Word is leaking, painfully, out of the Ron Paul commune today that the Good Doctor is ending his candidacy for the presidency, three days after he was mathematically eliminated from the Republican nomination. There’s nothing quite like choosing your own moment to exit, regardless of circumstance, and Dr. Paul holds true to form until the very end: nothing, not even reality, is going to stop the Ron Revolution.
"We are acknowledging that Ron will not be the nominee and that we are winding down the campaign," said Jesse Benton, the Paul campaign's communication manager.
Benton is right in suggesting that the campaign might require a “winding down” process—there are a lot of haphazardly strewn Paul signs and banners in misbegotten parks, interstate medians and overpasses that will need to be collected and recycled to fuel Paul’s impending congressional run. It’s “winding down” because you can’t just shut down crazy. Craziness and obsession need to be slowly talked back from the precipice. You can’t just go cold-turkey off this campaign kool-aid.
Paul leaves a legacy of zippy debate one-liners and a masterful domination of the internet—his record online fundraising and massive YouTube campaigns galvanized his small, but utterly devoted following to develop viral messages and attack ads that cost nothing and reached wide. He holds the record for most eye-rolls and groans from other candidates who scoffed at his policies of abolishing the Federal Reserve, overturning the Patriot Act and withdrawing from Iraq that shamed those Grand Ol’ Party frontrunners.
“Elections are short-term efforts,’’ Paul said in his YouTube farewell video. “Revolutions are long-term projects.’’ Paul said he’s continuing the fight through his congressional campaign, and promised to visit any state where liberty still exists. He might start here in Colorado, where Paulites have clearly taken up the call.
This from Paul’s website:
The Revolution in Colorado The latest word from a Ron Paul supporter in Colorado:
My fellow Ron-Paul-supporting precinct caucus winners from Denver County and I went to the County Convention on Saturday morning and all voted for one another and, as a result, most of us were elected to the state convention and some of us may have been elected to the District conventions (those results have not yet been tabulated). Delegates to the RNC are selected at those two upcoming conventions
In addition, a series of eight resolutions excerpted directly out of Ron Paul's platform were passed overwhelmingly by the committee of the whole and, of the resolutions that were not Ron Paul resolutions, the Ron Paul supporters controlled the vote and voted them up and down as philosophically appropriate.
More news from Colorado Thanks to reader Colette for sharing this e-mail with the Daily Dose: I just attended my county Republican convention this weekend and I have to say, I was very pleased by what I saw there.
First off, the lawn outside the convention center was carpeted by campaign signs from all of the candidates. I am pleased to say that Ron Paul signs dominated the landscape! I would say that for every sign a candidate had up, we had at least three. Kudos to Carl Brunning for equipping the supporters in this region to get the word out!
As I went into the convention (I am a county and congressional delegate) to be seated, I saw a lot of local politicians had booths. What I did not see was McCain very well represented. Ron Paul's booth was big and informative (there was always a group standing there). Huckabee also had a booth, but it was not as well attended.
The first person who got up to speak was Marilyn Musgrave, Congresswoman from the 4th Congressional District in Colorado. She really tried to sell everyone there on the idea of John McCain as the nominee. Funny thing is, it did not look like her heart was in it. She was merely towing the party line. People in the audience were actually standing up and denouncing her words (not too rudely, but vocal none the less). Other than Musgrave, there was only one person who got up and spoke for McCain and I think he was the last minute/only choice of speaker for McCain.
This man got up and actually used words and phrases like "Constitution," and "return to conservative values," when referring to McCain. He said he was upset that he was the only one who wanted to get up and speak for McCain. Poor, deluded man… What really lifted my hopes was when Carl Bruining got up and spoke for Dr. Paul. Every time he spoke of Dr. Paul's platform, the room erupted in applause. Here is why my hopes are up…
As I sat there, I realized that most of the delegates in that room were Ron Paul supporters.
We had pulled off what nobody yet realizes…we had the majority of delegates! I cannot wait for State and Congressional…and the National convention! If this is an indicator, we are in the calm before the storm. When the convention in Minneapolis happens, the world will be stunned. Why? Because we have quietly infiltrated the party and we are taking it over.
Hang in there folks…the battle seems to have been lost, but the war is far from over. While they think we are in defeat, we are marshaling our forces for the great battle to be fought in Minnesota. The fight that will take back our party and ultimately, our nation.
You’ve got to hand it to Ron Paul. What a strategy. Playing like he’s out of the race, like he’s moving on...all the while he’s marshaling his forces for the great battle in Minnesota...lying in wait...quietly infiltrating the party via YouTube, creepy college campus recruiters and frequent, strongly-worded message board postings....covering the convention center lawn with Paul posters...controlling the vote on critical local resolutions with supporters voting for each other to ensure complete domination of the possible chance to maybe move on in theory to the district and national conventions.
So as we customarily bid adieu to most candidates when they barely register in national polls and delegate counts and their spokespeople say that they are withdrawing from the race, I’m obviously holding off on Paul. In fact, I’d like to wish him well on the next phase of the campaign. Project Infiltration has begun. I don’t think it’s coincidence that the National Convention is in St. Paul. Sainthood and the Presidency are next on the Hope for America express. Enjoy the costly campaign, Senators Obama, Clinton and McCain. Enjoy “speaking to the press.” Have fun at those “well-attended campaign rallies.” Good luck chartering planes to “meet with people in different parts of the country.” Tell us how those “national polls” and “issue debates” treat you while the silent Paul army sweeps you into the glorious new future.
We’re all a part of the Revolution. We just don’t know it yet.
- Joe Horton
