"Mitt Romney will declare victory himself to be the Republican Party's nominee..."

[RonPaulFanInGA]

It's depressing to realize that the 2008 campaign lasted longer, in a debatably "competitive" phase. Huckabee stayed in it until after Texas.

McCain secured the nomination on March 4 with his Texas win, and Huckabee dropped out that night.

 

[Keith and stuff]

said what exactly?

Likely what the media has been reporting for days, that Romney will announce in Manchester, New Hampshire that is has won the GOP nomination and then attach Obama.

 

[Vanilluxe]

What about Rand?

They will do the same to Rand, there will be missing ballots and Rand delegates shut out of conventions, they are already marginalizing Rand for 2016 and promoting Christie, Santorum, Rubio, Jindal, and others who may be on Romney's vp list. Its over, if Americans can't change in 5 years, then I doubt they can change in 10 or 20 years.

 

[69360]

They will do the same to Rand, there will be missing ballots and Rand delegates shut out of conventions, they are already marginalizing Rand for 2016 and promoting Christie, Santorum, Rubio, Jindal, and others who may be on Romney's vp list. Its over, if Americans can't change in 5 years, then I doubt they can change in 10 or 20 years.

Rand is a better speaker than Ron, he's not loathed by msm. Plus, let's face it we are getting better at this. What we've learned so far could put us over the top in 4 years. Yes, 4 years. Romney is going to lose.

 

[1stAmendguy]

What about Rand?

Not on par with Ron but close. Yes, I would support him if he decided to run for president as a republican in 2016. The point I was trying to make is I'm very pessimistic about our chances of ever taking over the GOP. I don't want to be involved with a party that treats our candidate like crap and basically doesn't want our kind participating in their political process. I guess I'm probably just expressing my frustrations above all.

 

[cindy25]

Well hey, we did what we could. It was a Hail Mary play to begin with. On the positive side, Paul will have some of his supporters delegates at the convention, so there can be some influence in the platform. We also got a lot of people involved in a process that they have never been involved in before. And lastly, we learned a lot of lessons about what works and what doesn't work. So when we get our shot at the nomination again in 4 or 8 years, we will be even better prepared.

better prepared but without Ron.

assuming Romney loses, 2016 is wide open. but Rubio or Jeb or Mendel or Santorum will be a factor

but Rand will have one eye on keeping his senate seat, and one eye on running for president

the Paul message is the right one, but the venue (GOP) is impossible.

 

[Vanilluxe]

Rand is a better speaker than Ron, he's not loathed by msm. Plus, let's face it we are getting better at this. What we've learned so far could put us over the top in 4 years. Yes, 4 years. Romney is going to lose.

The media has already crowned a candidate in the next four years by saying "Every candidate that came in second in a election will win the next nomination in four years." implying Santorum might win, or "If Romney loses the vice presidential candidate will have a chance in the next nomination." I highly doubt Rand Paul will be Romney's vice president and if you heard recently, Rand Paul is starting to have some blackouts and I know a lot Ron Paul supporters will give up politics and some may move away after the election leaving Rand Paul to start scratch from 2007 just like his dad.

 

[Keith and stuff]

Not on par with Ron but close. Yes, I would support him if he decided to run for president as a republican in 2016. The point I was trying to make is I'm very pessimistic about our chances of ever taking over the GOP. I don't want to be involved with a party that treats our candidate like crap and basically doesn't want our kind participating in their political process. I guess I'm probably just expressing my frustrations above all.

Nationally, liberty will not take over the GOP. Even if it does, it will be very short lived. Look at the most liberty candidate at one time. Remember Goldwater (I don't?) Look at the people that came after him. Goldwater was in the 1960s and it took all of the way into well, still a liberty candidate hasn't come close to winning the GOP Primary or even being 2nd place. That's correct, nationally, 1 time in the history of the GOP a somewhat pro-liberty candidate won the GOP Presidential Primary. If Goldwater were around today, my guess is, he would be about as pro-liberty as Sen. Mike Lee. Maybe he would be closer to Jim DeMint.

I have hope for liberty in the GOP in selected counties in selected states. Maybe, just maybe even in the state of NH as a whole, but nationally? I predict a close to 0% chance.

Edit: BTW, I am not suggesting people give up on the GOP. I'm going to stick with the GOP as I think the chances are still better than the Democratic Party. Who knows, maybe a successful, pro-liberty 3rd party will come around. Until then, I'll be with the GOP and a ton of causes and groups.

 

[cindy25]

Rand will face a tough senate primary in 2016; I don't see how he can manage that, and spend time in Iowa and NH

 

[floridasun1983]

We have to face the music, folks. The only reason this is Mitt Romney instead of Ron Paul declaring victory tonight is because of the total incompetence of the campaign. I know there are campaign apologist here who will offer every excuse and attempt to obfuscate the facts, but it is what it is.

The beginning of the end was Iowa, where the campaign utterly failed to anticipate and counter the "racist news letters" that everybody and his brother knew they were going to throw at us. Despite the setback in Iowa and the Hunstman false flag ordeal, the good folks of New Hampshire delivered a strong showing for us. The campaign followed this up with an utterly baffling toe-dipping in South Carolina, then ignored Florida totally, supposedly to win Nevada. That too did not happen, and they rode the "delegate strategy" meme as far as it could take them, which by my reckoning is tonight.

The total lack of effort to seize on the momentum of Santorum dropping out to attack Romney is inexcusable. The campaigns lack of willingness to quit with the rockstar peprallies is infuriating. This campaign has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory so many times its just plain sad.

Well, now its on to 2016 with the next generation, whoever that may be. I don't believe Rand has an automatic lock on it.

 

[Keith and stuff]

...leaving Rand Paul to start scratch from 2007 just like his dad.

With the successful campaign team in NH still around, C4L still around and YAL still around, Rand Paul won't start from scratch. Still, he will still be a relative newbie on electoral politics and the national scene in 2016 so he won't have a great chance of winning the GOP Primary.

Rand will face a tough senate primary in 2016; I don't see how he can manage that, and spend time in Iowa and NH

He won't. He will either run for the US Senate or the US President. I think he will win his seat again if he runs in 2016. It will also prove that he isn't a one hit wonder. It will prove that he can win, even when the Tea Party isn't at the height of its power.

 

[liveandletlive]

What now guys? What is the next step for the campaign? Are they serious going to push on forward without dropping out. I know they are not in debt, but they cant expect meaningful donations now...

 

[MozoVote]

I see the campaign shifting from winning the nomination, to fighting to remain a vocal and relevant minority in the party. Keep people motivated as they approach the state conventions, etc.

In 2008, Paul himself at one stage: "Winning in the conventional sense is no longer possible".

So, I'm not entertaining brokered convention scenarios any further. This is not about getting to 1144 any more.

 

[The Northbreather]

I declare Ron Paul my president.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

I'm fin to be a delegate here in Mich no matter what at the conventions taking place. Lot's are lined up tho, but I think we can perservere.

 

[Ivash]

We have to face the music, folks. The only reason this is Mitt Romney instead of Ron Paul declaring victory tonight is because of the total incompetence of the campaign. I know there are campaign apologist here who will offer every excuse and attempt to obfuscate the facts, but it is what it is.

The beginning of the end was Iowa, where the campaign utterly failed to anticipate and counter the "racist news letters" that everybody and his brother knew they were going to throw at us. Despite the setback in Iowa and the Hunstman false flag ordeal, the good folks of New Hampshire delivered a strong showing for us. The campaign followed this up with an utterly baffling toe-dipping in South Carolina, then ignored Florida totally, supposedly to win Nevada. That too did not happen, and they rode the "delegate strategy" meme as far as it could take them, which by my reckoning is tonight.

The total lack of effort to seize on the momentum of Santorum dropping out to attack Romney is inexcusable. The campaigns lack of willingness to quit with the rockstar peprallies is infuriating. This campaign has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory so many times its just plain sad.

Well, now its on to 2016 with the next generation, whoever that may be. I don't believe Rand has an automatic lock on it.

I'm going to have to defend Paul's campaign here. Romney had a lot of advantages going into this election- far more than Paul did. He was well known, rich, already marked down as electable and not-dangerous for Republican Congressional and Senatorial chances (unlike Santorum, Newt, and, yes, Paul) by both the media and the GOP establishment, and, well, the fact is that a lot of people simply aren't libertarians. Some don't know what libertarianism is, some misunderstand it, and some simply don't agree with its message. There wasn't much Paul could do about most of those things.

 

[McChronagle]

Are we really getting worked up over a commercial? Yeah it could probably be a little more effective but you people are acting like Ron's rolling in the dough and can run a meticulously perfected campaign that can turn on a dime. Were getting upset over a commercial here. Don't you think that'st just a bit too nit picky considering what has been accomplished so far? The party is being changed from within. Not from a 30 second tv commercial. Excuse my bluntness, but get over it.

 

[MozoVote]

Paul's campaign in Iowa was head and shoulders beyond what he had in 2008. The mainsteam media was openly speculating that he could win it, just before the Santorum bubble arrived. It certainly paid off in the county and district level organization there, and will make that state convention VERY interesting.

I could nitpick the strategy afterward, but what's done is done. We need to make the best of what we have put together and press for changes at the local levels.

 

[Paulistinian]

Has Ron made a statement tonight?

 

[RonRules]

Exposing the election fraud is to only way to have a chance at winning now.

If you don't personally believe it. Fine. Have a statistician or Poli-Sci prof look at the vote flipping case. They will see there is something seriously wrong.

Hopefully you'll be convinced and act accordingly.