BREAKING: Ron Paul OFFICIAL STATEMENT on DELEGATE STRATEGY

[walt]

Sailingaway - stop deleting my posts.

 

[BenMuldowney]

Yes Paul can't win the nomination outright but what about when we get a second go around of voting and many bound delegates become unbound?

well according to benton we already lost.

 

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

I have to admit that this is the first time I have felt let down by the campaign, I usually try to see the glass half full. With that said, I'm a little surprised to see the grassroots rolling over and giving up. We have fought too hard to give up, and I still believe we can amass enough delegates to overturn the nomination in Tampa, with or without the campaign's consent. I find it hard to believe that Romney TRULY has as many delegates as being let on.

Maybe I'm just being naive and idealistic.

I'm not giving up anything. We're magnitudes stronger now than we were in 2008, and some of you know what it was like 10 years ago when you were the only person you knew who had even heard of Ron Paul.

 

[BenMuldowney]

Sailingaway - stop deleting my posts.

what is so important that a mod would delete its content?

 

[tbone717]

Yes Paul can't win the nomination outright but what about when we get a second go around of voting and many bound delegates become unbound?

You obviously missed the part of the statement where Benton said that Romney is within 200 votes of securing he nomination. There are nearly 600 delegates that will be awarded via primary results in the 11 remaining states. You don't need a crystal ball to figure that one out.

 

[kathy88]

Unfortunately many on RPF rather believe Swann's gossip than reality. Bound delegates are legally obligated to vote for a particular candidate by states' laws people. The campaign admitted this today because it is the truth.

The sad part is many will continue to believe bound delegates can vote for whoever they want.

Apparently the term revolution doesn't compute with a lot of you "oh my God you can't do that it isn't in the RULES" peeps. Apparently, this year, there are NO FUCKING rules. Just ask the GOP. I expect BUG FUN in Tampa, and can't wait. Benton can release all the press releases he wants, everyone can second guess every word, but the bottom line is THIS IS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL at this point. Ron's fiscally responsible. Doesn't want to go into debt. What a novel idea. The groundwork has been laid. Now it's up to us. So as far as I am concerned you can shove your negativity straight up your ass.

I admit my panties were in a wad initially, but who cares what Benton says. This is ours to take. At the very least Ron is going to be nominated from the floor and it's going to be great to watch. That's history right there. And who knows what else can happen. The campaign doesn't, we can't. But I know the delegates who are RON PAUL delegates going to Tampa are going to do everything they can to shed light on this corrupt dirty process and hopefully get some changes made leading it into the right direction.

Mods, if I get banned for this one could it just be until Tampa, please?

Tx.

 

[walt]

Jesse Benton, the most stupid man on Earth!

+rep

(I like you)

 

[anewvoice]

Nice, this is the e-mail that should have come out yesterday. I'm in for $50 tomorrow!

 

[lib3rtarian]

Screw Jesse Benton, his defeatist attitude and his political ambitions.

I only care about that man who inspired me to register to vote for the first time in my life.
I only care about that man who made me vote for the first time in my life.
I only care about that man who made me realize that there is at least one incorruptible politician on planet earth.
I only care about that man who brings tears of pride and joy to my eyes every time I think of him.
I only care about that man who cured my apathy.

And it's Ron Paul. We owe it to the man to not give up at this last moment.

Now, let's attend all the conventions and GET THE FUCKIN' DELEGATES! Bound or not, we will see about that in Tampa. If we don't get the delegates, we won't win anyway. So let's get the delegates and see if we can win. I still think we can win.

 

[Liberty74]

Benton just told our delegates to stay home. Save your hard earned money. This, just days after they figure out bound is not really BOUND. Ron will be lucky to even be nominated now. I think they pussed out and did not want to stir up the pot. I'm pissed.

Please people for the live of god, stop spreading gossip. Bound delegates are not unbound. They are legally obligated to vote for a candidate by their state law. That is that. Period! I have been yelling this for weeks. Some should start paying attention instead is grasping for straws because of some YouTube video that took one 2008 delegate RNC view out of context. Romney has not dropped out, hence all his bound delegates even though they might be Paul supporters belong to Romney.

 

[PointsOfOrder]

Man, it just feels like Darth Vader just struck down Obi Wan Kenobi in front of Luke.

 

[speciallyblend]

well according to benton we already lost.

just talked to the higher ups in colorado grassroots. Folks are not happy with benton and alot of things being done right now by the campaign. The gop will give colorado to obama by nominating romney that i can assure you.

 

[PointsOfOrder]

http://ivn.us/2012/05/14/gov-romney-worry-less-about-rule-38-more-about-whip-operation/

Legal Threats Towards Ron Paul “Vote of Conscience” Delegates

Trying to discipline delegates is a core violation of the First Amendment. In fact, Rule 38 is an RNC version of the Speech and Debate Clause.

What the Romney campaign is trying to do is get state or local prosecutions or removal proceedings. A state action to punish Dr. Paul supporters for utilizing or attempting to utilize Rule 38 that would fail on First Amendment grounds. At least in California, any District Attorney who on some theory commenced such a prosecution would no doubt be immediately recalled.

In fact, the issue has already been litigated. In Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin, the Court addressed this very issue. For background, previous DNC rules provided that only those who are willing to affiliate publicly with the Democratic Party may participate in the process of selecting delegates to the Party’s National Convention.

Wisconsin election laws allow voters to participate in its Democratic Presidential Candidate Preference Primary without regard to party affiliation and without requiring a public declaration of party preference. While Wisconsin’s open Presidential preference primary does not itself violate the National Party’s rules, the State’s mandate that primary results shall determine the allocation of votes cast by the State’s delegates at the National Convention does.

When the National Party indicated that Wisconsin delegates would not be seated at the 1980 National Convention because the Wisconsin delegate selection system violated the National Party’s rules, an action was brought in the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of the State, seeking a declaration that such system was constitutional as applied to appellants (the National Party and Democratic National Committee) and that they could not lawfully refuse to seat the Wisconsin delegation.

Concluding that the State had not impermissibly impaired the National Party’s freedom of political association protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the State’s delegate selection system was constitutional and binding upon appellants and that they could not refuse to seat delegates chosen in accordance with Wisconsin law.

The United States Supreme Court reversed and held Wisconsin cannot constitutionally compel the National Party to seat a delegation chosen in a way that violates the Party’s rules. It held that the National Party and its adherents enjoy a constitutionally protected right of political association under the First Amendment, and this freedom to gather in association for the purpose of advancing shared beliefs is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment from infringement by any State, and necessarily presupposes the freedom to identify the people who constitute the association and to limit the association to those people only.

The court held that the Wisconsin laws unconstitutionally infringed on the Democrats’ freedom of association, and Wisconsin did not show a compelling state interest in such infringement. The Court rejected Wisconsin’s asserted compelling interests in preserving the overall integrity of the electoral process, providing secrecy of the ballot, increasing voter participation in primaries, and preventing harassment of voters, go to the conduct of the open Presidential preference primary, not to the imposition of voting requirements upon those who, in a separate process, are eventually selected as delegates. Therefore, such asserted interests do not justify the State’s substantial intrusion into the associational freedom of members of the Democratic National Party.

This has been reiterated in any number of cases. As an example, in Heitmanis v. Amis the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit declared invalid Michigan state statutes on delegate selections that conflicted with party rules in that it conflicted with the right of political parties to choose delegates, and burdened the right of the state party and its members to freedom of association.

And, if the state Republican Parties tried to use state laws to impose legal sanctions would under Smith v. Allwright raise the issue of whether the State in effect could be entangled in a private organization’s disciplinary conduct which if done by the State would be invalid. Given the precedent, any such efforts are a non starter.

Moreover, the threat of State Party discipline is a sham. In many of these states, the state Republican party is now controlled by Paulites. As such, any inkling of the use of state sanctions to enforce the binding rules notwithstanding Rule 38 will spark chaos.

Tampa is a long-long ways off.

 

[jhk07]

Please people for the live of god, stop spreading gossip. Bound delegates are not unbound. They are legally obligated to vote for a candidate by their state law. That is that. Period! I have been yelling this for weeks. Some should start paying attention instead is grasping for straws because of some YouTube video that took one 2008 delegate RNC view out of context. Romney has not dropped out, hence all his bound delegates even though they might be Paul supporters belong to Romney.

what state law ???

 

[CJPrinter]

Everyone that's feeling dejected about this news needs to understand the big picture! We have NOT lost our leader, he has simply shifted gears. Regardless of your thoughts on his strategy, are YOU the one making his campaign decisions? NO, you're not, so quit your bitching and accept reality!

Reality is; Ron Paul has changed and will continue to change this country for the better!

It's ALWAYS been a long term strategy, NOT a short term fix!

All of you who are thinking it's over now need to take a LONG HARD look in a mirror and ask yourselves why you supported Ron Paul in the first place. Were you REALLY behind his message, or were you simply another breed of sheeple, going along with the crowd because you couldn't think for yourself.

If you are willing to give up just because things aren't going your way, you don't have a place in a true revolution! Good bye & good riddance!

 

[speciallyblend]

Please people for the live of god, stop spreading gossip. Bound delegates are not unbound. They are legally obligated to vote for a candidate by their state law. That is that. Period! I have been yelling this for weeks. Some should start paying attention instead is grasping for straws because of some YouTube video that took one 2008 delegate RNC view out of context. Romney has not dropped out, hence all his bound delegates even though they might be Paul supporters belong to Romney.

stands behind liberty74 and repeats to him give up give up give up , yeah go man give up give up, tell you everything so you give up don't bother give up give up. that is you man. WIN IT ,give up.. you should work for romney really. I am sure many here will vouch for you.

 

[Benjam]

Man, it just feels like Darth Vader just struck down Obi Wan Kenobi in front of Luke.

+rep

 

[squirekyle]

Man, it just feels like Darth Vader just struck down Obi Wan Kenobi in front of Luke.

THIS.

 

[jonruh52]

Please people for the live of god, stop spreading gossip. Bound delegates are not unbound. They are legally obligated to vote for a candidate by their state law. That is that. Period! I have been yelling this for weeks. Some should start paying attention instead is grasping for straws because of some YouTube video that took one 2008 delegate RNC view out of context. Romney has not dropped out, hence all his bound delegates even though they might be Paul supporters belong to Romney.

I don't know why you're saying this unless you just haven't been paying attention. It's already been posted here and reviewed numerous times that at the 2008 convention a Utah delegate that was supposedly bound to McCain voted for Romney and the RNC said that's perfectly fine. This has happened in many instances in the past and it will happen at an extraordinary rate this year. Hence, Ron Paul supporters bound to Romney can vote for Ron Paul. It really is that simple.

 

[speciallyblend]

what state law ???

exactly there is no law, and rnc rules state no state gop by law can override an rnc rule