The Liberty Papers

Just about a month ago, Brad Warbiany pretty much decimated the logic of the idea that Ron Paul’s supporters could infiltrate the GOP delegate selection process and steal the nomination for their candidate.

The race went on and yesterday, John McCain secured enough pledged delegates to win the Republican nomination.

Heck, when Ron Paul claimed victory in his Congressional race yesterday, he even talked about representing the good people of TX-14 for years to come.

That, it would seem, was that.

But then I ran across this February 22nd post from the Paul campaign’s own blog:

The nominee is decided at the National Convention, by the delegates chosen from state conventions, from those chosen from district and county conventions. It is tempting to assume the race a “lost cause” and abandon it for simpler pursuits, but there are two very important reasons not to: because the assumption is false, and because the assumption debilitates our movement.

Given poll results, media coverage, and the like, it may be hard to believe that Dr. Paul can still win the nomination. But you must understand that the nomination process is not a fixed procedure governed by the Law of the Primary; the Republican Party is a private organization, free to change its rules at any time. It may not be customary, but it certainly cane be done.

If we turn out for the county conventions as we turned out in the streets, we will decide who goes to the state convention. Likewise, a strong turnout at a state convention gives us the ability not only to elect national delegates but to change the state party rules—to unbind the national delegates, for example. It might be a long shot, but this is no different from two months ago.

A great number of disgusted patriots in the Republican Party will not suffer a nominee who refuses to defend the right to bear arms and to acknowledge the need for a strong border. And deep down, they know that every empire is a setting sun. If we don’t show up at the conventions, we’ll be forgotten. But if we turn out, if we prove where the future of the party lies, other Republicans will first accept and soon believe in us.

And the most ardent of Paul’s supporters seem to think that this is a viable strategy even today. See here, here, here, and here, while some people engage in the wonderful pastime of speculating about someone’s death.

So what’s going on here ? Does the campaign really believe the wacko theory about stealing the nomination or are they just stringing people along for donations ?

Update: According to this Texas newspaper, Paul is still holding on to the delusion that the race for the nomination is still going on:

WASHINGTON — President Bush welcomed John McCain to the White House today and hailed him as “the nominee of the Republican Party.”

But while that Rose Garden victory celebration was going on, Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul — who issued a statement Tuesday night saying he will return to the U.S. House next year — continued a presidential race he now seems to be conceding he cannot win.

“There were 11. Now there are two,” says a posting on Paul’s Web site that shows the crossed-out faces of nine Republican contenders who have dropped out of the presidential race.

In the Tuesday night statement after he won renomination for his U.S. House seat, Paul said, “I have no Democrat opponent in November and will serve another term in Congress where I will continue my battle on behalf of taxpayers.”

“I look forward to representing all of the good people of the 14th district of Texas in Congress in the years to come,” he said.

Despite the comments, Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said Paul “remains in the (presidential) race and will do so as long as his supporters wish it.”

And, apparently, the “supporters” wish it:

“There is a very good chance that John McCain could drop out of the race when enough negative information hits the masses,” a Paul backer said in a Wednesday e-mail. “Ron Paul and his supporters are counting on this. Whether this is realistic or not, only time will tell.”

“McNut didn’t win nothing,” said another Paul supporter in complaining about reports indicating that Paul, in his comment about remaining in the U.S. House, was conceding defeat in the presidential race.

Ugh. Guys, John McCain has been in politics for 28 years. Everybody already knows the negative stuff about him and they’ve made up their mind accordingly. Stop engaging in fantasies and do something that actually helps the fight for freedom.