By
J.B. Williams
July 31, 2012
NewsWithViews.com
There is no getting around the fact that beyond RNC front group operations pulling money into the RNC via Tea Party groups across the country such as Freedom Works made up mostly of Tea Party Patriots, and Tea Party Express made up mostly of Grassfire and Patriot Action Network (aka ResistNet), the passion in today’s Tea Party is found in the Ron Paul faction of the movement, often including the PUMA faction, 2008 Hillary Clinton supporters.
According to Ron Paul fans, they intend to steal the GOP nomination from Mitt Romney at the GOP Convention coming up in Tampa. 1144 delegates are needed to secure the GOP nomination and according to current delegate counts, Romney has secured at least 1524 delegates compared to Paul’s 154 delegates.
At a 9-to-1 deficit heading into the convention, how do Paul fans see a way forward? Their strategy is unconventional, to say the least. But they have been practicing their strategy at the state level for months now and they believe they have it perfected.
“Ron Paul supporters took control of Louisiana's Republican State Convention Saturday, starting their own. It's a trend Paul supporters are doing around the nation, and it's leaving the Republican party divided.” – Reported by KTBS in Louisiana -- a trend we have in fact seen in numerous state conventions across the country.
We saw Paul fans hijack state conventions in Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan and many other states. States have different rules for how convention delegates are chosen.
Despite the fact that Ron Paul is the fourth place finisher behind Romney, Santorum and Gingrich in the GOP 2012 race, with only 11% of the national popular vote and 154 declared delegates, his supporters believe that he is winning the GOP nomination and can steal the nod from Romney at the Tampa Convention by simply turning the convention into a circus, like they have done in numerous states this year.
Since the 2008 election, Paul fans have flooded local party precincts filling up GOP precinct seats left vacant by apathetic conservative voters for decades. It is from those Republican precinct seats that they are launching their assault on the GOP Convention.
Ignoring the reality that a candidate with only 11% support from GOP voters nationally has no chance of defeating Barack Obama in November, Paul fans intend to turn the Tampa Convention into a free-for-all for convention delegates in an attempt to hijack the GOP nomination.
Since 89% of GOP primary voters voted for someone other than Ron Paul, any move by Paul and his supporters to overpower the will of those voters must be referred to as a hostile act, a hijacking attempt.
Since a successful hijacking of the nomination seems numerically impossible for Paul, what is the real agenda for Ron Paul and his brand of anti-GOP Republicans? Paul would have to steal a thousand Convention Delegates from Romney in order to disenfranchise 89% of GOP primary voters and steal the nomination from Romney.
That isn’t likely to happen. So, what are Paul supporters really after at the GOP Convention?
If they cannot hijack the nomination, they hope to influence the process and GOP platform positions for Romney. This may not be a bad thing as Romney could stand to move more towards Constitutional concepts of personal freedom and individual liberty.
But it could also backfire, as Paul fans have developed a take-no-prisoners reputation for turning GOP meetings into three ring circuses, both frustrating and embarrassing GOP conservatives that do not share some of Paul’s more extreme views, or his fans extreme tactics for undermining GOP precincts and taking over Republican meetings.
If Paul fans aren’t very careful, they can make more enemies than friends for Ron Paul. They plan a pre-convention rally expected to be a unification and organization effort before stepping in to take over the GOP Convention.
With international cameras rolling in a vital election cycle where the future of the greatest nation on earth depends entirely upon removing Obama, Clinton, Pelosi and Reid from political power, a remake of the Oklahoma fiasco will make for great TV, but could end any serious GOP bid to remove Obama in November.
Even in his home state of Texas, Ron Paul secured only 12% of the GOP primary vote, only marginally better than he has been able to accomplish nationally. That didn’t stop his passionate supporters from trying to hijack numerous state conventions, nor will it stop them from trying to upset Tampa.
Hate them or love them, you have to appreciate their passion and willingness to do whatever it takes to be heard. Conservatives need to take some lessons from Paul supporters in how to work for their goals no matter the odds, no matter the cost.
Ron Paul has never been a serious contender for the White House, having run a perpetual campaign for that office since the late 80s and only recently breaking above the 10% mark in voter support. Still, the folks who believe in Ron Paul’s libertarian message remain as committed as ever to their cause, in the face of insurmountable odds.
There is something to admire in their passion and commitment. Of course, I can appreciate the passion and commitment of hardcore leftists who have worked for over a hundred years to destroy America as well.
Misguided though they might be, both groups make American conservatives look like light-weight spineless ninnies in the grassroots arena of modern politics.
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If conservatives had the passion and commitment of leftists and libertarians, they could alter the course of history here. But as history will record it, it is the wild-eyed conspiracy theorists and left-wing nut jobs that held the political passion in 2012.
I’m afraid that adds up to the re-election of Obama & Co. and the final ruination of the greatest country ever known to mankind.
Romney will need EVERY pro-America voter to defeat anti-American Obama. This is the worst time in U.S. history for lack-luster conservative activists and party disunity. But that’s what we have and as a result, we will deserve what we get….
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