTracker.htm
What about after the election?
Never thought I’d be cheering Ron Paul but ... there ya go.
Santorum 2012
It seems that a Third Party is disaster, and after banging our head into a wall against the GOPE to no avail, the conservatives (and yes, the Libertarians) have figured out that the Republican Party itself is our field and we need to re-configure it.
Polical change to the Establishment requires coming together, on the ground, where we can and parting ways where we must.
I can’t hide my delight that someone, ANYONE, is willing to stay the course, stay the guns, and continue on, all the way up the kazoo of the Republican Party. These master minds are our puppeteers, who are throwing us overboard with confidence that we will always hit the water smiling.
I agree with you there is much to despise and fear from Ron Paul’s “severe” Libertarian views, but with a chastised Congress and Senate, with red-hot hineys brought to heel, I wonder if they could hold in check the crazy stuff of Paul and advance instead the real key to the victory—fiscal restoration achieved without redistribution of wealth, which Obama and Romney have both embraced, only Romney did it all FIRST.
You are certainly not alone...
The best thing that could happen right now is for Ron Paul to inflict absolute CHAOS within the convention.
Its far better to destroy Robama before or during the convention than after it. But if the GOP is F’ing corrupt enough to put a socialist up as its candidate for pres, then I will work TIRELESSLY to crush his candidacy during the general election as well.
Yes, I understand that having Zero as pres for another 4 years will be disastrous. What A lot of the Robama supporters apparently DONT understand is that having a socialist as pres under the title of “Republican” will be the END of this nation. (or at least the peaceful state of this nation)
The republicans in the congress WONT “hold his feet to the mythical fire”. History as a teacher, indicates that a GOP congress will lick his F’ing balls even when he decides to not get rid of Obama care. I GUARANTEE you that with robama at the head of the GOP obama-care WILL become ENTRENCHED as ROBAMA-CARE.
The GOP will sponge bathe him when he appoints more liberal activist judges to the bench.
They will feed him grapes as he drives our states even further into the bondage and flat out tyranny of socialism.
ANYONE who denies this is delusional.
This is the history of the GOP. It will not change until WE change it. The leftward march of the GOP will not stop until WE stop it.
What the democrats fear more than anything else, is a GOP devoid of socialists/progressives. They FEAR and DREAD a GOP comprised of revolutionary minded anti-socialists with a single minded mission of smashing the socialist infrastructure within the states and nation. Just listen to their laments at the loss of yet another (lugar) POS that aided their cause within OUR party.
F Romney
F the GOP-e
F socialists
>>> “ If Romney wins, I’d love to see him appoint Ron Paul as the Secretary of the Treasury. “ <<
A DREAM APPOINTMENT! The best position for Ron Paul to knash his teeth. EXCELLENT post for Ron, Jeff Head.
Where we seem to be dropping the game, in my estimation is inflicting enough damage to the Establishment. They are feeling no real heat for what they have done to the country and to us, who are the legs for their campaign grunt work.
We are still in a primary, after all.
What happen to the conservative’s tactic of voting in the primary against the Establishment candidate, say in Texas, lending support to the only resistance out there—Ron Paul, and then taking the general election as it comes.
It’s not our fault that “our guys/gals”, fell over early and Ron Paul did not. After TEXAS, the CONVENTION seems to be the last battle ground.
If Ron Paul has it in him at the convention to swing his sword, I am all in. He needs some delegate gains.
No fan of Paul here, but whatever he can wring out of Romney will be a help. Romney needs to be tethered to something to preclude wandering. Might as well be a budget-cutting philosophy.
>>> “Romney needs to be tethered to something to preclude wandering. “ <<<<
Ha,Ha! Well said!
It just seems to me that Ron Paul is the last real piece of work, in my kitchen sink, that I have left to throw at the GOPE, (and with the least risk!) to ding them but good. :)
As a Christian I support Ron Paul and as a fiscal conservative I support Ron Paul. There has been more bs here about Ron Paul than flies on stink as far too many have helped the leftist media in their hatchet job against the one man who can slay Obama in a general election.
Anyone who thinks Paul will sellout to Romney just doesn’t know what the man stands for.
Good for Ron!
“The best thing that could happen right now is for Ron Paul to inflict absolute CHAOS within the convention.”
So you are down to hoping your man Paul is a liar.
Got it.
Just wondering that as a Christian how you square his stand against financial and moral support for Israel, which as you know is the prevailing reason for most Christians to shun his foreign policy ideas. It has caused him great trouble.
Also, diminishing our military capabilities would be the natural result of his proclivity for slashing budgets where they include the military and DOD.
If these ideas are not accurate, it seems Ron has done little to straighten us out, if you know what I mean.
Behaving at the covention like the OWES crowd would be CHAOS, however, causing delegate hysteria to shake up the GOPE, IMHO, would be a god-send. If you get my drift on what defines CHAOS.
Amen. Just like Romney running as a Republican shows how dishonest he really is.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.