They also are meant as a barrier to popular vote. The idea is that in a close race, rather than rely on the popular vote, delegates, many of which have strong ties to the party and its platform, will make the best possible choice for nominee. Same idea with the electoral college for the presidential election.
Anyone notice that Paul does exceptionally well in Caucuses, and very poorly in primaries? Like 3-4% in primaries, but at least 10% in caucus states. Something fishy there. Caucuses are voted and counted openly.
Guerilla... What's the latest? I heard a rumor that RP is now just holding on for a bit, then he's going to make a big push before the GOP carves McCain in the '08 stone... Any insider tips?
TK, I will update later this evening. Trying to get in as a listener on a conference call with Ron Paul right now.
The Mouse that roared: Why Ron Paul won the election http://dougwead.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/the-mouse-that-roared-why-ron-paul-won-the-election/ Doug Wead @ Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Wead ----- Suicide Terrorism Expert Professor Robert Pape Named Ron Paul 2008 Foreign Policy Advisor http://www.ronpaul2008.com/press-re...pe-named-ron-paul-2008-foreign-policy-advisor Leon Hadar http://www.cato.org/people/hadar.html Robert Pape http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pape Ivan Elund http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Eland ----- Open Secrets has updated their numbers to reflect the Q4 filings http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.asp?id=N00005906&cycle=2008 And now you can see the largest corporate or employer group sponsors of Ron Paul. Pretty interesting, isn't it? Romney top contribs http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.asp?id=N00000286&cycle=2008 McCain top contribs http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.asp?id=N00006424&cycle=2008 -----
Ok, here is the best update I can provide. The campaign is working very hard to acquire delegates. I think Romney's move has thrown a curveball at the campaign, and they are looking at ways they can capitalize on it. There isn't a lot coming out of the campaign right now, they are in bunker mode, working on the upcoming primaries and caucuses. With regards to a 3rd party bid, I feel quite confident this is not coming, Ron is in this to get to the Republican National Convention, and appeal to the delegates as a group, from the podium, contingent upon McCain not getting an outright win. At this point, a conservative backlash is badly needed in the remaining primary states. In the meantime, he's going to keep spreading the message of constitutional government, and following the rule of law, and I recommend that everyone else does as well. This was never going to be a slam dunk, easy street type of run. It was always going to be an "against all odds" anti-establishment, David against Goliath type of deal, because the majority of people have drifted very far from founding principles, so much so that they don't even understand the timing or mechanics of the election, and in states like NY and California, continued to vote for candidates who had dropped out.
The caucus system is far more vulnerable to manipulation by a small number of fervent conspirators. The primary system gives more power to individual voters and less power to potential manipulators. Quoting HowStuffWorks: The convoluted caucus system dates back to 1796, when American political parties emerged, and it hasn't changed a whole lot since then. Most states eventually replaced this system, because as political parties became more centralized and sophisticated in the early twentieth century, party leaders or "bosses" were perceived as exerting too much control over choosing a nominee. To give individual voters more influence over the nomination process, party leaders created the presidential primary system. Florida held the first primary in 1901 marking the beginning of the presidential primary we know today.
That isn't applicable to the Presidential Preference Straw Polls (Caucus Primaries), which is what I am talking about.
Yes it is. Voting is supposed to be anonymous. A caucus is not anonymous. Everyone can see who you are voting for. You can also try to sway people to vote for your guy by offering bribes. That's 100% illegal (a felong I believe) in a real election. Voter intimidation is perfectly fine in a caucus. That's why they're stupid and should just be banned. Only because primaries, etc are set up by the parties and not the government is that sort of thing allowed. That's why they could deny Florida democrats the "right" to have their vote count in the primary; you have no right to vote in a primary/caucus. For any real government election a caucus would be unconstitutional. Funny how Ron Paul who claims to love the constitution so much can only do "well" in an unconstitutional vote. Also because a caucus can take hours they exclude people who don't care to sit around and bicker just to vote. People with children can't sit around for several hours in some small closed area. Most people have already made up their mind over the course of months and have no reason to waste hours listening to a bunch of idiots just so they can vote. Ron Paul does well in any meaningless poll where voters have to opt in. Ron Paul fans have nothing better to do than vote in meaningless polls. When the vote actually counts for something he loses miserably most of the time. Except in the Alex Jones stronghold of the northern midwest. There he can at least get in the 20th percentile but still lose.
Kalvin, You're really scraping the bottom now... ******************* UPDATE Ron Paul spoke at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Virginia today, the crowd was 8,500. More to come later ************* Yesterday, Ron Paul spoke in Washington DC at CPAC, which is a massive Conservative conference. This is where McCain was booed a bit for trying to sell himself as a conservative, and Romney suspended his campaign. From Third Party Watch, blogging live http://thirdpartywatch.com/2008/02/08/blogging-cpac-ron-paul-on-presidential-steroids/ *Good read* Also, here is the rousing introduction Bob Barr gave him, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l8AIuJJRZo and all 3 parts of the speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oaD9oM4xQo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWlUc8ip5hc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGaZsAeMKFo
Growing up in Virginia, I detest Liberty University and Jerry Falwell (RIP) but... hey, get votes wherever you can.
I've updated my own blog with my opinions, and I was surprised to see how many diggs there were when I didn't even tell a soul (of course I personally submitted it and such). I feel right now that Paul may have a real chance now. If we can get into a brokered convention perhaps a miracle will take place. Or else I'll be looking for asylum elsewhere because I sure as heck don't want Hillary, Obama, Huckabublebee, or McCain for "El Presidente". I mean, Socialist Society, Theocratic Dreamworld, and Vietnam Flashback governments all scare me.
It's mathematically impossible for Huckabee to get the nom and he has close to 200 delegates. The only way Ron Paul could win the Republican nom is if McCain drops out and gives his delegates to him. If by some miracle Ron Paul starts winning some states he might get some air time as a possible VP option. But that's highly unlikely. Romney pledged his support for McCain and asked his supporters to do the same. McCain is the nominee. It's all formalities for the rest of the primaries on the GOP side. Within a month or so McCain will start campaigning for President. That's what has the democrats worried. They can't let the Republican nominee get too much of a headstart. So your options are Hillary, Obama or McCain. There are no two options that together will make everyone happy. A percentage of the country will be holding its nose at the polls. It happens every simple election year.
It's not mathematically impossible. The delegates that are unbound, or have yet to hold state conventions have not been allocated. Most of the #s being bandied about are merely projections based on straw polls. They are meaningless except in states that allocate delegates bound from primaries. ********* Quite possibly, the greatest Ron Paul Speech yet, delivered at Liberty University. Introduction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PruslSx9p18 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek5uzGv1ijk Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seOZ2S8wV3s Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWmQV2y-NwU Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcm0KGHLFJ4 ---