Jesse Benton says campaign not formally making a push for delegates in MI convention

[jmdrake]

Are people actually reading the article or just the headline?

Jesse Benton, Paul’s campaign spokesman, said the Texas congressman will fore-go Michigan’s state convention this weekend and concentrate on winning some delegates at the Minnesota state convention.

“The campaign is not officially backing any action in Michigan,” Benton said. “But we do have a good group of supporters who are going to the convention.”

The Paul campaign, which won 115,911 votes in the Feb. 28 presidential primary in the state, has targeted some other states’ conventions, winning Maine and some state party leadership posts in other states.

Translation! The Ron Paul campaign is green lighting grassroots efforts in Michigan while it concentrates on Minnesota!

 

[lib3rtarian]

He never had plans to attend the Michigan convention though. There have been many state conventions where Ron Paul didn't attend: Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma....

Grassroots doesn't need Ron Paul to be everywhere to fight for delegates.

Would you rather he just not show up and not say anything? Would you rather Dr. Paul asked for money to campaign and not tell you it's gonig just to support delegates? Would you rather they lie about Romney's chances and take money under false pretenses?

He's going where he'll have the most impact, and is honest with you about it, so why would you take it personally? I didn't take it personally that he went to places where he could have bigger gains than here in GA, so stop being butt-hurt about it.

Ron Paul is going to be in Minnesota this weekend. He can't be two places at once! Michigan is in the capable hands of the grassroots - they can win just like we've won before where Ron Paul didn't happen to be in the same state.

Has everyone on this site gone mad?? Keep it together - turn off the media - we've got a Revolution to run!

Difference is the tone and attitude. What I get from Benton is -

"So yeah, we finally realized that it's not nice to get delegates from places where we did not win the beauty contest. So we are just going to kiss Romney's and Reince Priebus's asses and keep the heck out of MI. We heard there are some crazy fans there, but we have nothing to do with them."

You don't need a degree in English to word this better if all you wanted to say was that RP was already committed to MN, so he can't be in MI.

 

[hkbrandt]

Where's the confusion? The campaign had zero presence in Arizona and Oklahoma this past weekend. Does that mean there was no delegate strategy in those two states? There doesn't need to be a campaign presence for the grassroots to show up and vote for delegates.

Gee, good point.(?) Where the heck is the campaign for OK and AZ? Delegates withering on the vine? No confusion there.

 

[jcannon98188]

Now you're all getting worked up over him saying, "the Texas congressman will fore-go Michigan’s state convention this weekend and concentrate on winning some delegates at the Minnesota state convention."

Are you kidding me? That doesn't even come close to saying that we're not working in Michigan, just because Dr. Paul feels his presence is better served in Minnesota.

I'm outta here until you all calm down... I'd like to hope there's a lot of trolling going on here, because this place is going wild jumping to conclusions. Jesus Christ, get a grip on reality people.

“The campaign is not officially backing any action in Michigan,” Benton said

That is what we are upset about

 

[tsai3904]

Gee, good point.(?) Where the heck is the campaign for OK and AZ? Delegates withering on the vine? No confusion there.

The campaign is us grassroots. What do you want from the campaign? Yes a lawyer would have been nice but what do you think would have happened differently?

 

[sailingaway]

Gee, good point.(?) Where the heck is the campaign for OK and AZ? Delegates withering on the vine? No confusion there.

Yeah, that actually makes a case for why they should have someone there. Obviously RON can't be everywhere.

but if they need more money for basic stuff like that, I wonder how much that money they asked for worked into this? Two weeks from the FIRST time they asked for it in two weeks would have been yesterday, I believe.

 

[FlipObamney]

This ^^^^^

Ron is either behind all these statements or he as agreed to them. The buck stops with . . . Jesse? I think not.

If that is the case and Ron is behind these statements, then HE should be making them, not Jesse.

This is 100% bullshit.

 

[tsai3904]

That is what we are upset about

The campaign has not officially backed any action in A LOT of states. You don't need official backing from the campaign to win delegates. Yes, he could have made a better statement but words do not prevent the grassroots from winning.

 

[jmdrake]

Difference is the tone and attitude. What I get from Benton is -

"So yeah, we finally realized that it's not nice to get delegates from places where we did not win the beauty contest. So we are just going to kiss Romney's and Reince Priebus's asses and keep the heck out of MI. We heard there are some crazy fans there, but we have nothing to do with them."

You don't need a degree in English to word this better if all you wanted to say was that RP was already committed to MN, so he can't be in MI.

So Ron Paul won the "beauty contest" in Minnesota? Cause otherwise your "translation" makes no sense.

Edit: In fact, regardless of how RP did in MN your translation makes no sense. Benton said nothing about "crazy fans". He specifically said they had "good people" who would be attending the convention.

 

[JK/SEA]

We will soon find out how much steam is left in the boiler come the next money bomb. This is it. The real test.

 

[TheGrinch]

That is what we are upset about

“The campaign is not officially backing any action in Michigan,” Benton said. “But we do have a good group of supporters who are going to the convention.”

They're putting limited resources where they'll have the most effect, I assume... I certainly hope no one believes that they strategized, and just said "Fuck it".

I agree that it'd be great if they'd "officially" back it with parlimentarians and the works, but they've made it clear that they're prioritizing limited resources at this point, and them not "officially" backing it doesn't mean they're "abandoning" it like has been implied in this thread. They're just leaving it up to the delegates, who they obviously must either have a comfort level with or a hint that them committing resources there over Minnesota isn't going to help.

This is getting really old that people assume they understand the campaign's inner-workings, knowledge, intentions and finances better than they do.

 

[RickyJ]

We will soon find out how much steam is left in the boiler come the next money bomb. This is it. The real test.

Right, and Jesse Benton is doing everything in his power to stop the Ron Paul revolution just as it was picking up stream. That traitor has to go!

 

[nobody's_hero]

Well, the statists and RP haters are having a field day out there on forums. They're using Benton's own words as their weapon.

That's messed up.

The campaign should have know that was going to happen. Ah well.

Let'em dance on my grave; I'll wake up one last time and punch'em in the nuts before I rest eternal.

 

[hkbrandt]

The campaign is us grassroots. What do you want from the campaign? Yes a lawyer would have been nice but what do you think would have happened differently?

Is this an intentional argument for all to stop supporting and contributing to the campaign?

 

[tsai3904]

13 states held elections prior to Super Tuesday and one of them was Wyoming.

Wyoming received ZERO help from the campaign (no campaign office, no campaign coordinator, no campaign help period) even though it was an early caucus state. I worked closely with the Wyoming grassroots and even though there was no campaign help, no one was discouraged. We fought against Romney's HUGE organizational advantage and won delegates at the State Convention.

You DON'T need any campaign presence or statement to win. Get over this one statement where Benton says there is no official backing in Michigan and continue working if you want to further the liberty movement.

 

[Agorism]

Trade Romney support for transportation Secretary for Rand?

 

[Agorism]

What if we could get it so Rand Paul could be the head of homeland security as long as the campaign supports Mitt Romney?

 

[RickyJ]

Is this an intentional argument for all to stop supporting and contributing to the campaign?

Amazing isn't it?

 

[kathy88]

Benton's pissed so many people off the grassroots are going to go to their conventions and get ALL THE DELEGATES!!!!!! Wait..... NAAAHHH he's not that smart.

 

[nobody's_hero]

Trade Romney support for transportation Secretary for Rand?

Sounds like a set-up to me. So the plan is to get Rand Paul to be in charge of security while our government foreign policy remains the same?

What does Rand do when the inevitable blowback happens? Resign?

The GOP wants to essentially give us nothing more than a pat on the head in exchange for our votes.