-
SEQUESTER: The Horror!
March 1, 2013 | 4 comments
-
SOTU Preview: Human Props, Budget Fights, and Wedge Issues
February 12, 2013 | 0 comments
-
Hello, I Must Be Going
August 14, 2012 | 18 comments
-
Weekend Political Wrap-Up, Paul Ryan Edition
August 12, 2012 | 16 comments
-
Esquire Blogger Sees Paul Ryan, Shreds His Safety Net
August 11, 2012 | 13 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Ron Paul has announced he will no longer devote resources to contesting the remaining primaries, but wasn’t dropping out of the race or suspending his campaign. Paul would continue to try to accumulate delegates at state and local Republican conventions, with the intention of bringing as many as possible to the national convention in Tampa.
On the one hand, this decision makes sense in terms of spending money wisely. Paul has been beating Mitt Romney at many state conventions and grabbing delegates even when he comes up short. Paul isn’t likely to beat Romney in any of the remaining primaries and neither the polling nor the first post-Santorum-and-Gingrich contests showed Paul consolidating the anti-Romney vote the way he did in Virginia on Super Tuesday. This also will soften the blow of a weak showing in Texas, Paul’s home state, or Kentucky, where Rand Paul is the junior senator.
On the other hand, when your campaign is having its first sustained success since the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, why send signals that could demoralize the foot soldiers? Paul will still need his supporters to turn out in large numbers for the conventions and to donate to his money bombs. Will his supporters be as motivated if they are conceding primaries, suggesting (as his campaign chairman did today on a conference call) that they can’t block Romney in Tampa, and saying there is “no chance” Paul will endorse Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson?
Although Paul failed to finish first in the popular vote in any of the caucuses, he has succeeded in getting the most delegates out of some states. To that extent, the delegate strategy has been paying dividends. But there is a question of what to do with the delegates. And one wonders if campaign prioritized process over momentum. If Paul had finished ahead of Rick Santorum in both South Carolina (which was doable) and Florida (which admittedly may not have been doable), it could have knocked Santorum out of the race. Even though there was no scenario where Paul was going to win Florida’s delegates, he could have gotten more delegates in total — and had more momentum — in a Santorum-less race.
UPDATE: Yes, Ron Paul did win the popular vote in the Virgin Islands.
View all comments (42) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/15/the-pros-and-cons-of-ron-pauls
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Reaganite Republican | 5.15.12 @ 1:13PM
We sure don't need this character to cut the deficit... there are sane individuals like Paul Ryan that are ALL over it- we've heard what RP has to say already, the good and the useless (defense)
But it never ends pretty with these youth cults... we need to keep a lid on him at the convention, I sure wouldn't put him up there, I'd rather hear Newt speak frankly
C Bowen | 5.15.12 @ 1:28PM
Paul TARP Ryan? He doesn't want to cut spending, he only wants to slow the rate of growth and balance the budget by 2040.
They guy is a joke.
T.Rosse| 5.15.12 @ 5:53PM
Sadly it's the kind of joke that too many Republicans are falling for these days. Ron Paul may have been a crazy old man with bad foreign policy ideas, but at least he was willing to talk about the kind of real spending cuts needed to get us back to fiscal sanity. Too bad everyone else just wanted to kick that can down the road.
C Bowen | 5.15.12 @ 5:58PM
Even the Communists limited themselves to grandiose 5 year plans. TARP Ryan has conservatives praising his 28 year plan.
How far we have fallen in this country.
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:53AM
maybe he can sublet that room in Ross Perot's attic from Ross's crazy aunt!
Derek Leaberry| 5.15.12 @ 2:10PM
It would also seem that many Paulites have nothing better to do on weekends than to attend state party conventions. Pretty sad. No matter how many delegates Paul can arrange to sit at the Convention, the Romney forces will choreograph them out of the Convention. Think of party boss Jim Taylor's forces roughing up the teenager supporting Jefferson Smith in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:56AM
back in 2008, the Rontards were somewhat amusing; now they're just sad and pathetic...DrEarmark as "ole Jeff Smith?" that's a bigger joke than the entire DrEarmark cult/campaign-i believe that i just heard Jimmy Stewart rolling in his grave
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 2:42PM
Mess With Us RINO-CINO Mittens' Kittens.
We'll See Ya Down In Tampa.
Romney Is McCain Redux.
" Gingrich: Conservatives Won't Let Wall St. And Romney "Buy Election"
"Look, the conservative movement is not going to sit by and let a Massachusetts liberal, who's pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase, pro-gay rights, whose Romneycare in two articles in the last 24 hours were described as the equivalent of Obamacare and who George Soros says is just fine. He'd be happy with either Obama or Romney [be]cause they are both the establishment -- that's just George Soros," Newt Gingrich told FOX News' Bret Baier on the campaign trail in Tampa, Florida.
"Now, the conservative movement isn't going to sit back and say 'Oh yes, let's let Wall Street, and Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney buy the election. So you're going to see a real grass roots fight. It will be people power vs. Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney," he added."
Oldefarte| 5.15.12 @ 5:53PM
What a POS!!!!!!!!!!
Crassus| 5.15.12 @ 7:21PM
Clint, can you fart and chew gum at the same time?
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 7:53PM
I Can Chew Gum & Kick Your Ass At The Same Time , Crassass.
A Fun Time Will Be Had By All.
Crassus| 5.15.12 @ 10:59PM
That's just what I thought. You can't.
Clint| 5.16.12 @ 3:26AM
Apparently, Crap Ass Farts On His Gum & Then Chews It.
Oldefarte| 5.16.12 @ 3:35PM
Clint, Get your mind out of the gutter by constantly fixiating on other peoples' "asses", go to confession, and say HAIL RONS, and seven OUR FATHER RONS, okay?????
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:57AM
you kidding? Widdle Cwint can barely chew Cheetos 'at the same time'
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 2:57PM
Watch & Learn RINO-CINO Ruling Elites' Mittens' Kittens.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/now.....84/#474318
Oldefarte| 5.15.12 @ 5:54PM
You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to LEARN anything from the likes of you!!!!!!
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 7:54PM
Tell Bibi To Pull Your Finger, Fart Pampers.
Oldefarte| 5.16.12 @ 12:08PM
Tell Father Ron to pull yours, while you're slurping his holy water [but he already has no doubt]!!!!!!!!
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:49AM
awwww, have some compassion for Widdle Cwint; after all, it's starting to sink in that his boicrush, the Tinfoil Hat Tinhorn, is rapidly approaching the end of a long and utterly irrelevant political career...he's just having a Cheetos-fueled hissy fit
Ken (Old Texican)| 5.15.12 @ 4:53PM
Clint,
when the convention is done...and your candidate is put out to pasture...again.....what will you do?
Seriously, what will you do?
Red Phillips | 5.15.12 @ 4:57PM
Hopefully he'll do the wise thing and vote third party instead of voting for Bankster War Party Candidate A or Bankster War Party Candidate B.
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 5:12PM
I Can Always Go Squirrel Huntin', Kenny The Squirrel.
Do Your Homework Before Ya Run Your Uninformed RINO-CINO Mouth, Kenny The Squirrel.
" Dr. Ron Paul’s Threat To Romney’s Campaign.
" Dr. Ron Paul is not suspending his campaign and he's not dropping out of the race. dr. paul plans to active campaign.
>> that was ron paul 's chief strategist on a conference call this morning clarifying the campaign statement which many media outlets took to mean he was ending the campaign. while he's not ending the campaign, he won't invest in the remaining primary states
he didn't suspend and when you talk about the end game here, steve, they outlined three goals. they would like to continue more states, continue party leadership positions and more delegates. presumably because they want to have a roll in tampa and what role that is specifically worth discussing. you think the paul campaign , according to a piece you wrote yesterday, could create chaos in t tampa ?
>> yes. forget all of the substantive stuff. if you see any of these video clips from republican state conventions where delegates are picked, this is many tampa bays, basically. the paul supporters have been flooding these things. they have been heckling romney speakers. and overtook the convention. there is some dispute over what happened but they were booing mitt romney 's kid. romney has won the right to have delegates but who they actually are is totally up for grabs. the ron paul people have grabbed, by their estimate, a couple hundred delegate spots reserved for mitt romney . they will go to the convention and have to vote for mitt romney but they are paul purists at heart. are they going to show up there and heckle speakers in what is supposed to be an infommercial?
>> they all don't have to vote for romney . some of them they are not committed."
Oldefarte| 5.15.12 @ 6:03PM
|---|---|
| 0 | BANG!!!!!!
|-------|
Oldefarte| 5.15.12 @ 6:10PM
ALERT ALERT ALERT:
Me thinks perhaps that the above may be the very first instance of his actual word composition [his own writing]. Notice the lack of unusual lack of capitalization and the broken English usage. Amazing.....he really is that stupid!!!!!!!!!!
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 6:05AM
don't be fooled...it was just another cut&paste; job-this time from MSNBC
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/now...../#47431884
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 6:01AM
Widdle Cwint, as much as your idiotic 'cut&paste;' drivel in support of the Tinfoil Hat Tinhorn has been a minor source of amusement, it's time to face facts:
a-we're not laughing WITH you, we're laughing AT you
b-those voices in your head do NOT constitute a quorum
c-Ron Paul will never ever ever be elected resident of the United States-EVER. he never had even the GHOST of a slim chance-EVER. it's OVER...just give it a rest
Oldefarte| 5.15.12 @ 5:54PM
Simple.....go back inside the double wide!!!!!!!
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 7:48PM
Double Wide's What The Fleet On Shore Leave Called Yo Mama, Fart Pampers.
Oldefarte| 5.16.12 @ 12:17PM
Clint's the only Catholic that doesn't realize he's not supposed to kiss Father Ron's ars!!!!!!!!!
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:51AM
he'll have to brush the cheetos crumbs off his Justin Beiber tee-shirt, stumble out of mommy's basement, and hitch a ride to the next Klan meeting
tonypal| 5.15.12 @ 5:14PM
So the Mother Ship is finally calling the good doctor home. At least I hope that's the case. In the meantime, I will wait to be verbally assaulted by the Clint/cbowen/Jack from WI axis of Paulbottery. Here's to Israel-firsters everywhere. In the immortal words of Howard Dean, yeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 7:58PM
We'll See Ya In Tampa RINO-CINO Fop,Mittens' Kitten.
" Santorum: Might As Well Have Obama Over Romney.
Presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday said Republicans should give President Barack Obama another term if Santorum isn't the GOP nominee and for a second day compared rival Mitt Romney to an Etch A Sketch toy.
Santorum reiterated an argument he has made before: The former Massachusetts governor is not conservative enough to offer voters a clear choice in the fall election and that only he can provide that contrast.
"You win by giving people a choice," Santorum said during a campaign stop in Texas. "You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who's just going to be a little different than the person in there."
Santorum added: "If they're going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk of what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate for the future."
Santorum was referencing Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's comment Wednesday that "everything changes" for the fall campaign. "It's almost like an Etch A Sketch," he said on CNN. "You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again."
The remark reignited criticism of Romney as the type of politician who will say or do anything to win."
Ken (Old Texican)| 5.15.12 @ 5:15PM
Well, Red,
the rest of us will keep covering your cowardly ass.
It is pretty ironic that once ole' "Mr. peace" sat down in the oval office and read the score...he started crawfishing in a hurry.
God bless our troops, thank you.
Red Phillips | 5.15.12 @ 11:02PM
"the rest of us will keep covering your cowardly ass."
Ken, Chicken Little interventionists like yourself who fear every God forsaken sand box in the Middle East and think every tin pot dictator is the next Hitler ought to be pretty careful calling other people cowards. I didn't fear Saddam. You did. I don't fear Iran. You do. But of course in interventionist La La Land I'm the coward.
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 8:02PM
Kenny The Squirrel's Another Mittens' Kitten Chickenhawk.
" The New Hampshire Gazette
The Chickenhawk Hall Of Shame
name:
Willard Mitt Romney
rank:
Chickenhawk First Class with Distinguished Fleeing Cross
date-of-birth:
March 12, 1947
home state:
Michigan
missed opportunity:
Vietnam War
excuse:
None to speak of
preferred activity:
Trying to talk people into becoming Mormons
occupation:
Climbing ambition's greased pole
When your daddy's a Governor and a Cabinet Secretary, it's amazing how your odds of being drafted diminish."
Crassus| 5.15.12 @ 11:01PM
Clint the Gent---rejected for military service due to low ASVAB scores.
spike59| 5.16.12 @ 5:52AM
not to mention critically high estrogen levels
Oldefarte| 5.16.12 @ 12:26PM
Clint has actually written a book entitled DREAMS THAT I HAD A FATHER!!!!!
spike59| 5.17.12 @ 5:50AM
subtitled "Who Wasn't Also My Uncle"
Clint| 5.16.12 @ 3:28AM
Crap Ass The GirlieMan, Rejected For Military Service Due To Repeated Low Blows.