Permanent rEVOLution

David Weigel | March 19, 2008

As attention turns away from the GOP race, the forces of Ron Paul spring into action. This from Missouri:

Never before had St. Charles County Republican Party Chairman Jon Bennett received so many queries about where this year's party caucus was to be held. And Bennett didn't recognize most of the callers.

On Saturday, Bennett learned why. Dozens of avid supporters of Ron Paul, a Texas congressman who is running a renegade quest for the presidential nomination, staged a political guerrilla attack. At that caucus at St. Peters City Hall — as well as others across the state — party regulars like Bennett were overwhelmed.

Caucuses in Missouri, held only in presidential election years, are typically low-key affairs attended mainly by party diehards. But this year, the pro-Paul activists commandeered gatherings in the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and Springfield. Paul supporters also controlled caucuses in at least a half dozen rural counties.

The result: Paul's supporters predict they have snagged roughly a third of the 2,137 state Republican delegates. Those delegates will determine the state GOP platform this spring and help select the presidential delegates to the national Republican presidential convention in Minneapolis in September.

This reminds me of a problem with the McCain campaign that's been ignored during MichiganFloridaFerraroWrightGoolsbeePowergate. Organization: He doesn't have it. He overcame the sturdy and well-built Romney machine with pure luck as Thompson split the conservative vote in South Carolina and Giuliani imploded in Florida. Right after Romney dropped out of the race, Mike Huckabee upset McCain in three primaries (nearly five) with next-to-no money. The Republican machine will coalesce around McCain, but it's nothing like the 50-state hydra Obama will have if he wins his nomination.

Comments

McBeelzebub|3.19.08 @ 8:12PM|#

This is why we aren't free: libertarians activists are so frantic, they're just too tired to copulate.

I consider myself an optimist, though. I'm sure another 230 years of this will finally convince people that the solution is Barry White, not Ron Paul.

b-psycho|3.19.08 @ 8:15PM|#

Paul's supporters predict they have snagged roughly a third of the 2,137 state Republican delegates. Those delegates will determine the state GOP platform this spring

That oughta be really interesting...

Intra-party squabbles turning into YouTube-worthy all-out brawls? Fuck yeah!

Peder|3.19.08 @ 8:18PM|#

McCain doesn't even have a blimp!

JCoke|3.19.08 @ 8:30PM|#

Good.... I hope that the Republican party eventually gets destroyed by their commitments to big government, corruption, and death.

Elemenope|3.19.08 @ 8:38PM|#

Ha. Hah. Man, that's funny.

Paul's supporters predict they have snagged roughly a third of the 2,137 state Republican delegates

And then a third of the angels fell with him...

Brock|3.19.08 @ 8:41PM|#

Great reporting, there, Weigel. I look forward to tomorrow's installment of things that happened over 72 hours ago.

Your man-crush on Paul is getting very, very old.

|3.19.08 @ 9:09PM|#

Brock, it is even worse than that, this was news over 120 hours ago.

|3.19.08 @ 9:40PM|#

Permanent rEVOLution
I noticed that a lot of the die-hard Ron Paul maniacs (especially those on YouTube) borrow from the Marxist playbook a lot-pretending the media elite has "tricked" the "lazy and stupid" American people into thinking that Paul isn't the man for them.

|3.19.08 @ 9:40PM|#

GOOGLE RON PAUL

|3.19.08 @ 9:41PM|#

Could someone explain to me why McCain is ahead 8 of Clinton and 6 of Obama in the latest polls if this is to be some kind of blow-out in the Democrats favor?

Shouldn't they be up 12 or 14 if this is a banner year for them?

Someone Who Doesn\'t Want to L|3.19.08 @ 10:17PM|#

Cesar: Cause he's an old white guy and we fear what we don't understand?

|3.19.08 @ 10:37PM|#

libertarians activists are so frantic, they're just too tired to copulate.

The truth is that we do that frantically too.

|3.19.08 @ 10:40PM|#

I noticed that a lot of the die-hard Ron Paul maniacs (especially those on YouTube) borrow from the Marxist playbook a lot-pretending the media elite has "tricked" the "lazy and stupid" American people into thinking that Paul isn't the man for them.

When Americans are sufficiently lazy and stupid, they don't need to be tricked.

|3.19.08 @ 10:40PM|#

..."Whatdya mean you only came once?"

BakedPenguin|3.19.08 @ 10:49PM|#

I noticed that a lot of the die-hard Ron Paul maniacs (especially those on YouTube) borrow from the Marxist playbook a lot-pretending the media elite has "tricked" the "lazy and stupid" American people into thinking that Paul isn't the man for them.

Filthy commie!

Your man-crush on Paul is getting very, very old.

*Sigh* Remember when trolls used to rag on Weigel because he was a "democrat"? Then when the Paultards ragged on him because he reported news, even stuff that didn't make Paul or the campaign look good?

I have come to the conclusion that Weigel must be objective, because idiots on all sides constantly attack him.

The Libertarian Guy|3.19.08 @ 11:08PM|#

I find it disturbing to see the words "Ron Paul" and "Marxist" in the same sentence... seems to me, the two would be polar opposites.

Yeah, I know what you really meant, Hohensee, but it's still disturbing.

Click \'n\' Learn|3.19.08 @ 11:11PM|#

Ron Paul fans have got to be some of the dumbest (and most narcissistic) people around. Wasting their time and money on things like blimps when there's an easy and cheap way to make him a contender or make a third-party run more likely.

Not a single Ron Paul fan has even come close to matching things like this, and she didn't get the salient facts out there, didn't ask a good enough question, and didn't press him on the issue.

|3.19.08 @ 11:12PM|#

Hey Lone Click 'N Ignorance Wacko-

Notice how both party nominees will endorse "amnesty"? Maybe thats because most people don't give a shit, and don't share your views.

Brock|3.20.08 @ 12:44AM|#

BakedPenguin:

Weigel isn't the worst writer on this blog, but his passive-aggressive tone is so freaking annoying that it ruins the Hit&Run experience. Couple that with his insatiable need to write about Ron Paul every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Right, wrong, objective, dumbass - it doesn't matter. It's old, annoying, offputting, even childish. Reason really, really needs to drop Weigel before his constant whine overwhelms the good work they do.

|3.20.08 @ 12:56AM|#

Weigel isn't the worst writer on this blog... Reason really, really needs to drop Weigel before his constant whine overwhelms the good work they do.

Sisters of Mercy, what do you want to do with the worst writer?

|3.20.08 @ 12:59AM|#

No one expects the Paulish Inquisition!

|3.20.08 @ 1:31AM|#

I know about Reason because of Ron Paul. I like how reporting on other candidates doesn't seem "annoying", though. Hell, even Mike Gravel! But, boom, Ron Paul. "OHHH WEIGEL YOU ARE SUCH A SHILL FOR RON PAUL!"

Calm down. You are free to skip the blog and don't waste your time commenting on it, or you can do what you are doing now and maybe Weigel can get fired! Oh boy, a blog without Paul, how great a blog that would be!

|3.20.08 @ 1:42AM|#

Wigel is a shill for big shill.

GILMORE|3.20.08 @ 2:06AM|#

Click 'n' Learn | March 19, 2008, 11:11pm | #
Ron Paul fans have got to be some of the dumbest (and most narcissistic) people around.

You should know, you idiotic cunt

Seer|3.20.08 @ 6:53AM|#

I like Weigel...

Loupeznik|3.20.08 @ 7:04AM|#

I am seeing the same effect in TX. Ron Paul supporters composed a majority of the delegates in my precinct as well as a friend of mines precinct. I understand this is anecdotal. We will find out about the others on the 29th.

|3.20.08 @ 7:07AM|#

I noticed that a lot of the die-hard Ron Paul maniacs (especially those on YouTube) borrow from the Marxist playbook a lot

I did a double-take when Ron Paul himself mentioned the word "cadre" referring to his supporters in his last video.

|3.20.08 @ 8:40AM|#

"Organization: He doesn't have it."

He can help that by choosing Romney as his running mate. I think it is looking more likely he will choose Romney.

On the other hand, that L. Graham guy has been attached to him like a leech lately.

|3.20.08 @ 8:58AM|#

Problem is, Missouri law requires the delegates to vote for the primary winner, John McCain on the first ballot. Meanwhile in Penna., where delegates can vote for whomever they choose, RP supporters gathered over 200,000 signatures in 3 weeks to put 60+ delegates on the ballot and several are sure winners because the GOP didn't qualify a full complement in several congressional districts.
Instead of putting any money into Penna. (and Penna. supporters sent over $1 million to the RP campaign for other states) RP headquarters told them they are now on their own and even refused a request for RP to come to Phila. and appear at a fund raising banquet! Meanwhile, rumors have it that $1 million has already been skimmed off the remaining RP warchest and put into RP's educational foundation. Let's see if reason will look into this shafting of his hardworking and generous Penna. suppporters.

Episiarch|3.20.08 @ 9:05AM|#

Reason really, really needs to drop Weigel before his constant whine overwhelms the good work they do.

Yes, good idea. Maybe they can drop Balko too. It isn't like these guys post things that are interesting or important.

Besides, Jesse is the worst writer.

(runs off)

|3.20.08 @ 9:17AM|#

Organization was a big deal in 2000 and 2004 where the strategy on both sides was to get out more of the base than the other guy. I am not sure that is going to be the strategy this year. If the Dems run Obama and with the Repbublicans running McCain, the hope on both sides will be to win more independents and won't be as base driven as the last two. All organization does is squeeze a few percentage points of out the usual die hards, which can make all of the difference in a close election. I am not sure this year is going to follow that pattern. I think one side or the other is going to win the independents and the few extra points organization gives you won't make that much difference.

Charles|3.20.08 @ 9:19AM|#

You know, it's odd this should come up because just this week I have been thinking that while I didn't like him at first, Weigel is now probably my second favorite poster at Hit & Run, after Radley Balko.

|3.20.08 @ 9:20AM|#

"Besides, Jesse is the worst writer."


No way. Jesse knows his music and pop culture. The worst writers are Welch and Howley. Weigal is annoying but he does at least a passable job giving the horserace stories on the election. If McCain loses the election, I am not sure what purpose Welch will serve. I have never figured out what niche Howley fills.

|3.20.08 @ 9:28AM|#

I've got a niche Howley could fill.

Ba-Dum-Bumpt

Episiarch|3.20.08 @ 9:30AM|#

Don't you mean she's got a niche you could fill? Get your sexual metaphors straight.

|3.20.08 @ 9:31AM|#

Obviously you're a sexual prude. A man has orifices too, ya know.

|3.20.08 @ 9:33AM|#

Episiarch,

I will not take the bait and be sexist. Everyone on the staff seems to have certain areas of expertise they bring to the table, Bailey science, Balko police abuse, etc... I haven't figured out what Howley's is.

Ref|3.20.08 @ 9:41AM|#

Organ sales?

Episiarch|3.20.08 @ 9:41AM|#

Obviously you're a sexual prude. A man has orifices too, ya know.

Touché.

Come on, John, take the bait. Everybody does it. (peer pressure)

|3.20.08 @ 9:53AM|#

Nevada has a similar experience. Every county is sending Ron Paul delegates to the State Republican Convention end of April. Up in Washoe Co all the delegates got to State because despite a record turnout for the county convention, many Republicans didn't want to spend the money or whatever to go to the state.

We should have about a third of the thirty four total national delegates and Nevada delegates are NOT bound.

|3.20.08 @ 9:54AM|#

Organ sales?

I've got an organ to sell her.

Ba-Dum-Bumpt

|3.20.08 @ 9:56AM|#

TUC,

I wouldn't sell it to her, but she could certainly try it out on loan or rent it for a while.

There you go Episiarch.

Episiarch|3.20.08 @ 9:58AM|#

Peer pressure wins again! Next up: jumping off bridges.

|3.20.08 @ 10:05AM|#

Sexist bastard.

|3.20.08 @ 10:05AM|#

Some of us just have weak personalities.

The Democratic Republican|3.20.08 @ 12:33PM|#

1) This same RP phenomenon is happening in Oklahoma

2) Howley is the spokesperson for free markets in organ donation and free love (I don't mean this in a snide way; I think it's actually true).

|3.20.08 @ 12:54PM|#

Howely certainly loves hookers and claims to be the spokesman for free love. Until I see her in Playboy I am not buying it though. I think there is a more than a little bit of thong (as opposed to jock strap sniffing by sports writers) sniffing going on when Howley claims to be Miss Free Love 2008.

|3.22.08 @ 6:01AM|#

I know I plan to vote for a winner! Ron Paul!

No matter how many votes are cast for the other candidates they will still be losers.

And Globalist Puppets at that.