What exactly do Paul’s guerrilla warriors plan to do come convention time?
It seems there may be some trouble brewing for this summer’s GOP convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. You see, another Paul is looming large on the horizon, threatening to stir up mischief at the August coronation of John, the would-be Baptist of that new and improved sect of Republicanism–Bush-Lite, for lack of a better term. As Paul’s supporters learned from Guy Fawkes, surprise is the name of the game.
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.
Yes, he was dissed by Fox News, taunted by his rivals, scorned in the press, but Ron Paul is not ready to stop preaching the gospel to his followers. In fact, the proselytizing continues apace, and St. Paul’s stage is set to provide the Texas Congressman with ample microphone time.His supporters are quick to add that Paul never actually dropped out of the race. No, he does not walk alone. The secret army continues to grow. Witness the recent protest votes in Indiana, where 23% of Republicans voiced their disaffection with McCain. In North Carolina the number was an even higher 26%.
Another libertarian messiah-in-waiting, Bob Barr, entered the race president today, giving the disaffected a glimmer of hope on what, to them, seems a set of woeful ballot choices.
But back to the Paul faithful. What exactly do Paul’s guerrilla warriors plan to do come convention time?
They hope to demonstrate their disagreements with McCain vocally at the convention through platform fights and an attempt to get Paul a prominent speaking slot. Paul, who’s running unopposed in his home Texas district for an 11th House term, still has some $5 million in war funds and has instructed his followers that their struggle is not about a single election, but a longterm revolution for control of the Republican Party.
In short, they hope for nothing less that a coup, and we’re not talking de Ville, either. And hey, look who’s #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. If you thought that Paul and his supporters would simply slip back into the Republican tent and make nice with John McCain, you were a tad mistaken. With all the potential turmoil, it’s a good thing that bars will stay open until 4 a.m. during the convention. One gets the sense that a few of McCain’s supporters will need a good stiff one after dealing with the Paul crowd.