http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/05/27/Politics-2012-Ron-Paul-strategy-keeps-things-interesting/UPI-73191338105660/#ixzz1w4bTfp00

U.S. News

Politics 2012: Ron Paul strategy keeps things interesting

Ron Paul has given up actively campaigning and instead the libertarian Texan is focusing on gathering as many delegates at state Republican conventions as he can going into Tampa.

Published: May 27, 2012 at 4:01 AM
By NICOLE DEBEVEC, United Press International

When he bowed out of active campaigning to capture the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said he wasn't interested in disrupting the party's national convention in Tampa, Fla., in August.

The libertarian Texan said he would focus on gathering as many delegates at state GOP conventions as he could going into Tampa -- and he's making good on his promise.

Even after collecting the lion's share of delegates at the state convention in Minnesota -- where a Paul-backed candidate will square off against U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November -- as well as other states, Paul has a long way to go to catch Mitt Romney.

Going into the Texas primary Tuesday, Romney was about 150 delegates shy of mathematically capturing the 1,144 needed to win the party nomination. Paul had about 120.

But the legion of Paul supporters will tell you those numbers aren't correct, either, since they don't include unbound delegates who are Paul backers and don't account for Romney delegates who could go rogue in Tampa. Which would make things uncomfortable for Romney and the Republican establishment.

Robin Koerner, a member of the grassroots movement backing Paul, says Paul may not get 1,144 delegates, but "there are big, big numbers" backing him, perhaps enough to block a first-round nomination for Romney and force a second round that he says Paul could win.

If there aren't enough delegates to make a floor fight worthwhile, Paul backers must decide whether further action is warranted, risking the possibility of looking like sore losers, said Koerner, founder and editor of WatchingAmerica.com and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.

He also said it was possible "creative chaos" could result if "something dishonest seems to be happening at the national convention ... where supporting Romney contributes to creative chaos."

The groundswell of support demonstrates Romney, the front-runner who's still trying to rally the GOP base, conservatives and evangelicals, "isn't the inevitable candidate," Koerner said.

Koerner attributes Paul's popularity to the fact he's "like a breath of fresh air" in today's politics, has held steadfast to his principles and has been "correctly identifying for many years the true drivers of state of this nation and the state of American politics."

A physician, Paul has taken the "first do no harm" maxim into the political realm and his followers "think maybe we should try that. There's just so much passion for him," Koerner said.

Building frustration with Republicans and Democrats means the 2012 election could be a watershed year for the "non-Republicrat paradigm Ron Paul represents," Koerner said. "The question has always been, what is critical mass his supporters need" and how quickly can it be reached?

"I think we might already be there -- certainly in a sense there are now many issues that have been mainstreamed [since] four years ago," he said. "Republican can talk about benefits of peace; can you imagine that under [President George W.] Bush?"

Koerner, a British permanent resident of the United States, also started the "Blue Republican" movement of Democrats and independents supporting Paul's candidacy. He and other supporters crisscross the country to ensure the depth of support for Paul translates into people going to state GOP meetings, knowing the procedure, and get Paul backers elected. So far, their strategy is working.

"Ron Paul's support is … deeper than support for Romney," Koerner said.

Paul's in it to win, he said.

"There is no other benefit that warrants the sheer amount of effort and pain he's going through," Koerner said. "He has always wanted to change debate."

However, "Ron Paul has already made American politics safe for the next constitutionalist," he said.

During a recent appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Paul said he was in to win the GOP presidential nomination, and has won a lot along the way, "but we also want to help direct the party and the country in a certain way, so that would be a very, very positive strategy to have an influence on the party."

Absent a win, Paul said, a prominent speech or the inclusion of his views in the party platform would be "a good goal."

At the convention, a majority of delegates in six states can suspend the rules at any time, ABC News said. Paul-supporting states will be represented on the convention's platform committee, albeit in a minority. However, delegates can make motions from the floor, and the convention chair must choose whether to recognize them. Paul's supporters could interject in proceedings to try to nominate him.

"Creative chaos is in favor of the liberty movement," Koerner said. "If Ron Paul's people pull an open revolt, where would others' sympathies lie? I think everything is more possible than other people think."

Paul's popularity and following show "the split in the Republican Party and Romney's struggle to win over support of the libertarian and the very conservative component. There's no way to see this as anything else," said Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. "The risk is that the crucial element of the Romney coalition may fail to turn out and support him."

The drawn-out and bitter primary season also showed Romney still struggles among the party's conservative base, he said.

"That's also what Ron Paul's candidacy is revealing," Jacobs said.



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I know very little about how the process works but all I will say is.....Ron Paul seems to be the only candidate offering a different approach.

No difference between Democrats and Republicans anymore.


Ron Paul for POTUS

Suffice to say that RP is trying to wake up America from it's xanax slumbers, show the people what we have become and allowed during those slumbers, and shine a light on the roaches and rats making it commonplace, acceptable, the norm.

With the banks and corps funding both sides of the system thru the candidates THEY put foreward, you will either get welfare or warfare, all at taxpayer expense, while they (the bansters) get richer, or the rats get re-elected, and the people become broke and enslaved by that system!

Servitude = slavery..... ONLY RP offers a path from that future or destiny!

It's the people, NOT the gov't, that enpowers a nation! Without us they (the gov't) are just empty suits full of hot air, for they produce nothing but debt and dischord.

The bankers control the money, the money controls the gov't, the gov't is supposed to serve the people, but instead they are trying to control, with their hands out to the bankers and corporations.

If we were to wake up, remove them from their corrupt cushy positions, only elect those who actually KNEW what was in the constitution they swore to protect and defend, and voted accordingly, things would be MUCH different!

It's not just America that needs to wake up.
We are all sleepwalking into a police type state controlled situation.

What is your realistic opinion of what the outcome of the contest will be?

I think the Diebold voting machines are rigged in Robmes favor, and that's why Robme can't win squat in the delegate caucuses where PEOPLE actually count the vote! That's why there is such chaos at those caucuses and they have to cheat and break their own rules in an effort to beat the RP vote counts.

I can't wait to see what happens at the convention! I think the GOP and RNC, the bankers, the legislative branch, and MANY people, are in for a wakeup call!

And it will ALL BE TELEVISED for the world to see! It will be interesting because the media won't be able to "blackout" RP as they have been during the primaries.

THAT has been the plan all along because RP knew from the last election they would attempt to black him out, and have!

In truth, it is AMAZING what his supporters have done against the banker MILLIONS put behind Robme! With 1/10 of the funds, they will now have to challenge him on WORLD WIDE TV!

Robme goes down first, then Obozo in the general!

I think beating Obozo will be much easier than beating Robme. Beating Robme is like a civil war among Republicrats, but if RP does take the nomination, Obozo doesn't stand an icecubes chance in H3LL of beating Paul!

If Robme is the nominee, the RINOs will go to the general with 1/3 of their base missing, because RP supporters will NOT vote for Robme!

If Paul is the nominee, we have the RINOs, independents, disinfranchised dems, the youth....Obozos whole base PLUS the Republican base.

Very interesting

Obama versus Paul

That would be a real contest for the hearts and minds of Americans in my opinion

That is the only ticket, the only contest, that offers any REAL change!

Robme vs Obozo is banker against banker

Paul vs Obozo is the American people against the bankers

Therin lays the reason Paul is blacked out by the media!

True, but Romney will probably get the nomination. The cards are stacked in his favor. If RP runs as an independent, as many think he will do, it will split the Republican vote and guarantee a win for Obama.

I am in Total agreement with you on that score.

Obama v Paul....... Peoples Choice and a possibility of change

Romney v Obama.....Bankers Choice and No Change at all

We can only wait and hope

John Stossel hosts Ron Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sudDo15tCMQ

THAT's media hype!

RP doesn't take the majority of republican voters (most are older...as in Grand "OLD" Party), it is Obozos base he affects, the young, independent voters.

IF he were to run independent, he would pull 1/3 of reps, 1/3 dems, all indies, most youth.

Whatever happens come August will set a whole new agenda in our 2 party system that has needed a facelift for a VERY long time!