2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumPaul forces hand Romney another massive defeat in Minnesota GOP convention.
How many states has this happened in already? How many other states have stealth Paul delegates masquerading as Romney delegates? If Paul can control 5 state delegations he can get things on the floor. I don't know if Romney has any idea of the chaos that is coming to the convention.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/152171105.html?page=1&c=y
ST. CLOUD - After years of quiet, relentless organizing, followers of libertarian-leaning GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul have exploded inside the Minnesota Republican Party, becoming its most potent army.
"This is one of the greatest states that I have witnessed, where I have seen the transition, where the enthusiasm's there," the grinning Texas congressman told hundreds of exuberant activists Saturday at the state party's convention in St. Cloud, where he won 12 of 13 open delegate spots to the GOP national convention in Tampa, Fla., in August. The 13th went to former presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann -- and only after a Paul supporter dropped out to let her have that spot.
In Minnesota, more than almost any other state, Paul forces have completed a historic party takeover. They proved their might Saturday, but also firmly established Minnesota as a remote GOP outpost nationally.
Now state GOP activists will march to the national convention firmly backing Paul rather than presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
. . .
Despite those doubts, Paul power floored longtime Republican powers. Romney forces feared its power so much they sent a cadre of high-powered backers to Minnesota to push the Romney brand. It didn't matter. Paul nearly swept the field in every contest.
Permanut
(5,553 posts)and here's hoping for a big Bachmann comeback!
annabanana
(52,791 posts)I really can't wait.
brooklynite
(94,302 posts)...but I'm thinking that the Republican Convention is going to be a lot more entertaining...
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Nedsdag
(2,437 posts)Why isn't the mainstream media picking up on this story instead of the "Romney leading the polls" meme?
The national GOP convention is going to be a doozy if TPTB continues to ignore this.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)It will have a greater impact later on when it hits the main stage.
Romney will be spinnning that everything is under control just when things are getting ugly.
Expect to see things explode when they start to challenge credentials of state delegations, like Nevada.
http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/republicans-in-chaos-152194165.html
Meanwhile, mainstream Republicans began talking openly about forming a shadow organization in Nevada to channel national party money into voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts, on the theory that an organization run by Paul supporters might not be trusted to enthusiastically gather votes for a far less conservative candidate.
and then there was this from Arizona
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2012/05/14/romneys-son-booed-at-arizona-gop-convention/
A speech Mitt Romneys son gave at the state Arizona Republican Party convention has been cut short by booing supporters of GOP presidential hopeful and rival Ron Paul.
The Arizona Republic reports jeers from the crowded forced Josh Romney to stop repeatedly as he spoke Saturday at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix to build support within the party for his father, the presumed Republican presidential nominee.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)All these polls that put Rmoney 6 or 7 points behind Obama are just bullshit. How can he be that close if he doesn't have the women's vote? How can he be so close when he doesn't even have a clear shot at the convention? We need Ron Paul in this race so they can't possibly steal it this time. Let Paul's crew start the "Magic Underwear" shit.
Let Rmoney sink more of his own money into his campaign. Keep digging Mitt, and say Goodnight Dick.
Sock_Puppet
(3 posts)The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? I'm sure there is plenty of bad shit Romney is doing, right? Let's find it out and pimp it so we can run against that asshole Paul.
surrealAmerican
(11,357 posts)... and that's the beauty of the thing - they need no help whatsoever.
Welcome to DU, I think. Interesting choice of user name.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)The irony is the race might look a lot different is Paul's people put the same effort into campaigning as they have with the behind-the-scenes goonery...
Then again, that's all they know how to do, anyway...
DCKit
(18,541 posts)This was inevitable. He really, really wants this, and it's his last chance for a shot at the WH.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I think he's in love with the attention and his "movement"...When it comes down to the bottom line, even he knows he isn't fit to run anything bigger than a Jiffy Lube back in Galveston...But he likes to pretend his shadow 'revolution' will single-handedly remake America in his own image, or something...
grantcart
(53,061 posts)He knows that a third party run will not work.
This run is a trial run so that they can build organizations in the states so that in 4 years from now they can run Senator Rand as a viable nominee, and even if they don't make it then they will be first in line for 2020. They are taking the long view.