Ron Paul Roundup: Trounced in Texas, but Delegate Fight Moves On

Even as the only other still-running candidate, Ron Paul pulled only 12 percent in his home state of Texas, where he didn't really try to campaign. Even in his home county of Brazoria, he only got 25 percent. (I wasn't surprised. While researching my book Ron Paul's Revolution, I found that while most of his local Republicans clearly loved him as their congressman, they weren't sure they wanted him running the national show.) 

Broken down by congressional district, not county, here are Paul's best and worst Texas results. In his own congressional district, the 14th, he got 19 percent.

Paul fans at Ron Paul Forums grouse about the bad results in real time.

Still, over 170,000 people came out to vote for him, and he collected 18 more delegates in a game of perceived pull in which every one counts to show the GOP that Paulites are not an ignorable fringe but a real Other Wing of the Party.

On that tip, Paul-endorsed Senate candidate from Texas Ted Cruz pushed his leading opponent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst into a runoff.

*Meanwhile in Massachusetts Paul people fight against Romney delegates arguing that some Paul supporter delegate victories should be invalidated.

*Paul fans focusing on the ongoing and forthcoming state conventions in Louisiana, Missouri, and Washington state where they hope to continue racking up the delegates.

*Allen Stevo at Policymic fingers the Los Angeles Times for ignoring the real Ron Paul news around their state (his record crowds) to mock his speaking style.

*For much more on the Ron Paul story, see my new book Ron Paul's Revolution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired.

Cross posted at dedicated blog/site for Ron Paul's Revolution.

Comments

[BarryD]

Paul is a great guerilla fighter.

His impact is probably greater than if he were promoted to a desk job in the Officer Corps.

[juris imprudent]

Two plugs for the book in one article, niiiiiiice.

[buntpunt]

OK now there is a dude tht clearly knows what tiem it is. WOw.

http://www.Anon-Soft.tk

[A Serious Man]

So did Romney really secure enough bound delegates or not?

[Old Mexican]

Truth: No.
Fox News et al: Yes.

[Lost_In_Translation]

I can't imagine expectations would be high for Paul in Texas. He didn't campaign at all and the enthusiasm for the Paul movement wore off a few months ago so alot of supporters would have just stayed home rather than fight crowds just to vote for him. 12% is still damn good and over double his previous attempt (which is what he's doing nationally). The goal now is to force the GOP to take on some Paul platforms or be prepared to lose in November when 10-20% of potential GOPers stay home or vote libertarian.

If Romney doesn't promise to cut the budget, I don't see any real reason to vote GOP.

[Old Mexican]

"Curiously, the thrust of [Los Angeles Times's Lisa] Mascaro's argument is that it is appropriate to denigrate plain-spoken politicians [like Paul] while praising those who use the most contorted of language. This is praise that I have honestly never heard from any single human being before, perhaps helping to demonstrate how out of touch Mascaro is.

[Wholly Holy Cow]

Riiiight. Why should Paul do well in Texas? It's only his home state after all.

Anyway, I'm sure when all is said and done, all of RP's delegates will no doubt be found in Capone's hidden vault. Or maybe they're being housed in that Social Security lockbox. Or maybe the delegates will be found lingering in the rancid tears of the open borders crowd as they watch AZ continue to enforce its private property rights.

Gosh, sure is strange. Why, all you sooper smart and science-y libertarians just know that 9-11 was an inside job or something about Dick Cheney being in bed with the makers of Zyklon B, yet....

Yet, you believe that Ron Paul is a serious presidential candidate who isn't letting ego and the promise of higher speaking fees enter into his quad-annual political aspirations.

You know, once I read that Ivory soap was only 99 44/100% pure. Well, I never used that impure bullshit ever again. Give me 100% of what I want or fuck it: let's just go with the Utopian leftwing dreamer who actively governs against the free market and individual choice.

Oh, and has anyone seen my ball? I wanna go home! Waaahhhh!!

[Emmerson Biggins]

Do you have a point?

And also: Fuck off slaver.

[I Came Inside Your Mom]

You would make a good debate opponent to the deceased Col. Gaddafi. Between your nonsense and his, no one would understand a fucking thing.

[SomebodySmart]

Ron Paul's supporters will be the delegates Romney has "won" and they won't be bound, either. Once the convention starts, and they do the pledge of allegiance at the party's request, they become unbound, because allegiance to the republic rules out voting for Romney.

[Bob W.]

I like...

[CE]

The Texas results were pretty extraordinary for someone who didn't campaign, in a state with a lot of neocons. Compare how poorly he did in other Southern states. 170,000 votes is a lot. Not enough to win, but enough to show that he has real support.

[Brian from Texas]

I really wasn't surprised by Ron Paul's poor showing here. The status-quo establishment of the GOP is well entrenched here and Romney is certainly a fine example of the establishment. Ted Cruz got my vote in the Primary and will again in the Run-off. David Dewhurst is a little bitch.

[Lost_In_Translation]

I don't know if I trust Cruz to be a Rand Paul Republican, but Dewhurst has probably been golfing with Cronyn since he entered politics.

[I Came Inside Your Mom]

I became a US citizen recently. I was really hoping something would come out of the Ron Paul movement. If he wins the nomination (which looks unlikely), I will vote for him.

If he won't, I frankly have no idea what the fuck to do. Mittens and Obama are similar. I hate having to pick the lesser of the 2 evils. This just fucking sucks.

[Diomasach]

Way to go Ron.
Who cares if the voting public doesn't want you? Your tiny fringe of die-hard fans loves you and is willing to lie, cheat, scheme, and game the system to secure you delegate you don't actually deserve so I say go for it! Why let a little thing like the will of the people stand in the way of a narcissistic power grab?

[Bob W.]

Diomasach - bravo for being a complete imbecile. No delegate can be bound or deserving of anyone. Delegate counting is a strategy that has been around since winning was determined by delegates. It is not the popular vote that wins the presidency or "the will of the people". The likes of JFK and Obama engaged in exactly the same strategy. Also, the Ron Paul camp has followed the rules from the beginning. The state RNCs have provided false slates, fake affidavits, circumvented party rules, engaged in intimidation, and found ways to invalidated only Ron Paul delegates through shady backdoor proceedings. Interesting how warped your sense of reality is. The freedom to be complete morons like diomasach is what will lead this country to destruction.

[Bob W.]

Sure.... We need to unite under Mitt Romney and Ron Paul was no longer in the race according to the media. Results... Surprising.