Ron Paul gears up for the long haul

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is joined on stage with members of his family during his South Carolina presidential primary election night rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Jan., 21, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- In South Carolina's primary contest on Saturday, Ron Paul walked away with fourth place, earning only 13 percent of voter support -- a far cry from winner Newt Gingrich's commanding 40 percent finish.

But don't mistake a last-place finish for a signal that the outspoken Libertarian has any plans to pack it up anytime soon.

"There's no doubt in my mind the momentum has been continuing and will continue," an exuberant Paul said in his remarks following the primary. "This is the beginning of a long, hard climb."

"We will continue to do this," the Texas lawmaker pledged. "There is no doubt about it. The message of liberty is being received more people every single day, thanks to your efforts."

Full South Carolina primary results
South Carolina exit poll
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Complete primary and caucus results

His advisers have even been touting a Gingrich victory as a win for Paul.

"The fact that Newt Gingrich could challenge Mitt Romney shows us it's a wide-open race," said Paul adviser Doug Wead in an interview with MSNBC before the race was called. "There's still going to be money pumped into both of those campaigns -- that's very good for us."

Unlike many presidential campaigns - including most if not all of his current rivals for the Republican nomination - the Paul team's strategy eschews the power of popular momentum, counting instead on a long-term mathematical calculation grounded in picking up delegates in nominating contests across the country.

As of now, there are 2,286 total delegates in the Republican primary process. A candidate needs to win 1,144 delegates to earn the nomination, and states award delegates three ways: a winner-takes-all system, in which the primary winner snaps up all of the state's delegates; a proportional allocation, in which a candidate gets delegates proportionately to the percentage he or she won in the primary at hand; and a non-binding system, where no delegates are awarded on primary night but rather allocated by delegates down the road.

Paul says his strategy is to determine where he has the best opportunities to pick up delegates (generally in states with proportional representation and caucuses) and selectively invest his resources. Even in the near-certainty that he doesn't get enough delegates to secure the nomination, it's possible he could get enough to prevent someone else from doing so -- giving him, and his message, a chance to exert real influence at the Republican convention this summer.

In other words, Paul says he's in this thing until the bitter end.

"We will be going to the caucus... states and we will be promoting the whole idea of getting more delegates, because that's the name of the game," Paul told supporters Saturday.

"I have been in this business of promoting this cause in the electoral process for a long time. At the beginning, I thought it was just going to be promotion of a cause. Then it dawned on me, if you win elections and win delegates, that's the way you promote a cause," he added.

The strategy, of course, only works if a candidate is able to get voters to turn out to vote even barring significant national momentum. That's where Paul's unique political status gives him an advantage: the longtime Texas lawmaker has a fervent, committed base of supporters. They turn out in high numbers, they donate money, and often, they say they'll vote for Paul or no one at all.

According to Paul's campaign, the candidate is already looking ahead to several contests in February where they think he has a shot of picking up delegates. Effectively skipping Florida, which has an all-or-nothing allocation system, he'll instead try to get a head start in states more favorable to his electoral interests.

"We've got four early-caucus states coming up next month. Colorado, which is a caucus-convention hybrid, Minnesota, Maine, and of course Nevada," said Paul's campaign chairman, Jesse Benton. "We've had field operations there with multiple employees, IDing voters, doing voter outreach, knocking on doors, working the phones and building coalitions, and we plan to compete and win in those caucuses."

Another element that could enable Paul to execute this strategy is the organized nature of his campaign's operation. Like Romney, the candidate has the internal structure and funding necessary to carry out campaigns on the ground in several states at a time. Benton said Thursday the campaign has about $2 million in cash on hand, and "we raise $100,000 a day." The campaign is already airing ads in Nevada and Minnesota.

"There are two campaigns with real downstream organizations in the delegate-rich states moving to Super Tuesday and beyond -- and that's Ron Paul and Mitt Romney," Benton said, referring to March 6, when ten states hold elections.

Where does Mitt Romney go from here?
How Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary
What do South Carolina voters want?

Few people think Paul will end up with the nomination, but some Republicans worry that a long fight for it could hurt the party's chances in the general election against President Obama.

Benton was quick to dismiss the notion that Paul's continued candidacy would prove damaging to the GOP. He also emphasized that the candidate was not considering running under a third-party candidacy barring "some sort of financially catastrophic event in this country." 

Conversely, Paul's supporters say, his staying in the race will give voice to what they perceive as a marginalized political view that deserves more attention from the Republican establishment.

"It'll make us better," Benton said. "By making people compete; by getting people engaged in the process, getting involved in the party; bringing new people into the party - young people, independents, people that were disaffected before; getting them involved showing them that they can have a voice."

The open question is exactly how many people will engage -- and whether it will be enough to bring Paul the leverage he wants.

Regardless, South Carolina is one state where the candidate's appeal to young people is palpable. At an event in North Charleston Friday morning, the modest crowd was heavy with young, fervent supporters. Even at Stephen Colbert's farcical rally with Herman Cain, which was held on the campus of the College of Charleston the same day, Paul fans abounded.

Kelsey Sears, Sarah Proctor and Toogie Clyburn, three sophomore women who attend the college, had recently seen the candidate at an on-campus appearance.

"He's super big on freedom of every single aspect, and that really struck me," said Sears.

"I know this is so stupid, but he's so cute!" giggled Proctor, while her friends, laughing, affirmed her assessment.

Twenty-year-old Miles Young, meanwhile, who lives in Charleston but doesn't go to the college, said Paul was the only candidate he trusted.

"Any situation where the government's telling me what to do is a bad situation," said Young, a slim, tattooed young man wearing a green watchcap.

Young, many of Paul's fans at that morning's rally said that if Paul wasn't on the ballot next November he wouldn't vote at all.

"There's no one worth voting for," he said.

28 Photos

Ron Paul on the campaign trail

[SJKM8]

Also, the primary system needs a drastic change. Most states don't even get a say! The primary votes need to be taken all at once a few months before the election. No state should be considered more important than another.

[SJKM8]

Reasons to vote Ron Paul-

1. He is most suited to be commander in chief, as he is the only candidate with military experience.
2. He will reunite our soldiers with their families and discontinue this war that should have been over once we got Hussein and Bin Ladin taken out.
3. He cares about this country.
4. He is one of the few politicians we can trust.
5. He will stop wasting our tax dollars on pointless programs.

Ron Paul 2012! Don't give up! :)

[Tom_Tebow]

I've given it a lot of thought, and I was wrong, and I want to join the 70-80% of primary voters who voted against Dr. Ron Paul. They are 100% right, someone who was married with two children and went when he was drafted would make a terrible Commander and Chief. What we need is a chicken-hawk who never served a day as our Commander and Chief. The logic is clear, a chicken-hawk Commander and Chief would hastily start an undeclared war with Iran, and that would be a good thing. I know, we won't find any nukes in Iran, just like we didn't find any WMDs in Iraq, but that's a good thing... Going to war, and not finding any WMDs makes us safer, and the blowback ensures that future generations will have plenty of wars to fight too. Being lied to about why we went to war is also a good thing... I mean that's why we elect politicians, to make these kind of complex decisions for us, as we the people really shouldn't have any say in these matters as we're just not smart enough to understand exactly why we're at war. As an added bonus we'll have tens of thousands of additional wounded, and thousands of additional casualties, and trillions of dollars of additional debt, and these are all good things. Don't worry if our troops support Dr. Paul, as it's not important what they think, and we shouldn't actually listen to them. I mean they signed up, so they should have no say in anything relating to the military... I mean the chicken-hawks own our soldiers... If we just think of our soldiers as numbers and not people, it will make everything easier, as their all expendable that way... I mean the whole purpose of our soldiers is to fight and die in undeclared wars where we find no WMDs, and they'll like it that way... Listen, if it makes us feel better, we can put yellow ribbons on our cars, and have small welcome home celebrations for the soldiers who do make it back alive, but let's not get carried away and actually start listening to them... I mean they need to be good little soldiers, and we all need to be good little soldiers and do what the chicken-hawks tell us, or we're un-American. Well, now that I've joined the 80%, I sure feel a lot better... No more having to think about these complex issues, I'll just turn on the TV, and let the status quo politicians handle all of these complex decisions for me... I mean, trusting the status quo politicians has worked out great for us so far... Oh great, the TV is telling me that going with the 80% was the choice I that was supposed to make, so I'm feeling a lot better... I'm also feeling much more Christian now.

[SJKM8]

The beginning of this comment scared me until I realized you were being sarcastic. :) As an army wife, I totally agree with you. Time to stop policing the world and wasting money and lives, and focus on protecting our own country! The other politicians in this race barely ever answer a debate question directly, Ron Paul does every time!

[ReduceGHGs]

ron paul stills packs too many problems! From essentially being a climate change denier to his backdoor Trickle Down advocacy. The science well established. We are warming the planet and the consequences are not good. And the evidence is in for the Trickle Down. Tax breaks for the wealthy and deregulation DO NOT translate into long-term prosperity for the citizens. NONE of the republicons are what we need. I'll stick with the Progressive in the White House. Lets send most of the flea bagger obstructionists home so Obama can get more of his agenda passed!

[morrisdev]

The biggest problem with RP and his supporters is their inability to recognized that this nation's leader must compromise.

Even if they could actually do this, they still would NEVER get the GOP nomination, simply because their hatred for "communism" is being abused by the GOP.

However, if they stepped back from the rhetoric, they'd see that the concept of a fair playing-field is exactly what the younger liberals want. The idea that government should stay out of our bedrooms and churches is what they want. The idea that government has lent massive support to large businesses, while blaming small businesses is exactly what the younger liberals believe (and rightly so).

Yes, younger liberals believe horrible thinks like, that we need to have medicare and social security. Many younger liberals have probably been in college and discovered that their healthcare vanished and they actually had to go to an ER for an ear-ache or some other emergency, and discover that they'd get help and medicaid would cover the costs.

However, if Ron Paul told his supporters.... "Let's set some minimal decencies of living. Let's allow basic care, basic insurance, just enough to allow a person to fail and then get back up again. Just enough to ensure that the child of a drug addict doesn't end up in the streets."

If he did that, then 99.99999999999% of his other ideology would be fine. I'd fight against the unions if the power of the massive corporations was reduced. I'd fight against many environmental regulations if the government support of the worst polluters was removed. I'd stand next to Ron Paul and say, make machine guns legal, just enforce accountability.

I'd stand next to Ron Paul's ideology, but would a pro-life evangelical? Would an international trader who leverages government subsidies? Would Walmart? Would corporations who receive massive tax breaks (like my own) stand with him? Would the anti-gay marriage people stand with him? Would the money coming from the world of military contracts sit idly by and allow this?

Seriously.

Ron Paul is old and is attached to some concepts that are just too old and unrealistic, but the ideology and theory is quite sound. The only problem is that his supporters believe the nonsense coming from the right wing politicians about liberals. Many of his supporters are just a bunch of losers who are too embarrassed that they helped elect the GOP administration that spent 8 years in office and almost destroyed our entire nation.

Those people aren't real libertarians. The real RP supporters, of which I believe are about 20%, often don't realize that we have public schools, public roads, public water, public sewage, public transportation, etc... etc.. etc... That for all their failures, these services only exist because, like democracy, it is the absolute worst form of providing service, except for everything else.

What I do know, is it is much easier to look around and say, "Wow, you know, there are a lot of good services out there." Than it is to say, "You know, maybe I don't care if 2 dudes get a piece of paper that says 'Marrriage Certificate' on it" or "Maybe I don't care if someone is able to to a pharmacy and get whatever drugs they want".

A liberal can do that. They are willing to remove government controls as long as they are left with some protection from big business and government itself. A republican cannot let go of their insecurity, homophobia, fear of drugs, and desperate need to have religion play a large part in government.

So, RP kids, in the next election, walk over to the DNC office and ask them if they'd be willing to accept libertarian ideology on the middle class and rich if you were be willing to accept public services and protections for the poor.

You'll be surprised. The DNC, regardless of they Fox News hype and the GOP propaganda, is actually just "everyone else". They don't really have any cohesive agenda. The DNC is pretty much led from the bottom up. If 20% of them wanted to be XYZ, then the DNC would turn 20% in that direction.

The RP supporters could EASILY direct them, if only they could compromise. The DNC doesn't need to get together and make some kind of 10 point plan compromise, they are a collection of compromisers by the simple nature of their structure. Nobody "really" leads them. No democrat stands for my values, but most republicans stand AGAINST them, so I'm stuck here.... wishing the RP people could guide my people a bit to the libertarian edge rather than making them fear the RP people and trying to go the other direction.

Who knows. I certainly don't.

[bhuntftl]

Very thoughtfully written. I certainly agree that most of us have a certain level of Libertarian thought in us, whether liberal or conservative. After all, the basic precepts are a very important part of our heritage as Americans. The fact is that it was easy to see the world in what would now be called a libertarian way two hundred years ago. The scope of government was different, the scope of industry and economics was very, very different. People's expectations of government and business were different. People think differently today than they did then in a lot of ways. I get it.

Today it is a conscious choice to become a Libertarian. One must recognize that government has the ability to (as I put it) be everybody's daddy. It can provide us with healthcare, jobs, housing, entertainment and educate us with the proper perspectives on race, religion, culture and interpersonal relationships. It can severely chastise and even punish those who take up ideals anf views that we as a society deem to be dangerous. It can protect us from racism, sexism, homophobia and a whole range of wrong thinking. Of course, as we buy into each of these things, government also becomes more and more intrusive into our lives. Add to this the reality that each of us has different priorities for the role of government. Nobody wants an overbearing government, but he does have one particular area where he wants to see more involvement. For example, you may feel that the government should provide more healthcare. Likewise, someone else feels that the government should do something about unemployment. Another person feels that government should protect the value of his home while still another sees the need for government to preserve the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon. Then, yet another person recognizes that the power of our government can be used to help oppressed children in Sudan or alleviate the horrors of female circumcision in New Guinea. Through compromise and only through compromise can each of these very laudable (for the most part) goals be reached. Of course, each compromise strengthens government; makes it bigger and adds more layers of authority to it until we have, well, what we have today. Once all of these compromises have been made each of the people looks at the whole and realizes that the fix to each of these problems has come at the cost of individual liberty and freedom. The massive army that polices the world can suddenly be turned to arrest American Citizens if they are deemed to be such heinous criminals that due process cannot succeed against them. The bureaucracy that gives you free healthcare and housing and jobs and protects you from discrimination becomes a run away locomotive that takes on a life of its own, far beyond what any single group of people ever thought it might be.

So then the answer is and can only be that we do not compromise at all. We recognize that many things are nice and that if government could provide them, it might be nice, but we prefer our freedom to any of these things. Instead, we will allow government only those powers it absolutely needs in order to maintain a peaceful, safe republic that guarantees us due process of law. Nothing more. No healthcare, no job, no house, no peace of mind in Rowanda.

[fedup12]

Compromise like say congress and the president have been doing.

I think we need a real conservative in the WH. There are things that the president can do to make sure that the lower and middle classes arent the only ones taking the hit.

GOP OR LIB there is no difference at this point. They both like to spend money like water just on different things.

So I take the conservative that is also going to make the fake GOP conservatives tighten up. Ron Paul.

[longtree-2009]

ron paul even if he were to win the nomination has no mass appeal to defeat obama. besides ron paul is just too old which doesn't help him at all.

[CTdrPaulRevolution]

That's ridiculous-- we have had older Presidents then him in the past. He's in fine shape....and just because he may not be the best FLOWERY speaker dosn't mean he dosn't have the best plan for our country (which I know he does & that's what matters!)--- The crazy old guy happens to know what he's talking about more then any of them put together!! ....if people would just stop being such puppets that are talked into voting for whoever the media is promoting!

If people trully want to get back to peace and prosperity in this country which I think they do....they better get smart and vote on the qualities and the plans of the candidate and not who is the best bull **********---- Ron Paul will DO what he says. His plan has never waivered in 20+ years!---He dosn't just talk the talk....the man walks the talk if you know what I mean.....he practices what he preaches!! Visit his website and ck out his record and you will be impressed!

Ron Paul has all the best ideas to put our country back on track-
he could have MEGA MASS APPEAL to defeat Obama if the Republican party and the media WOULD JUST BE FAIR TO HIM AND GET BEHIND HIM!
I'm an Independent democrat leaning person and RON PAUL is the ONLY candidate I want to vote for in this election. I will either vote for Obama or not at all if I don't get RON PAUL !
Ron Paul has alot of appeal to Dems and Independents--- its the Republicans that have to smarten up!! to see he is their best chance of beating Obama.

[CTdrPaulRevolution]

Also heard....Anthony Shaffer--Center for Advanced Defense Studies agrees with Dr.Pauls philosaphy regarding foreign policy....

....notice its called: ADVANCED Defense Studies....

[CTdrPaulRevolution]

Mortarman291SG---- You are the one obviously clueless to the BEST way to keep our military strong. The gentleman for the ADVANCED Defense Studies team ALONG WITH many other people...along with THE MAJORITY OF OUR MILITARY BACK PAUL---more then any other candidate !!! They should know what's going to keep us strong a heck of a lot better then you do!!!! That endorsement says it all right there---You need to stop being so narrow minded. If you took the time to dig a little deeper on Paul's stances rather then just hear a quick sound bite or be influenced by biased commentary against him----you just might find yourself seeing that the old guy makes very good sound sense on how to handle things...

[CTdrPaulRevolution]

CT Democrat here. I voted for Obama last time...but The ONLY person I want to vote for in this election is Dr. Ron Paul. I have really listened to him this time around (I wish I did last election)...& I agree with all you supporters on here--- he is the only man I will vote for. I called and made a comment on C-SPAN I was so disgusted with how blatent the media conspiracy is against him.
I have been in shock over it---they have been blatently not even been acknowleging him on almost every news station---& its so obvious! Jon Stewart's comedy sketch on it was the bomb!! "Rick Santorum is third.......but AFTER WHO?? WHO CAME IN 2nd in New Hampshire??!!!" It's like they did'nt even want to acknowlege it in the media!!! Then John King was going to skip him on the abortion question--until THANK GOD the crowd did'nt ALLOW them to overlook him---I was THRILLED to see that happen. They never give him equal air time--they don't talk about him in the commentaries afterwards.....it's like he does not exsist to them!!!! How can they be doing this? and treating him like this? If that's not communistic I don't know what is !!! Since when am I living in a communist country??... That's how they shape the minds of the masses to their "establishment candidates"...that's the ones that "they" want to see win.......so dose the American people with only seeing and hearing them in sound bytes over and over and over!!!,,,,(and show & talk about Ron Paul as little as possible!!..)
This is sick and EVIL OF THEM!!!and I pray Ron Pauls honest message takes off in this election and makes them all eat their arrogant pompas snyde comments about him.

Ron Paul is not only the smartest man up there with how to get us out of this mess--- his honesty and integrity sticks out like a sore thumb amongst those other phoney, hypicritical clowns! Ron Paul is like a refreshing rose amoungst a sea of weeds !!----- who the heck are all these idiots saying Ron Paul dos'nt have a chance to win!?---maybe the reason he dosn't have a chance is because YOU HAVE A CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIM ITS OBVIOUS !! ---you are stopping at nothing to shape the minds of all Americans against him---laughing at him, ignoring him, being sarcastic-----SHAME ON YOU ALL!!! GOD WILL PUNISH YOU ALL FOR YOUR EVIL !!! ...and Newt blasts the media ---saying he thinks its appauling they opened w/ such a question for him!!! WELL WHAT ABOUT HOW APPAULING THE MEDIA IS BEING TO DR.PAUL ? !!!--- THATS A HECK OF A LOT MORE DISGUSTING---but nobody's talking about that are they!!!

His foreign policy ideas are exactly the kind we need---I agree with him 100%--- all our troops home--build up our military here at home and take care of our OWN borders. Stop all foreign aid money going oversees and feed all our own starving people 1st!! Charity has to begin at home!! We're broke---bring our money home!! Stop policeing the world--butt out and concentrate on our own darn country!!! Make those DEEP cuts in spending Dr. Paul---we know you know the right way to do it and return our country back to libery, peace and prosperity!
ONLY YOU CAN DO IT DR PAUL!!!

Our Military backs Ron Paul more then any of the other candidates put together including Obama!!! What more of an endorsement do you need then that America???---- I ask you ??? Dosn't that say it all right there?? The Military knows who's foreign policy would keep the American people safest----and they are telling you America.....ITS RON PAUL----- Not those other guys the media are stuffing down our faces!!

RON PAUL 2012 ALL THE WAY RON !!!! WE NEED ANOTHER AMERICAN REVOLUTION----- THE RON PAUL REVOLUTION!!!!
TAKE OUR COUTRY BACK FOR US RON ----- WE'RE WITH YOU!!!!!

[seaglo1986]

CT, I knew I was not the only one who has seen the media bias against Ron Paul!! He is a candidate just like the other three, and should be given a fair chance just as they are. There must be a reason he continues to run election after election, and that is because one of these days, Americans will wise up and realize that he is the only candidate who will really change this country for the better. I wish I would have listened to him more closely in the last election as well. :( But now I have decided that if Ron Paul does not will the GOP nomination, I will not be voting for anyone in November!!!!

[Ranbud]

Ron Paul can not win this, at this point all he can do is guarantee a win for Mitt by taking votes from the other three thus causing Mitt to get a higher percentage.

[CTdrPaulRevolution]

Ranbud--- not true ---Ron Paul could win this thing--- It's all about who gets the amount of delegates needed. I have heard Gingrich and Santorum are not even on the ballots in alot of states. I have heard Romney and Paul have the best organizations on the ground and chance for delegates.... Again you are letting what the media is saying to you shape your feelings on the candidates rather then you researching for yourself where all these men stand on the issues. Ron Paul has a huge following in different states. He won't get FL obviously---but there are many he has a good chance with on the delegate count and the caucus states..... Do me a favor and don't just down him aimlessly----keep an open mind regarding Dr. Paul and visit his website and ck into him---- I think you will be quite impressed with what you find out about him....

[MsmCorrupt]

Newt Gingrich did a good job stopping Mitt Romney from gaining momentum. Now, he needs to get back in his cave where he belongs.