Ron Paul won't run as third party.

[24champ]

HOUSTON - Presidential hopeful Ron Paul said he will not run as a third-party candidate in a new message to supporters that seems to recognize his slim chances at getting the Republican nomination.

The Texas congressman wrote on his Web site Friday that he is making cuts to his national campaign staff and that he must also stay focused on not losing the primary for his House seat.

Paul began Saturday with just 14 delegates for the Republican nomination that John McCain, with 719 delegates, has all but officially secured. Mitt Romney dropped out of the race Thursday, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 198 delegates. A total of 1,191 delegates are needed to secure the GOP nomination.



"With Romney gone, the chances of a brokered convention are nearly zero," Paul wrote. "But that does not affect my determination to fight on, in every caucus and primary remaining, and at the convention for our ideas, with just as many delegates as I can get."

Paul wrote that while he does not denigrate third parties he is committed to staying a Republican. His campaign supports low taxes and reduced government spending.

Paul's latest entry on his Web site also included a request that supporters not neglect his other "priority," which is making sure that the 10-term congressman remains in office.

"If I were to lose the primary for my congressional seat, all our opponents would react with glee, and pretend it was a rejection of our ideas," Paul wrote. "I cannot and will not let that happen."

Texas holds both presidential and congressional primaries on March 4. Paul is opposed in the Republican congressional primary by Chris Peden, a Friendswood, Texas, city councilman


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23087158/

[TexanBob]

That's too bad. If the election came down to Clinton vs McCain, I'd vote Paul as a third party nominee.

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by TexanBob

That's too bad. If the election came down to Clinton vs McCain, I'd vote Paul as a third party nominee.

I'd even consider that, because the other two options you give are not options. If either of those two were to make it we'd face another fugged up presidency.

[cutthemdown]

paul losing his seat in House would be funny after all the hype. From poster boy to unemployed!!!!

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

paul losing his seat in House would be funny after all the hype. From poster boy to unemployed!!!!

Kucinich is also currently fighting for his political life. Big business is railroading him right out the door. I actually liked "the little guy".


But that is a risk you take when you sidestep your job and campaign for another. It's no different in the business world.

[TheDave]

Why would he? Right now RP is lucky to get 5% of the vote running against a group of extremely flawed Republican Candidates... at some point he needs to stop wasting his supporters money.

[baja]

Originally Posted by TheDave

Why would he? Right now RP is lucky to get 5% of the vote running against a group of extremely flawed Republican Candidates... at some point he needs to stop wasting his supporters money.

I doubt his supporters would agree with you.

[Rohirrim]

So, I'll be left with Obama and McCain? I guess I won't be going out that day.

[mhgaffney]

For once I agree with Rohirrim.

This is bad news. There will be no choice on election day -- none worth making.

The future of our nation looks bleaker than ever.

Here's what we can look forward to: Both parties have an interest in delaying any official admission that America is broke. I've just learned that the pyramid of junk paper is $13 trillion -- and th wave is now beginning to be felt in the bond market.

It is a tsunami like nothing we have ever seen -- certainly not in our lifetimes. This junk debt is 3-4 times the total US Gross National Product (around $ 3-4 trillion).

The powers that be will try to hold off the inevitable through 2008 -- but whoever wins in November will be almost powerless come January -- when the tsunami finally hits full bore.

The front runners are promising to give away money -- which they will have to borrow -- since the nation is broke. If Japan or China or Saudi Arabia refuses -- the next president will then have to print funny money -- and inflation will zooooooom out of control.

On top of this the wars continue. More debts pile up.

And from there it gets worse.....

This is what happens when you undermine democratic institutions with the BIG LIE -- about 9/11 and the war on terrorism -- forced fed to us by the US intellience agencies and the military industrial complex -- which are in cahoots

both of them love war. In fact, from their p[oint of view the more blood the better. (It's good for business.)

[W*GS]

Relying on gaffney for political and/or economic advice is like listening to Lynne Spears on parenting.

[Hogan11]

Paul not running on a third party ticket has just reduced his entire Presidential campaign to a total waste of time. Instead of doing wonders for a third party like the Libertarian Party, he choses to continue to slug it out with Republicans who long ago turned a deaf ear to his "anti-GOP base" ideas.

Thanks for nothing Doc.

[Crushaholic]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

So, I'll be left with Obama and McCain? I guess I won't be going out that day.

I have a funny feeling that the November turnout will be even lower than it usually is...

[Taco John]

Personally, I disagree with your take Hogan. I think Ron Paul has done wonders for the libertarian message, and have made it more relevant by re-awakening the libertarian base, and plugging them into a political party that matters. Just like the neo-cons hijacked the Republican party, the libertarians are poised to make big things happen in the future.

Ron Paul running third party would have been a waste of time

[baja]

Originally Posted by Taco John

Personally, I disagree with your take Hogan. I think Ron Paul has done wonders for the libertarian message, and have made it more relevant by re-awakening the libertarian base, and plugging them into a political party that matters. Just like the neo-cons hijacked the Republican party, the libertarians are poised to make big things happen in the future.

Ron Paul running third party would have been a waste of time

Why?

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by Taco John

Personally, I disagree with your take Hogan. I think Ron Paul has done wonders for the libertarian message, and have made it more relevant by re-awakening the libertarian base, and plugging them into a political party that matters. Just like the neo-cons hijacked the Republican party, the libertarians are poised to make big things happen in the future.

Ron Paul running third party would have been a waste of time

Sorry, but I see little evidence in any "re-awakening" of anything in the Republican Party, much less Libertarian ideas that seem to make the majority of card carring Republicans bristle instantly. The American public has been longing for a viable third party for a very long time and a large percentage of people agree with Libertarian ideas once they're informed about them. The Libertarian Party only lacks a nominee of note to start making a dent and a difference in this "two-party system" we have.....Paul could've been that guy, that catalyst that's needed for that to happen. Instead, he chooses to waste his time and energy on people he's gotten absoluetly nowhere with (whether or not you consider percentages from 2 to 15 as getting anywhere is totally up to you).

He could've made a real difference.....with this decision of his, he's now a bona fide nonentity trying to induce change in a party that is only interested in change in a reactionary sense.

With this decision, Ron Paul has, officially, let us down.

[Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Sorry, but I see little evidence in any "re-awakening" of anything in the Republican Party, much less Libertarian ideas that seem to make the majority of card carring Republicans bristle instantly. The American public has been longing for a viable third party for a very long time and a large percentage of people agree with Libertarian ideas once they're informed about them. The Libertarian Party only lacks a nominee of note to start making a dent and a difference in this "two-party system" we have.....Paul could've been that guy, that catalyst that's needed for that to happen. Instead, he chooses to waste his time and energy on people he's gotten absoluetly nowhere with (whether or not you consider percentages from 2 to 15 as getting anywhere is totally up to you).

He could've made a real difference.....with this decision of his, he's now a bona fide nonentity trying to induce change in a party that is only interested in change in a reactionary sense.

With this decision, Ron Paul has, officially, let us down.

Another interesting fact is that every year more and more people register as independents or unaffiliated. In fact, independents will probably decide this election. At some point, somebody is going to wise up to this and run strictly for that independent vote.

[baja]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Sorry, but I see little evidence in any "re-awakening" of anything in the Republican Party, much less Libertarian ideas that seem to make the majority of card carring Republicans bristle instantly. The American public has been longing for a viable third party for a very long time and a large percentage of people agree with Libertarian ideas once they're informed about them. The Libertarian Party only lacks a nominee of note to start making a dent and a difference in this "two-party system" we have.....Paul could've been that guy, that catalyst that's needed for that to happen. Instead, he chooses to waste his time and energy on people he's gotten absoluetly nowhere with (whether or not you consider percentages from 2 to 15 as getting anywhere is totally up to you).

He could've made a real difference.....with this decision of his, he's now a bona fide nonentity trying to induce change in a party that is only interested in change in a reactionary sense.

With this decision, Ron Paul has, officially, let us down.

I agree, but I thank his for his courage and integrity for what he did do and it was not wasted.

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Sorry, but I see little evidence in any "re-awakening" of anything in the Republican Party, much less Libertarian ideas that seem to make the majority of card carring Republicans bristle instantly.

Well, all I can say coming from the point of view of someone who has been working in the Republican party to help Paul get elected is that I have seen plenty of evidence of a libertarian re-awakening. So you can discount that if you want, but I'm not going to. I'm encouraged by it, and will continue to work. I used to think that third party was the only way to go, but I learned something from the experience. A third party would have been a waste of time, and it would have set us back even further.


For what it's worth, I generally agree with the sentiment below...


Trust Ron Paul's Judgement
Posted by Lew Rockwell at February 9, 2008 08:05 PM

Writes Robert Rehfeldt:"Regarding Ron's latest message: He's doing the right thing by ruling out a third party run, for several reasons. First, there is absolutely no chance for a third party to win in November. The system is rigged against such candidates, and Ron Paul knows this better than we do. He's been down that road before. Trust his judgement. We all knew the odds against him winning the republican nomination were slim, but it was at least within the realm of possibility. As a Republican, he's gotten relatively little media attention, but he has gotten some; that would change to zero as a third party candidate. All his campaign money would have to be spent securing ballot access, leaving none for getting his message out, which is the important thing. There is a real difference between long odds and impossible odds, and as we know, politics is the art of the possible.

"McCain has no chance of beating Billary or Obama in November. We all know this. He will lose in a landslide of Clinton/Dole proportions, no matter what Paul does. If Paul stays out in November, Republicans will be forced to examine why they were defeated so badly. They will have only themselves to blame. BUT-- if Paul runs third party, both the Republicans and the mainstream media will make him the scapegoat for McCain's crushing defeat, the same way Democrats made Ralph Nader their scapegoat for Gore's defeat. We all know that McCain will lose anyway, that Paul will draw nearly as many votes from Democrats as Republicans, but Paul will be blamed just the same. And then his political career wil be over. Just look at all the hostility and hate directed at Nader from most Democrats. Believe me, the Neocons would absolutely love to pin this coming defeat on Ron Paul. They would love to further marginalize him by painting him as another Harold Stassen or Ralph Nader. Ron Paul is doing the smart thing; when Hillary is sworn in, his hands will be clean.

"Think about how far this revolution have come in less than a year. This is being accomplished, this message is getting out, not as a third party candidate, but as a Republican. Remember that."

With this decision, Ron Paul has, officially, let us down.

Only the people who were going to be let down no matter what. People who get discouraged easily aren't much help along the way. It'll be the people who can see the diamond in the lump of coal who will ultimately make the difference.

And it's not over yet. McCain still has to get the delegates. The media wants people to think it's done and over with, but this last weekend proved that a brokered convention is still a possibility. All bets are off if the convention end up being brokered.

[JCMElway]

Hey, if the GOP starts to move away from the Neo-cons and moves closer to the Libertarian platform that would be fine with me. The less the GOP listens to right-wing nutjobs the better.

[Denver Crush]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Sorry, but I see little evidence in any "re-awakening" of anything in the Republican Party, much less Libertarian ideas that seem to make the majority of card carring Republicans bristle instantly. The American public has been longing for a viable third party for a very long time and a large percentage of people agree with Libertarian ideas once they're informed about them. The Libertarian Party only lacks a nominee of note to start making a dent and a difference in this "two-party system" we have.....Paul could've been that guy, that catalyst that's needed for that to happen. Instead, he chooses to waste his time and energy on people he's gotten absoluetly nowhere with (whether or not you consider percentages from 2 to 15 as getting anywhere is totally up to you).

He could've made a real difference.....with this decision of his, he's now a bona fide nonentity trying to induce change in a party that is only interested in change in a reactionary sense.

With this decision, Ron Paul has, officially, let us down.

Yep, I took my Ron Paul signs down today. I gave him quite a bit of money, and for being the top fund raising repuke in the 4th quarter I expected to see some commercials or something. I saw no signs of what my donations were being used for. It was highly disappointing. He would of had my vote.

I caucused for Obama, if Hillary gets the nod, I will write my own name in.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by Denver Crush

Yep, I took my Ron Paul signs down today. I gave him quite a bit of money, and for being the top fund raising repuke in the 4th quarter I expected to see some commercials or something. I saw no signs of what my donations were being used for. It was highly disappointing. He would of had my vote.

I caucused for Obama, if Hillary gets the nod, I will write my own name in.

That is kind of odd. I saw tons of ads for Obama, and a few for Hillary and McCain.
But I can't recall seeing a single TV ad for Ron Paul. Just what is he
doing with all that money?

[rugbythug]

Originally Posted by Denver Crush

Yep, I took my Ron Paul signs down today. I gave him quite a bit of money, and for being the top fund raising repuke in the 4th quarter I expected to see some commercials or something. I saw no signs of what my donations were being used for. It was highly disappointing. He would of had my vote.

I caucused for Obama, if Hillary gets the nod, I will write my own name in.

I heard radio commercials for him.

[rugbythug]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

That is kind of odd. I saw tons of ads for Obama, and a few for Hillary and McCain.
But I can't recall seeing a single TV ad for Ron Paul. Just what is he
doing with all that money?

I didn't know he had that much money I thought he was pretty broke.

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by rugbythug

I heard radio commercials for him.

I did too. On Air America, no less.

All I remember is that he delivered 4000 babies and blah blah blah.

[TheDave]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

That is kind of odd. I saw tons of ads for Obama, and a few for Hillary and McCain.
But I can't recall seeing a single TV ad for Ron Paul. Just what is he
doing with all that money?

I've been asking that question for a long time...