No matter how Ron finishes tomorrow...

[FreedomProsperityPeace]

If he ends up in fourth, he won't be far behind third, which means he won't be going amywhere for a while.

What is his path forward? He can't compete in FL without money, and a low finish will mean his money dries up even more. Where can he place above 3rd, much less win, if he can't do it in SC? He will be getting calls from big wigs to drop out and let "conservative" voters coalesce behind Newt.

 

[Matthew Zak]

I'll be discouraged for Ron Paul's chances if he gets worse than 3rd, but my overall attitude about the liberty movement will not change at all. Because I know, as well as you know, that even if Ron Paul wins, freedom must be restored and defended the same. We must continue the exact same fight to wake people up and get local liberty candidates elected. We must continue to pull the GOP in our direction. In the grand scheme of things Ron Paul doesn't mean very much. I hope everyone keeps that in mind.

 

[Back In Black]

The social conservative™ getting beat in a socially conservative state by the candidate who wants to decriminalize drugs and gay marriage does not bode well for the future of his campaign, plain and simple. It will be very damaging.

The brainwashed GOP voters will still throw him a bunch of votes. Hannity and crew are helping him big time. You'll see. He'll maintain a strong third or fourth place for a good amount of time.

 

[rideurlightning]

It would be amazing if, worse comes to worse, we end up with a brokered convention. That would truly be historical.

 

[Ryan_G]

Also remember this is as much a movement as it is a campaign. We have swelled our numbers *tremendously* since 2008. Paul got around 4% in SC in 2008, so anything in the double digits is excellent growth and if we are over 15% it would be absolutely huge. Matthew Zak is exactly right, we are fighting to pull the GOP in our direction.

 

[Sublyminal]

My prediction is this, that after Frothy drops out, Mittens and Paul are going to double team the Grinch and then when there are only two left, they will go back and forth. If Paul wins he will offer Romney VP and if Romney wins he will offer it to RP.

 

[Matthew Zak]

My prediction is this, that after Frothy drops out, Mittens and Paul are going to double team the Grinch and then when there are only two left, they will go back and forth. If Paul wins he will offer Romney VP and if Romney wins he will offer it to RP.

If Romney is in anyway involved with Ron Paul's campaign I will not vote for Ron Paul.

 

[Sublyminal]

If Romney is in anyway involved with Ron Paul's campaign I will not vote for Ron Paul.

I would because Paul seems to be converting Mittens, I think the media may be taking notice of that, by the fact that Mittens isn't attacking Paul and vice-versa. Which explains why they're vetting Mittens so hard right now, We have all seen that Romney is easily influenced. If Paul can drill his ideals into his head, then things may change. I'd vote on a Paul / Romney ticket. However, if it were Romney / Paul I don't know if I could bring myself to do it.

 

[Matthew Zak]

I would because Paul seems to be converting Mittens, I think the media may be taking notice of that, by the fact that Mittens isn't attacking Paul and vice-versa. Which explains why they're vetting Mittens so hard right now, We have all seen that Romney is easily influenced. If Paul can drill his ideals into his head, then things may change. I'd vote on a Paul / Romney ticket. However, if it were Romney / Paul I don't know if I could bring myself to do it.

I don't see how it would be possible for Romney to suddenly become a principled man when money has been his greatest motivation all of his life and he has always been willing to say whatever he thinks it will take to achieve more power. Furthermore, I can't see Ron Paul entrusting or becoming an ally with someone like that.

 

[Feelgood]

What is his path forward? He can't compete in FL without money, and a low finish will mean his money dries up even more. Where can he place above 3rd, much less win, if he can't do it in SC? He will be getting calls from big wigs to drop out and let "conservative" voters coalesce behind Newt.

Well he will get at LEAST 2nd in Virginia. Hoping for 1st.

FL will be proportional, and with Grinch and Frothy having to drop out, Ron will at least get something from Florida.

 

[Sublyminal]

Well he will get at LEAST 2nd in Virginia. Hoping for 1st.

FL will be proportional, and with Grinch and Frothy having to drop out, Ron will at least get something from Florida.

Virginia is WTA at 50%.... So we need Paul to get 51%

 

[Sublyminal]

I don't see how it would be possible for Romney to suddenly become a principled man when money has been his greatest motivation all of his life and he has always been willing to say whatever he thinks it will take to achieve more power. Furthermore, I can't see Ron Paul entrusting or becoming an ally with someone like that.

Perhaps you're right, maybe I'm reading too much into the fact that they're being buddy buddy with each other.

 

[anewvoice]

I don't see how it would be possible for Romney to suddenly become a principled man when money has been his greatest motivation all of his life and he has always been willing to say whatever he thinks it will take to achieve more power. Furthermore, I can't see Ron Paul entrusting or becoming an ally with someone like that.

Of course not, Romney is a chameleon with no convictions, meaning hel'l move his stances to us and be an ally when the time comes. I'mnot saying support him, I'm saying at some point we're going to need to unify the GOP behind Ron Paul and it'll be key to give the new marching orders to the rank n file.

 

[thoughtomator]

Romney is a Goldman sponsored product. He will never endorse Paul or run on a ticket with him, even if he does come to realize personally that Paul is right. It is said that Romney has CFR members on staff.

 

[randomname]

I don't believe the campaign is focusing very hard on Florida because it isn't a proportional state and it is BIG BUCKS to campaign there for a lousy 50 delegates - all of whom go to the winner. It makes sense for the campaign to concentrate resources on western states where they have a better chance of winning. I expect the western states will make newt say bye bye. then it will be a two man race

didn t FL change from winner take all to proportional a couple of weeks ago?

 

[alucard13mmfmj]

romney as VP is bad.. what if Ron Paul gets incapacitated during office? *shrugs*. we dont need romney, but romney needs RP.

 

[JuicyG]

Santorum will drop after this one or next state and endorse Gingrich. Will become a 3 men race at that point.

Let`s hope most of his supporters won`t follow through with the endorsement.

 

[southernsontn]

reading too much into the fact that they're being buddy buddy with each other.

I'm just glad that I'm not the only one who has noticed this, and it's not just Romney either... Santorum has actually made a couple of covertly friendly gestures towards Ron Paul as well. One good Romney/Paul example is when he was talking at the last debate about how every one else on the stage has been in washington so long, and then he corrected himself and mentioned "except for the doctor on the end", and a good Sontorum/Paul moment was when he mentioned something about "of the four candidates on stage two are not conservative enough" (of course both examples are paraphrased), which I took to mean RP was the other acceptable candidate. I have also noticed that on his facebook page, judge Napolitano has posted a "would you vote for Mitt Romney with Ron paul as his running mate" poll several different times. And now I come on here and hear postulations suggesting the same idea... kind of makes me curious. Although I have doubted the possibility that Ron Paul would accept, he's said on several occasions that "winning is a risk you take when running for office", and that his intention is not necessarily to be president, but to change the status quo, and I begin to wonder if he might actually accept the position just for the fact that it would propel him onto a national stage which would only help him to facilitate the change that he seeks...

 

[malkusm]

Ron is the only person that's put any effort into states like Colorado, Washington, and Maine (believe it or not, after Florida, Maine votes on the same day as Nevada). As the votes become more frequent, and more states vote on the same day, Ron can spend more proportional time in states that suit him better, rather than having to spend time in places like South Carolina.

 

[All Ways]

Santorum or Gingrich, the fat hasn't sung yet, but I can hear her backstage warming up for one of them.