Here's What I BELIEVE The Campaign Is Doing....

[jacmicwag]

Here's a theory. It's crazy but I'll say it anyway just to throw it out there.

If there's a quid pro quo for not attacking Romney, it's that Romney doesn't contest Paul all that hard in the caucus states, basically gathering delegates only through big wins in states like Florida. He allows Paul to come to the convention with delegates and a hand at writing the platform, gives him a prime time speaking spot and for Rand as well all to placate him as not to run third party. In return Paul gives a qualified endorsement of Romney and keeps his forces in the GOP fold for Rand's future prospects.

Great minds think alike.

 

[nicname]

It isnt that hard.

It isn't that hard. You wait until it is just Ron and Romney and then you go blow for blow. Obviously the best strategy, especially since most Romney voters aren't necessarily Romney "supporters."

It is the right strategy, and playing out quite well.

The only serious hangup would be other inferior candidates refusing to drop out and gobbling up needed votes.

I have a lot of faith in Ron destroying Romney through debates, ads, etc. in a two man race.

 

[Boss]

It isn't that hard. You wait until it is just Ron and Romney and then you go blow for blow. Obviously the best strategy, especially since most Romney voters aren't necessarily Romney "supporters."

It is the right strategy, and playing out quite well.

The only serious hangup would be other inferior candidates refusing to drop out and gobbling up needed votes.

I have a lot of faith in Ron destroying Romney through debates, ads, etc. in a two man race.

and on the flip side

has romney made many attacks against RP?

 

[DRFilms]

How about we win it for Ron by explaining how his foreign policy is better and how the other candidates foreign policies are dangerous? That alone would make it an easy win for Dr Paul.

 

[nicname]

How about we win it for Ron by explaining how his foreign policy is better and how the other candidates foreign policies are dangerous? That alone would make it an easy win for Dr Paul.

cant really do that until it is one on one IMHO

 

[LiveForHonortune]

Why doesn't the campaign read this forum?

 

[LibertasPraesidium]

Oh I am quite positive the campaign reads this forum and laughs at this kind of strategery.

The real deal is always been about voter turn out, you turnout in higher numbers where others dont expect people to have a solidified base and you win the whole thing. Romney isn't focusing on small states. Ron is focusing on getting enough momentum into super tuesday that his voters and his grassroots backs him up in states across the nation. This strong showing will allow us to get enough delegates up the chain into the RNC in florida, and we can battle it out there. After a few rounds of voting at the RNC where if a candidate doesn't get the support needed forfeits all delegates and the pool of candidates shrinks by one until there are only two. Both speak and then a vote is taken. Whoever wins has the nomination. That is what this is about, stop trying to figure this stuff out and figure out your state party rules on primary/caucus to see how to maximize delegates each level. This is how business is done in the Republican party, on the way we get to provide a few resolutions to be voted on at the RNC that become Party Platform. What stronger platform is there but Ron Paul's, what stronger Platform against Obama is there than Ron Paul. When it comes down to Ron Paul Versus Obama, Consistency and voter turnout is what is going to win Dr. Paul the Presidency. Right now it is all about becoming or nominating Ron Paul delegates up each chain on the way talking with others because most delegates are not bound until later on. I started reading about the rules and how things play out and because of the rule change this is going to be a long battle for the grassroots, but the harder we fight and the more of us fight, the better Ron Paul will ultimately do. We have to get out there and make this thing happen, friends and family can help. I know more about this but won't post any more.
Message me if you want more information and where to get it. This is my personal assumption based upon ease of use of funds vs grassroots momentum/energy and party rules.

 

[Base_Disclosure]

Right there with you, LibertasPraesidium. I'm in NV, I'm going to wait around after the caucus to try to be a delegate. In fact, I'm not leaving until I am one!

It's also clear Ron Paul is taking down the other candidates: first, Gingrich, now on to Santorum (the new ad).

He's got to thin the field. When they are gone, he becomes the 'anti-Romney' and can go on full attack. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[qh4dotcom]

Do you really think Ron Paul is going to accept a VP slot with Romney? He would need to have a sea change in political ideology for that to even be logical. Also, I will bet there aren't many Ron Paul supporters who want:

NO ONE BUT RON PAUL!!!

It's not that far-fetched. If it's for the best interest of this country for him to be VP, I'm sure he'll do it. Endorsing Romney is also not that far-fetched considering he was willing to endorse all Texas Republican incumbents no matter how much pro-war, pro-bailouts, etc. they were.

http://www.dailypaul.com/121785/ron-paul-promises-to-support-texas-incumbents

I know, I know...its a tough choice...principles or the best interests of this country. I think country comes first.

and hey, you never know Romney might die in office and then our dream of President Paul finally comes true.

 

[Taco John]

Ron Paul talks about the plan to win clearly here:
http://youtu.be/JOnuGlXlX48

He's basically using the same road map that Obama used. Win the caucus states, win the delegates, get the message out.

 

[tbone717]

How about we win it for Ron by explaining how his foreign policy is better and how the other candidates foreign policies are dangerous? That alone would make it an easy win for Dr Paul.

Actually, foreign policy is of little concern to voters based on polling data (7% in the Iowa PPP Poll for example). Foreign policy has only been brought up in this election so often because it is used to attack Paul given that his positions are in sharp contrast to the others. The preferable thing for the campaign to do is answer any foreign policy questions definitively, show strength in the answer, and segue the answer into a discussion of the economy (which is the number one issue)

 

[tbone717]

As long as Ron continues getting second behind Romney and preventing anyone else from gaining momentum and money, they'll eventually be forced out of the race. If we're successful, Huntsman will drop after NH, Perry after SC, and either Gingrich or Santorum after Florida. I don't think both of them will drop because I'm sure neither is willing to concede the title of sole Anti-Romney to Ron, so at least one of them (possibly both) will stay in until Super Tuesday..

Keep in mind that it is not so much of an issue of wanting to stay in the race as being able to stay in the race. The NY Times reported back in 2003 that an average day of campaigning costs around $100,000, and that was nearly ten years ago. So when the money runs out (and it does if they do not have a continuous source of donors) then the campaign is done.

 

[Badger for Paul]

Only time will tell if the strategy works, but 4th or 5th place finishes in SC and Florida won't get it done. RP is going to have several weeks in Feb to make his last stand, and if he doesn't end up first or second in all of the Feb caucuses before super Tuesday, then he is done. No way to tell if the voters who would have supported non-Romney candidates will go to Paul or Romney once their preferred candidate drops out. My suspicion is that aversion to Paul is greater than aversion to Romney and that Romney will actually get more than Paul, leading to Romney running away with the election. Therefore, I think letting the others hang around longer and attack Romney likely benefits Pau.
I hope it doesn't happen that way, but that is my suspicion. I think that Grinch and Frothy and Perry all take more votes away from Romney than Paul.
I think that if Paul does not dominate the first week and a half of Feb (Nevada, Maine, Colorado, and Minnesota), then it is over.
Romney would never select Paul as his VP. Maybe a Rubio or someone popular with the minority or latino vote, but certainly not Paul.
My 2 cents.

 

[acptulsa]

this "plan" is doomed to fail. Here's why:

We sure are getting a lot of 'doomed to fail' lately. Seems almost as centrally scripted as 'quixotic'.

1. An early win over Romney must happen soon if the real cash is to kick in. A few more 2nd place finishes and the funding will dry up.

The cash has been rolling in for four years. It seems a certain group of Americans has made up their minds to buy some influence in their own government, and they all know Ron Paul is the one candidate who won't make them bid against the corporations. You think that's going to dry up now, even though it has been coming for four years? Really?

2. The best to establish Ron as "the anti-Romney" candidate is to actually attack Romney! Now before it's too late.

Or maybe it's completely sufficient to refrain from sounding like Romney. When was the last time you heard Ron Paul tell us that God wants us to kick Iran's ass? Or, for that matter, when was the last time you heard Ron Paul flip flop?

3. Newt and Perry can always be resurrected as useful 2nd place finishers in any given state. Dont assume all the neo-cons are on the verge of dropping out, and dont underestimate the power of FOX to "surge" anyone at will.

Perry, maybe. But how are they going to 'surge' Cain? Once a laughing stock, always a laughing stock. Besides, where's the percentage, Einstein? We want them to split the establishment pablum vote.

 

[acptulsa]

Endorsing Romney is also not that far-fetched considering he was willing to endorse all Texas Republican incumbents no matter how much pro-war, pro-bailouts, etc. they were.

Excuse me?

We have to put up with the MSM spreading lies and disinformation about the man. We don't put up with it here on his forum.

 

[acptulsa]

I think that Grinch and Frothy and Perry all take more votes away from Romney than Paul.

Pretty obvious.

I think that if Paul does not dominate the first week and a half of Feb (Nevada, Maine, Colorado, and Minnesota), then it is over.

It isn't over until someone gets enough votes at the Republican National Convention to be named the nominee. Period. Bottom line.

So, carry on about your momentum rhetoric theories all you want. If you're not at the convention, you're worthless to us.

I am just amazed at the number of people in this thread who can't seem to grasp the obvious. This isn't a typical, conventional campaign. The typical, conventional campaign uses corporate money and corporate media support to shove some slickster down the public's throats with slickness. When you are doing this, conventional wisdom works like a charm.

Conventional 'wisdom' don't mean much here, folks. Some of it, yes. Much of it, no.

 

[tbone717]

My suspicion is that aversion to Paul is greater than aversion to Romney and that Romney will actually get more than Paul, leading to Romney running away with the election.

I don't see this as being the case, and both the grassroots and campaign can control this narrative. You need to remember that the majority of primary voters spend a mere fraction of time on the daily news cycle of the election. They get their news in passing. They do not watch the political round table shows, they do not watch the debates, the do not listen to talk radio.

They watch sports, they go to church, they listen to top 40 radio, the watch American Idol, etc. So they really get little bits and pieces of the daily story. I'd bet my house that if we went to SC right now and polled 1000 random people that 90% of them would have no idea about the Huntsman video issue, and I wouldn't be shocked if a sizable percentage of them didn't know who Huntsman was.

Anyway, the way we frame the narrative and should be doing so in everything we say is that this is a two-man race. A red state conservative vs a blue state liberal. Limited government vs big government. The people vs the establishment. Change vs the status quo. Just keep driving that point out there, and the masses will begin to pick up on it. When the narrative is frames as such, the conservative will always win.

 

[Badger for Paul]

To play Devil's advocate then, if all of the other candidates drop out soon, do you realistically think the Romney will not have enough delegates to secure the nomination??
It may not happen until April or maybe even May, but you will not get a brokered convention if the other candidates drop out soon. I just don't think RP can beat Romney head to head in closed GOP primaries. In an open primary he might be able to but there aren't enough of them in states that would be more anti-Romney.

And to clarify, when I say it is over if Paul doesn't win some of the early Feb caucuses, I mean that Paul's chance to win the nomination outright are gone. His chance to make a deal at the convention will continue until the end.

And if Romney can use all of his money to attack Paul and no one else, the propaganda war will be won by him, whether fairly or not.

 

[Badger for Paul]

Although I would love to someone eventually start hammering home how Romney is a bankster and gets his money from the Squid. I think that is the point that needs to be hammered home.

 

[acptulsa]

To play Devil's advocate then...

Sure. Why stop now? You've already got Romney 'running away with the election', a thing the devil would love but which a majority of Republicans seem to dread and abhor.

...if all of the other candidates drop out soon, do you realistically think the Romney will not have enough delegates to secure the nomination??

First, all the other candidates have no intention of dropping out soon, and it would look mighty damned suspicious if they did.

Second, the 'anti-Romney' vote is a real thing, and if Paul is the only alternative to Romney it would be interesting to see what percentage of the antiRomneys get over their love of war and slick suits, and what percentage get over their notion that they should listen to anything Faux says at all. It would be interesting to see, but we never will, because all the other candidates will not be dropping out soon. Might as well be asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

It may not happen until April or maybe even May, but you will not get a brokered convention if the other candidates drop out soon.

May is not soon, and there could be enough delegates bound to vote for a sufficient variety of candidates by then to get a brokered convention. And if we stack the hall with delegates, candidates dropping out merely means delegates--our delegates--becoming unbound sooner rather than later.

I just don't think RP can beat Romney head to head in closed GOP primaries. In an open primary he might be able to but there aren't enough of them in states that would be more anti-Romney.

Second is good enough. Hell, the field is split enough that third is good enough. Because all the other candidates aren't going to drop out soon.

And to clarify, when I say it is over if Paul doesn't win some of the early Feb caucuses, I mean that Paul's chance to win the nomination outright are gone. His chance to make a deal at the convention will continue until the end.

If we pack the hall, who needs to make a deal?

And if Romney can use all of his money to attack Paul and no one else, the propaganda war will be won by him, whether fairly or not.

His money gives him a better loudspeaker. But we are more voices. And we make more sense, too.