Rhode Island Paul Delegate Has Sign Confiscated

Tampa - When it was the Rhode Island delegation's turn for a moment of in the spotlight at the Republican National Convention, Ron Paul delegate Dave Aiello, 25, wanted to show off his support for the Texas congressman. When the cameras were on the Ocean State Aiello pulled out his expandable Ron Paul sign and made sure it could be see on television. 

One of Mitt Romney's floor whips had other ideas and attempted to block out his sign with a Romney sign before a convention staffer confiscated it.

"I believe the people in this party are more concerned with their positons of power than expanding the base and bringing new people into the party," said Aiello in an interview with Reason.

"They were willing to do things that under their power, no matter if involved breaking the rules,  changing the rules after the game was played, to make sure that Ron Paul wasn't heard at this convention and it's a travesty," he, said.

Here's a video of the confrontation: 

Comments

[Mr. FIFY]

This is your Team headed ever-faster towards a total totalitarian entity, Dave.

The other Team is, of course, on the same track. And both are so, so close.

[The Late P Brooks]

"I believe the people in this party are more concerned with their positons of power than expanding the base and bringing new people into the party," said Aiello in an interview with Reason.

I just know I have a shocked face around here somewhere.

[Mr. FIFY]

Wait... which party did he mean, though? His statement could fit either Team.

[Romulus Augustus]

That fat c--t in the white coat would have to wrestle me to the ground and beat me unconscious before she took my sign.

[Diomasach]

Children, please...

I like Ron Paul, I went to my state caucus for him.
But he didn't win. Get over it.
Trying to grab delegates that were not earned through the vote and stupid, childish stunts like this are the reason why the mainstream thinks we're all a bunch of crazy children.

[Mr. FIFY]

As opposed to the way legit Paul delegates were treated, and the stupid childish stunt of confiscating the sign, you mean?

[Zeb]

What about the delegates he did earn through the vote?

[Juice]

Is the vote how you get delegates in most states? No? Then why bother worrying about the vote?

[Hyperion]

I am over it. Certainly I wanted RP to win, but he didn't. Mitt got the majority of the votes because people are uninformed and in general sad to say, stupid.

There is no excuse for the GOPs underhanded tactics, but we can't let that ruffle our feathers too much.

Right now, what we do is regroup, settle down, and settle in for what we already knew was going to be a long hard fight that requires lots of strategy and patience.

Hopefully now that Ron is retiring, he stays healthy and energetic and can spend all of his time traveling around the country speaking and forming a stronger Libertarian alliance and increasing our numbers, carrying on the revolution.

[Joe M]

Get the hint, Paul people. The GOP doesn't want you; time to join the LP.

[Trespassers W]

^^^That. But the thing is, not only does the GOP despise you, they're counting on your vote.

Paulistas, and, more generally small-government conservatives, are going to have to suck it up and take their votes elsewhere, even if it means enduring another four years of Obama. Voting GOP only ensures you'll continue to be treated like this.

[Juice]

That's exactly what they want. Join the LP and disappear into obscurity.

[R C Dean]

Why the GOP feels the need to marginalize and alienate the only people who show the least bit of energy and enthusiasm is a mystery to me.

Seriously, they have gone way out their way to try to disappear the Ron Paul delegates in every way possible (short of hustling them into schoolbusses with blacked out windows for a trip to the reeducation camps).

And for what? Romney was going to get the nom. Allowing Paulistas to have their votes counted, and have some visibility at the pep rally, was harmful, why? Stomping it out was a top priority, why?

[Hyperion]

Why the GOP feels the need to marginalize and alienate the only people who show the least bit of energy and enthusiasm is a mystery to me

I think it is pretty easily explained. For decades now, members of both political parties have enjoyed a pretty much unchallenged tenure of multiple terms at their comfy exlusive positions of power. That is now being challenged within the GOP. The Dems are totally unaffected as their voters are all sheep, mostly dependant upon handouts and political favors. These old establishment geezers are set in their ways and not willing to give up one ounce of their priveledge as the ruling class over us peasants. They will not go down easily, but they are going down, don't doubt that for a minute, they are going down hard. The ones that want to remain safer for now had better pull a Charlie Crist and make the jump over the fence to the Dems. You will be seeing a lot of that in the years to come, I honestly believe. They will show their true colors when they are backed into a corner.

[ChrisO]

Romney is all about getting to 51% by any means necessary. Allowing the peasants to disrupt his infomercial wouldn't further that goal.

[Scarecrow Repair]

Are they really that insecure even after having had the nomination locked up for months?

What a bunch of maroons.

Like that deaf kid who the school board wants to change his name rather than let him make a politically incorrect sign (in Nebraska?!?), every time I think I've gotten used to the new level of stupidity, along comes someone to remind me that the universe can always come up with better fools.