Ron Paul benefits from Romney's exit

[Rjr]

Everything is still on track...Mitt Romney has only "Suspended his campaign" He has not dropped completely out of the race. A "suspended campaign" means he retains control of his delegates for brokering power later on in the process.....Many Romney supporters do not view Huckabee and McClinton as an option......but wait there is still the stubborn congressman from Texas, RON PAUL...The excitement is not over!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/07/romney.campaign/index.html

[caradeporra]

Ron Paul was planning on a brokered convention to win this thing. A brokered convention allows the delegates to become unpledged which allows them to vote for whoever they want.

For the convention to be brokered, McCain must get LESS than half of all the delegates. Romney was our help in doing this.

The establishment probably offered him a vp run, or the next election for dropping out and 'securing' the win for McCain.

[runningdiz]

Ron Paul was planning on a brokered convention to win this thing. A brokered convention allows the delegates to become unpledged which allows them to vote for whoever they want.

For the convention to be brokered, McCain must get LESS than half of all the delegates. Romney was our help in doing this.

The establishment probably offered him a vp run, or the next election for dropping out and 'securing' the win for McCain.

Thank you someone with brains! the idea of a brokered convention is over any chance of us winning the nominee we have to simply pick up more delegates

[Rjr]

Again the excitement is not over for Ron Paul. With Romney suspending his campaign, people will look for an candidate to believe in.....Every day Ron Paul stays in the race is another day promoting the Constitutional movement. This is a long term saga that also requires change at many levels, including the House, Senate and State legislatures......

[JulioForPaul]

For the convention to be brokered, McCain must get LESS than half of all the delegates. Romney was our help in doing this.

Romney was splitting up the anti-McCain vote. When he drops out his votes will go to Huckabee....which will lead to a brokered convention.

[SRRP77]

Romney still keeps his delegates...basically at this point with 3 people splitting the delegates (since they don't seem to be threatened by RP) he can suspend his campaign and go to the convention keeping his delegates- why spend money when McCain wont get the 1191 before the convention?

[Bruno]

Romney was splitting up the anti-McCain vote. When he drops out his votes will go to Huckabee....which will lead to a brokered convention.


Does the Huckster have the cash to keep going?

[Paul.Bearer.of.Injustice]

well the quicker McCain secures the nomination the quicker Ron can decide if he wants to go 3rd party/Indy or not.
I'm still not completely sold on McCain tearing through the remaining states which aren't as liberal as CA and NY.

We will definitely know by March 4th what the next step will be.

[parocks]

Romney was splitting up the anti-McCain vote. When he drops out his votes will go to Huckabee....which will lead to a brokered convention.

I'm not sure it's quite that easy.

[PeacePlan]

Romney still keeps his delegates...basically at this point with 3 people splitting the delegates (since they don't seem to be threatened by RP) he can suspend his campaign and go to the convention keeping his delegates- why spend money when McCain wont get the 1191 before the convention?

Gop will make sure there is no brokered convention.. McCain is the chosen one - we are fighting the press and the GOP

[Jim_Karr]

Along with the coming lawsuits of the states that told voters Ron Paul was out of the race could help if they get on the ball and get r done.

[Ayse]

Does the Huckster have the cash to keep going?

He doesn't need cash...he has the media. You saw his rise when he was at 5%, he was on every major news show 3 times a day. That's why he's done so well...
"TV time=Votes"

[jblosser]

We are not fighting (most of) the GOP. The GOP hates John McCain with the fire of a thousand suns. They have been pushing Romney if they've been pushing anyone. It's the media that has been pushing McCain, making him the default vote for hundreds of thousands that don't know anything he stands for. The GOP has mostly been sitting the race out. Faced with their remaining choices, there is serious room for us to take what's left of the GOP grassroots and with them the party, and with that, exposure.

I wouldn't have wanted any of the others to drop out, but Romney dropping out is only going to help us within the GOP.

[haaaylee]

this is what happens when we talk about all these ideas on here! i bet the establisment has been watching this forum all day and went to Romney to ask him to suspend.

Or maybe i put my tinfoil hate on, i dunno.

[parocks]

Romney still keeps his delegates...basically at this point with 3 people splitting the delegates (since they don't seem to be threatened by RP) he can suspend his campaign and go to the convention keeping his delegates- why spend money when McCain wont get the 1191 before the convention?

McCain won't get the 1191 before the convention?

How many states are left? 22
How many delegates does McCain have? 714
How many more delegates does McCain need? 477

[jacmicwag]

Unless Huck takes off (which could happen in places like Texas), McCain nails 1191 on March 4th.

[Sarge]

If the Mormon voters would turn out for Dr. Paul, in the rest of the states, this could well be a brokered convention.

The question is how to get those remaining state voters on our side for Freedom fast.

They are left with McCain or Huck vs. Dr. Paul and following the Constitution and Freedom.

They need to make up the mind fast.

[wgadget]

If the Mormon voters would turn out for Dr. Paul, in the rest of the states, this could well be a brokered convention.

The question is how to get those remaining state voters on our side for Freedom fast.

They are left with McCain or Huck vs. Dr. Paul and following the Constitution and Freedom.

They need to make up the mind fast.



WIth Mormons, you target the Constitution...It's just about a sacred document to them.

[sgrooms]

RESEARCH BEFORE YOU POST!!!

Romney suspends campaign vs. dropping out
Posted: 12:20 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) Suspending a campaign has a different meaning depending on the party.

On the Republican side, decisions on how to allocate delegates is left to the state parties.

On the Democratic side, a candidate who "suspends" is technically still a candidate, so he or she keeps both district and statewide delegates won through primaries and caucuses. Superdelegates are always free to support any candidate at any time, whether the candidate drops out, suspends or stays in.

National party rules say that a candidate who "drops out" keeps any district-level delegates he or she has won so far but loses any statewide delegates he or she has won.

Full Story

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/07/romney-suspends-campaign-vs-dropping-out/

[sgrooms]

this hurts us. very very badly.

[celticsman7]

It's possible that the race in the media's eyes will be seen as "over." This would lead to many potential voters staying home on election day. Yet, the Ron Paul supporters will still all go out. It creates a low voter turnout with the same amount of RP voters going. That helps us.

[wgadget]

Possibly...possibly...

[762x54r]

Again the excitement is not over for Ron Paul. With Romney suspending his campaign, people will look for an candidate to believe in.....Every day Ron Paul stays in the race is another day promoting the Constitutional movement. This is a long term saga that also requires change at many levels, including the House, Senate and State legislatures......


Wonderful post.

[gracebkr]

Gop will make sure there is no brokered convention.. McCain is the chosen one - we are fighting the press and the GOP

I feel great! That might sound huge, but to me it sounds great! Revolution!

[Crickett]

Gop will make sure there is no brokered convention.. McCain is the chosen one - we are fighting the press and the GOP

Yes. My understanding is a "suspension" of the campaign gives the delegates back to the GOP who will just give them to McCain since THEY keep saying RP dropped out already..

[Crickett]

He doesn't need cash...he has the media. You saw his rise when he was at 5%, he was on every major news show 3 times a day. That's why he's done so well...
"TV time=Votes"

fine. They should air this:
http://judicialwatch.org/judicial-watch-announces-list-washington-s-ten-most-wanted-corrupt-politicians-2007

[Sarge]

If Mitt voters switch to Dr. Paul in the states left to vote those delegates won't be going to Mitt.

If we can get them to see the light, we have a brokered convention. Texas with a lot of delegates as well as 19 more states to go yet.

I hope they see the light and help save the Constitution and our Country.

The elite might have picked McCain, but Mitt's remaining voters could ram the elites choice down their throats.

[Laja]

This is good news for us. Gives the voters less confusion with only three candidates. Romney clears away a big obstacle for Ron to get his message out. And it helps that both Ron and Huck are way behind McCain. There's no way they can say this is a two-way race because it's clear that it's a three-way race, with lots of room for Ron and Huck to play with.

The divine Hand of Providence steps it up for us once again. Remember when things like this happen that it ain't over til it's over.

[slantedview]

Thank you someone with brains! the idea of a brokered convention is over any chance of us winning the nominee we have to simply pick up more delegates

how is it over if romney still has the delegates on lockup?

[rmholla]

Ron Paul needs to stay in this race all the way. As bad as McCain has been looking lately he could kick the bucket at any time.

Nobody thought the Giants would win, especially not in the last minutes of the game when the Patriots jumped ahead. And then even when the Giants scored to take the lead MOST people still thought Brady would march down the field at least to get a field goal to tie the game and force OT.

So please don't rule out Ron Paul getting the GOP nod, there is a lot of time on the clock and we don't know what the future holds. We need to just keep playing the game, we may find the end zone yet!!!


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[Sauron]

Looks like Paul is suspending his campaign as well. He has no events planned for the next 3 weeks.

[JulioForPaul]

The GOP, for the most part, hates McCain. I see most of the state's GOPs awarding Romney's delegates to Huckabee. I also see Huckabee winning the vast majority of the rest of the election.

Romney suspending his campaign = brokered convention.

This is good for Ron Paul. I don't understand the constant moaning here. Some people will see negativity in anything.

[Paul4Prez]

This is GREAT news for Ron Paul. It means his vote percentage will go up in pretty much every state, he will have a LOT better chance to win his first caucus state (like Washington), and he will pick up more delegates in the remaining states, and in the states that already voted but don't pick national delegates until later -- some of those numerous Ron Paul alternates might get a chance now.

It's probably even better news for Huckabee. The press is writing him off, but they were wrong before Super Tuesday, and they will be wrong again. Huckabee will most likely win Texas (trust me, I used to live there), with a ton of delegates, and the anti-McCain vote will mostly go to him.

I'm not sure who is worse (McCain or Huckabee), but Romney dropping out definitely helps Ron Paul -- he was our main competition in the states the other candidates weren't organized in.

[GoldStan]

The GOP, for the most part, hates McCain. I see most of the state's GOPs awarding Romney's delegates to Huckabee. I also see Huckabee winning the vast majority of the rest of the election.

Romney suspending his campaign = brokered convention.

This is good for Ron Paul. I don't understand the constant moaning here. Some people will see negativity in anything.

Did any of you actually listen to Romney's speech? Nevermind, I already know you didn't from this thread.

Romney didn't "officially" endorse McCain but besides that tiny distinction he basically verbally fellated him throughout the whole thing. His delegates will go to McCain lock, stock, and barrel. Even if RP pulled 50% of his delegates it wouldn't come close to stopping McCain from getting the nomination outright.

It is over.