Ron Paul’s Fading Candidacy: Where His Supporters May Go
With his lack of support at the polls, Ron Paul’s dreams of being elected President in 2012 are seemingly less likely than winning the Mega Millions Lottery. He is currently 29 percentage points behind front-runner Mitt Romney in a bid for Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, and has yet to win a state primary in the months leading up to the Republican convention.
Since his bid for president has almost officially bit the dust, the next question coming is who his supporters will flock to. This is because his message is unique.
Not only does Paul want to reduce the role of government, he also wants to get rid of the Federal Reserve and end the U.S. military presence overseas.
Many of his followers have proclaimed that if Paul is not the Republican nominee, they will not be voting in the general election on November 6th. Mike Hurlock, who is a junior at the University of Maryland, attended a speech by Paul at his university. He declared that:
“I would have a hard time voting for anybody in the general election…I’m not a fan of anyone (other than Paul) in the election.”
His rally of about 20,000 people included chants like ”President Paul, President Paul” and “End the Fed, End the Fed.” Unfortunately, those 20k people do not usually add up to a significant voter turn out.
Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant, stated that, “There is a level of excitement at rallies – so going to one of his rallies is sort of an act of defiance. But voting is very solitary.” Voters showing up to the primary has been Ron Paul’s weak point.
Unfortunately, many strategists have agreed that Paul’s campaign is less about a feasible attempt to win the Republican nomination, and more about promoting his own libertarian ideals of limited government.
So far the delegate totals have Romney in first place with 565 delegates, which is twice as many as second place Santorum. Ron Paul has a grand total of 66, according to Real Clear Politics. In order to win the nomination, a candidate needs 1,144 votes.
Many Republican strategists are suggesting that Romney may turn to Ron Paul for support if the nomination goes all the way until the convention in August.
Strategist Ford O’Connell was quick to note that Paul and Romney have been very cordial with each other throughout the campaign, a fact that may sway Paul’s followers, if they do decide to vote in the election. While Ron Paul has not officially dropped out of the race (and will likely hold on until the bitter end in August), many Republicans are beginning to believe that perhaps his followers will assist Mitt Romney in his bid for the Republican nomination.
View coverage of Ron Paul’s rally at the University of Maryland here:
Tags : 2012 president, 2012 presidential election, maryland primary, republican national convention, republican national convention 2012, republican primary, ron paul, ron paul 2012, ron paul and mitt romney, ron paul candidacy, ron paul candidate, ron paul failing candidacy, ron paul for president, ron paul libertarian, ron paul maryland rally, ron paul polls, ron paul president, ron paul vows to stay in race, ron paul will not be president
Posted: March 31, 2012
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Apr 1, 2012
I can tell you were we aren't going to go.
We're not supporting Mitt Obama.
Policy change or nothing. Romey is Obama's clone just as Obama was Bush's clone. I think MOST of use are sick of this fake dichotomy. We've said all along, either Paul or you lose our support.
Apr 1, 2012
I KNOW WHERE WILL END UP, WITH PAUL WINNING THE CANDIDACY THROUGH A BROKERED CONVENTION! NO ONE BUT PAUL BABY!
Apr 1, 2012
Everyone knows that Romney and Paul have an alliance because people say it all the time…
http://tinyurl.com/RomneyPaulAlliance
Apr 1, 2012
Washington establishment fear RON PAUL will end these useless wars and their profits. This is one of many things they fear about RON PAUL, another is the end of corrupted and greed of the status quo. They will do anything to persuade the masses to blindly follow and act and buying the media to be bias is only one tool , another is reporting rigged voting projections. Its a shame many people still believe the media hell I bet news about America from foreign countries report a more accurate and honest happening in America than American news. so beware the bought out bias media and government LIES. We the People will Campagin, Contribute and Vote for a Peoples President. He needs our help in order for him to help U.S.
Apr 1, 2012
We don't want Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama. We want Ron Paul!
Apr 1, 2012
I don't see any fading but more growing damn mainstream going at it again.
Apr 1, 2012
"fading candidacy" Since when is drawing 5,200 people to his rallies while the so-called "front-runners" manage to beg, bribe, scrape together 50-250 "supporters" at best? A better question is how Romney had so many "supporters" added secretly and electroncially DURING THE VOTE COUNTING during the elections. If he didn't have "help" in that fashion, he'd been gone after Ron Paul wiped the board with him starting in Iowa! Remember, it was Romney who said "I'm a big believer in going where the money is… the money is in Washington" as he bragged about his ability to snag and walk away with OUR tax money and then LIE about it during the debates! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lgYLBk_0t6w
Romney, just like OBAMA, Santorum and "Grinch" are NeoCon, left wing extremist trotsky-ites who believe in unending revolution, unending wars, an all powerful central govt. with the "little people" serving as slaves to serve as the "elites" cannon fodder and slaves! You say, "but Gingrich, Romney, Santorum are ALL 'conservative' Republicans." AND? it doesn't matter because they have an 'R' by the name. Why do you think NOTHING ever really changes? They're two "sides" that are united in their one sided efforts and WE the people are on the short end of the stick!
Wake up, America before we become "Amerika!"
Apr 1, 2012
still playing the unelectable/waning support card, this time by ringing the early bells of defeat. Fine I'll play along, here are our choices and the only choices we will consider:
1.Vote for Obama, very few of this will do this as he and the other GOP candidates have nothing to distinguish themselves from one another.
2.Vote third party via Gary Johnson or any other of the fine candidates running.
3.Vote for Ron Paul anyway via write in.
4.Hope that Ron Paul mounts an independent campaign as all of us do.
5.Not vote at all.
6. Vote for whoever Ron Paul endorses, which will NOT be the eventually GOP nominee I can almost guarantee,
7.Watch the republican party inevitably fail, which it will if it disappoints Ron Paul millions of supporters.
Mock us, laugh at us, and deny us, but don't forget you can't win without us. Have fun losing the election AGAIN republicans.
Apr 1, 2012
I see a lot of clone articles like these out this weekend.
The purpose is clear try and smother the campaign and stifle his support before it gets out of control. Paul's support has risen from 12% to 17% but they like to reference the lower older poll numbers to minimize his impact on the race and his ideas that threaten the establishment.
They are still counting on the fact that they (the MSM and the Establishment) can control the message and the voters by sidelining him.
It will not work.
Apr 1, 2012
Paul is picking up full lslates of delegates in the delegate rich caucus sates at county conventions…. If anything his campaign his heating up and things are about to start getting interesting…
Apr 1, 2012
Humm… I don't think very many Ron Paul supporters will "go to" Mitt Romney. Regardless of how "cordial" their campaigns have been, I think that's a tactic. Mitt Romney's ideas about governing are very different from Dr. Paul's… Generally speaking, most Paul supporters I've met view Romney as another big-government neo-con. Frankly, I think these Republican "strategists" are idiots. Thank you.
Apr 1, 2012
There's no "alliance"… Romney's record speaks for itself and is very public, so why would Dr. Paul spend his resources making ads against him? They wouldn't tell us anything we don't already know. Also, I think that getting on the wrong end of Romney's million-dollar smear campaign could be a very bad thing for anyone (even though there isn't much to smear about Dr. Paul)
Santorum and Gingrich, on the other hand, are more like the snakes in the grass. Admittedly, I like Newt. However, their records and governing styles are not so apparent to many American voters… Santorum, because he seemed to have come out of no where. Gingrich, because many younger voters simply aren't old enough to remember the guy.
Apr 1, 2012
Paul supporters will go no where. If Paul is not the nominee we will write him in. We will not vote for the gops puppet.
Apr 1, 2012
David B. Beaver has it right. Too many Ron Paul republicans, independents and dissatisfied democrats will not be satisfied with anyone but Paul. Pretty much ensuring the GOP candidate can't win – is that the GOP's goal? They messed up big-time with McCain and now they are doing it again.
Apr 2, 2012
NO ONE BUT PAUL!
Apr 3, 2012
I am voting for Ron Paul. I will write him in if I have to. Do you know why we are at war? The Project for the New American Century and the Foreign Policy Initiative are a think-tank which promotes: diplomatic, economic, and military engagement IN THE WORLD. Iraq was ALL lies, Iran is more lies, and KONY was just a big pile of war propaganda. The media has a war to sell you, are you buying it? ANYONE who supports war, supports PNAC! Mitt Romney even named his foreign policy plan a new American Century…how original! I am voting for Ron Paul! End the wars!
Apr 4, 2012
Melissa Stusinski you must be new here to the internet. I am guessing you don't know much about the delegate process and you think RP supporters are going to change their minds? lol I suggest reading this then: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/mar/31/rumors-ron-paul-campaign-demise-greatly-exaggerate/.
Apr 4, 2012
I will write Paul in if I have to but either way he will get my vote in November.
Apr 4, 2012
I back Dr. Paul as far as he goes (the contest is delegates, and he's doing far, far better than any reporter has noticed), but the moment he's done, and maybe a little before that, I'm all-in for Gary Johnson. Picture a pro-choice Ron Paul. Gov. Johnson is running on the Libertarian ticket. I agree with Ron Paul 90% of the time, but I agree with Gary Johnson 99%.
Apr 4, 2012
Who wrote this article? By Melissa Stusinski. It shows this writer is uninformed and should do some home work. Just look at all the Dr Ron Paul supporters who comment on this article. This Article is just another scam by?
Apr 4, 2012
I'll be writing in Ron Paul. I'd love to see Mitt lose by several thousand votes and it be reported that those peoplein fact voted for Ron Paul what a message to the GOP…..Your establishment candidate the one you did everything to shove down our throats was NOT good enough.
Apr 11, 2012
Nobody going to vote for Mitt, and if the media would write more positive things about him and stop ignoring him then he would win with a land slide. The truth is the media and the government is owned by big corporations that are in the same club (Bilderberg Group). Do a story on that. Wait, I bet you can’t because your boss will not let you release it. Here is a survey and you can click on it and see all the people that are supporting Ron Paul support is growing not going down. Do a story on that. This survey was just put up today https://www.facebook.com/questions/10150640292367303/.
Apr 11, 2012
This is real reporting http://www.fox19.com/story/17379664/reality-check-santorums-out-so-what-does-that-mean-for-the-delegate-count.