Residual Forces

As much as I am unhappy with the outcome of the Republican Presidential nomination, this is just not going to turn out well.

Ron Paul’s forces quietly plot GOP convention revolt against McCain

Virtually all the nation’s political attention in recent weeks has focused on the compelling state-by-state presidential nomination struggle between two Democrats and the potential for party-splitting strife over there.

But in the meantime, quietly, largely under the radar of most people, the forces of Rep. Ron Paul have been organizing across the country to stage an embarrassing public revolt against Sen. John McCain when Republicans gather for their national convention in St. Paul at the beginning of September.

Paul’s presidential candidacy has been correctly dismissed all along in terms of winning the nomination. He was even excluded as irrelevant by Fox News from a nationally-televised GOP debate in New Hampshire.

But what’s been largely overlooked is Paul’s candidacy as a reflection of a powerful lingering dissatisfaction with the Arizona senator among the party’s most conservative conservatives. As anticipated a month ago in The Ticket, that situation could be exacerbated by today’s expected announcement from former Republican Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nod, a slot held by Paul in 1988.

The main issue at hand is if the Ron Paul (Republican) revolution is, as I have been saying, a Libertarian party one. Paul has not been coy about the idea of not supporting McCain and has hinted at 3rd party candidates. With the Minnesota Republican state convention coming at the end of the month, and 14 more National Delegates and Alternates to be elected in Rochester, things could get pretty dang ugly.

The Ron Paul campaign is running the risk of shooting themselves in the foot. The slash and burn tactics still leave bitter tastes in the month of many Congressional District party goers. And if this article (linked above) is true, and Ron Paul plans to launch a salvo at McCain at the National convention, it will have disastrous results all around.

McCain will be weakened and the final wedge may be exposed and pounded in to separate him from the conservative base that Republicans need to win in November. He’s not doing himself any favors by running to the center and further alienating conservatives, but the idea of setting out to torpedo McCain at the convention is just plain like voting for Obama. (advantage Democrats)

Ron Paul will ruin any and all good will he or his supporters have made with conservatives tired of the populist message and policies the Republican party has grown to support. His band of die hard supporters will become an dangerous enigma with the Republican party structure if the idea of this being about Ron Paul doesn’t end pretty darn quickly. As joe-six-pack “Republican voters” one can come and go as he or she pleases. But once you become a Delegate or part of the grassroots leadership structure, the ability for the ‘I’ll do whatever I want attitude’ can be destructive to the party as a whole and have far worse results.

Remember that the Party, especially State, Congressional, and local units are about races at those levels and have little if anything to do with Presidential policies and campaigns. This energy and time spent sending John McCain a message is going to be detrimental to the down ticket races and could put far worse Legislators and members of Congress in office who will do more damage than John McCain could ever think of.

Olive branches have been extended and ‘truces’ have been asked for and taken on both sides. Party leaders in Minnesota are trying to find out how to tap into the new excitement and energy that the Ron Paul campaign has brought. Some Ron Paul campaign leaders in Minnesota have in return reached out to people who share the idea of returning the party to conservative principlesand asked to stop the feuding.

But the idea that the Ron Paul campaign is all about this kind of attention is something that makes it very tough overlook and ignore.

Are the Ron Paul campaign and its supporters about Republican or Libertarian Presidential candidates?

Criticism is fine. Seeking accountability to conservative principles is a must in my opinion as a member of the conservative wing of the Republican party. But to have this so-called revolution seeming more like an invasion is something entirely different and has me very worried.

So what does the Minnesota chapter of the Ron Paul campaign have to say?

This post is in the OUTBOX to Ron Paul’s Minnesota leadership and the comment section is open for business.