Video: Ron Paul pretty excited about losing Pennsylvania by 57 points
posted at 1:25 pm on April 26, 2008 by Allahpundit
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What’s that you say? You thought the rEVOLution was over? Alas, no: It won’t really be over until we’re back on the gold standard, the last monk in Tibet is in jail, and we’re all living on libertarian kibbutzes. Until then, “the campaign is alive and well.” Would he be running radio ads if it wasn’t?
Seriously, it’s not encouraging that Maverick can’t break 75% in a battleground state when he’s already got the nomination locked up. That’s a lot of protest votes, especially with Paul still being coy about a third-party run. The Politico piece makes it sound like his campaign wants some kind of role at the convention as the price for not being a thorn in McCain’s side in November. Is McCain, the Iraq stalwart, really going to agree to that? Can he afford not to?
Exit question exhortation: Order yours today!
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The Audacity of a Dope.
Akzed on April 26, 2008 at 1:36 PM
If Ron Paul runs, I’m voting for him. I can’t stand any of the other candidates. McCain’s legacy is going to be that of the most racist candidate in history. . . he’s going to be labeled that by the NAACP by the end of the campaign, and I’m going to agree with them.
He threw us under the bus. Now the NAACP is attacking the NC GOP for having a NON-RACIAL ad. He’s never had to deal with the NAACP. . . and you can’t ‘prove’ that you aren’t racist. You can rebuild the entire 9th ward with your own hands, you can say you were wrong about the MLK Jr. Holiday, you can tell South Carolina to ignore their heritage by removing the Confederate Flag. But it doesn’t matter to the NAACP dude. As long as you are white and in the way of a black man’s progress, you are a racist.
I’m going to enjoy watching this idiot who has never ever in his life had to deal with accusations of racism from the NAACP try to work his way out of this one. This is going to be my favorite part of the campaign.
Hey Johnny Boy, the NAACP says your racist (within 6 months they will). . . and I AGREE with them.
ThackerAgency on April 26, 2008 at 1:37 PM
There’s nothing wrong with Ron Paul’s desire to rein in the government. It’s just that he adopted the rhetoric of the anti-American left and the ideas of some conspiracy theorists. It’s regrettable. This would be a great year for the Libertarian party to run a credible candidate. Perhaps Bob Barr will come across as more sympathetic to the idea of American exceptionalism and the principles that founded this country.
NNtrancer on April 26, 2008 at 1:38 PM
BANNED.
Allahpundit on April 26, 2008 at 1:39 PM
I’d vote for him for Gandfather in Chief. I can’t get over how cute he is. (sighs).
VolMagic on April 26, 2008 at 1:42 PM
I agree that Paul is trying to weasel himself into a speech at the convention. I don’t see how he has any cred in trying to get one though…his showing is very poor, and a Third Party Paul wouldn’t be much of a thorn. He’d be spending most of his time retconning himself with Clintonesque spin (”Well, I said I was sure I had no intention, but that doesn’t mean I ruled it out, and never mind about my newsletters and mumble mumble mumble EMPIRE!”). I doubt he’d even be able to meet a support threshold to be invited to a debate.
JohnTant on April 26, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Can the GOP delegates pick someone else when the convention rolls around?
thekingtut on April 26, 2008 at 1:46 PM
It’d be great television, though.
Allahpundit on April 26, 2008 at 1:48 PM
I was thinking that same thing. What would happen if the delegates drafted someone other than McCain?
O! M! G! lol (dude!)
Nah, it won’t happen.
rockhauler on April 26, 2008 at 1:54 PM
sheeeeeeeeeeeeep!!11
Ortzinator on April 26, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Prediction: The Neck Tie is the Top Hat of the 2020s.
ronsfi on April 26, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Ron Paul? My head hurts sooooo bad….arrrgh!
MNDavenotPC on April 26, 2008 at 1:59 PM
I regret voting for Fred. I should have voted for Ron. He is kooky, but I am starting to love Grandpa Paul.
USBB on April 26, 2008 at 2:06 PM
All this Ron Paul love? I really don’t see it as a big deal that Johnny Mac didn’t break 75%, everyone knows that he has it locked up, most people just don’t care to vote, except for the Ron Paul nutbars who are mostly troubled, and it seems like they aren’t too good at math either.
I loved that at the end of his speech everything rhymed though.
I think you mean crazy uncle Paul.
Canerican on April 26, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Kibbutzim.
Alex K on April 26, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Really?!
Akzed on April 26, 2008 at 2:21 PM
down with Paul! up with McCain!
down with dissent! up with the establishment!
fight for the powers that be!
by the way, i was being sarcastic
(well, duh)
RMC1618 on April 26, 2008 at 2:29 PM
It would be fun to watch him get booed by an entire convention center.
its vintage duh on April 26, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Strange statement coming from someone who now says he’ll vote for a candidate backed by the American Nazi Party.
Can you say “Hypocracy”?
Kowboy on April 26, 2008 at 2:35 PM
That doesn’t mean that Paul wants to kill all Jews or invade Poland.
aengus on April 26, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Any lunatic who even considers casting a vote for Paul, isn’t a responsible adult in the first place.
Therefore, they are not going to be a real Republican. Let Loony Toon run 3rd party and have his cartoon characters vote for him, it’s meaningless.
NoDonkey on April 26, 2008 at 2:41 PM
It’s either him or not vote.
They are all terrible. Why don’t we have 20 candidates to pick from in the general election? I’m just glad that the founding fathers didn’t really give the president that much power. If they had power, we’d already have amnesty.
Kowboy. . . that means nothing. You’ll see. McCain will be branded racist for something. If they brand Clinton racist, they can easily brand someone who didn’t vote for MLK day racist. We deal with the NAACP here all the time. There’s nothing you can do about them but agree with them. So I agree with them. . . McCain is a racist. The entire last month of his campaign is going to be McCain trying to prove he isn’t racist. . . but it won’t work.
ThackerAgency on April 26, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Of course he wouldn’t invade Poland. Canada’s much closer.
Kowboy on April 26, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Some type of role at the convention, as in Rickrolls the convention….ha!
Why do you submit us to this abuse? What have we done to deserve this type of treatment, we signup, log on and try to do our best, and this is the thanks we get…you are dissssspicable!
dmann on April 26, 2008 at 2:44 PM
They haven’t said it yet, but since you know they will you’re going to go ahead and agree with them now.
Must be awful to fear a group that much.
Kowboy on April 26, 2008 at 2:49 PM
No, he’ll hire someone to do it.
Just like he wanted to do with al-Qaeda.
Sullivan’s Republican candidate, by the way.
SteveMG on April 26, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Some midgets attribute way too much significance to themselves. Paul and his adherents are propellerheads. Some of their ideas wouldn’t be bad, if they wouldn’t be surrounded by the 90+ % of the other ideas.
Entelechy on April 26, 2008 at 3:01 PM
SteveMG,
McCain has funded an al-Qaeda afilliate. Ditto Clinton.
The Bush State Department has just hit on the brilliant idea of funding the Muslim Brotherhood.
I don’t support Paul but I think he’s the only candidate who if elected wouldn’t supply Muslim terrorist groups with oodles of cash.
aengus on April 26, 2008 at 3:03 PM
RuPaul/”The Body” in ‘12! Yeah baby! Feel the rEVOLution.
It’s not surprising that the PaulNuts/Paultards have given that toilet tissue a 5 star rating.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on April 26, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Let’s see this by way of analogy:
“The Miami Dolphins put in a great effort tonight, even though the lost 100-25 to Cowboys.”
or,
“The New Jersey Devils worked hard and barely took any penalties in a tough loss last night, losing 45-10 to the Boston Bruins.”
Ron Paul and your supporters, fail.
Richard Romano on April 26, 2008 at 3:04 PM
I’ve seen a lot of McCain-derangement around here…but that takes the cake. *rolls eyes*
JetBoy on April 26, 2008 at 3:04 PM
I’m not sure I follow. Paul had a significant opportunity to dissent. He made his case and the Republican Party made its decision and rejected him. Bummer, but that’s the way it goes and the Ronulans are not the first group in the history of the world to have their candidate lose a party nomination. I don’t see anything to justify a sarcastic “down with dissent” criticism. If he’s trying to get a convention speaking slot, he’ll have to do a lot better than he did in the primary. Romney and Huckabee have a more credible claim to a convention role than Paul does, because they have demonstrably more support. It’s not establishment to realize that.
JohnTant on April 26, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Hmmm, who was my last choice for the GOP nomination? A guy who I couldn’t vote for dog catcher. It wasn’t Paul or even Huckabee. Who could it be?
Valiant on April 26, 2008 at 3:30 PM
I would consider voting for Paul in the general. Not gonna vote democrat, and dont really want to vote for McCain.
muyoso on April 26, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Umm…wow. Let me guess, McCain became racist the moment he decided to run for office and possibly depriving America of a black president?
Get out.
Grafted on April 26, 2008 at 3:39 PM
What is this, LGF? Tell me you’re joking.
lowandslow on April 26, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Paul is appealing to conservatives because he is absolutely GREAT on many things, he’s honest, and consistent. But he’s a nutjob on social issues and a moron on foreign policy.
That is why Paul’s strengths far outweigh McCain’s one strength (foreign policy rhetoric) which many either don’t trust McCain on even that issue, or think that most POTUS’s will fall in line with what they need to do on those issues (even Hillary) when they get there. In other words most think they will all do close to the same disastrous job in that area.
Oh yea, open-borders, tax-spend, anti-gun, conservative-hatin’ McCain is “patriotic”. Almost forgot.
My point is that at least there is something to like about loony Paul and it would be great to see him working hard Right on fiscal issues and such. McCain and the other candidates have made it easy to look to Paul, and you have to really suck hard to achieve that.
nottakingsides on April 26, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Somebody needs to capture this idiot and send him back to the home.
rplat on April 26, 2008 at 4:07 PM
From the summary on Ron Paul’s book on Amazon:
It takes a book about “revolution” (whatever the hell that means) to bring us the revelation the above points are, in fact, true? It’s a good thing I ran across that little tidbit on amazon, otherwise I’d just be a simple, ignorant, bitter, gun-loving xenophobe as opposed to an informed one.
Weebork on April 26, 2008 at 4:11 PM
He’s joking…
JetBoy on April 26, 2008 at 4:11 PM
16% of a big steamy sh-t sammich…
I’d be real proud of that.
We have a party (I say PARTY, not conservatives) supporting McCain, and 16% supporting Herr Doktor?
But he has 100% of the Truther, Neo-Nazi, and Anti-Semite vote so…
Gotta look at the positives.
catmman on April 26, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Jetboy, I’m just telling you what is going to happen to McCain with the NAACP.
McCain called the NC GOP racist for an ad that didn’t have anything to do with race. . . and that was even before he saw it. How did that help us? Well everyone on the left is calling the non-racist ad racist.
McCain has never had to deal with them on anything but the Confederate Flag in South Carolina during the primaries there (and when he voted against MLK day). When he does, he’ll figure it out. We deal with them daily here. I know them. I know how they are. McCain won’t be able to handle it because he is a lightweight.
ThackerAgency on April 26, 2008 at 4:18 PM
16% is a big deal to them??
I don’t get it.
AprilOrit on April 26, 2008 at 4:37 PM
OK, first things first. When, exactly, did McCain call the NC GOP “racist”?
JetBoy on April 26, 2008 at 4:56 PM
Good point. Paul and his campaign have held out the carrot of their supporters in the past, basically saying that McCain needs to throw them a bone. But the reality is that the vast majority of Paul’s supporters won’t vote for McCain under any circumstances anyway, so it makes little sense to try and extort McCain that way.
JohnTant on April 26, 2008 at 4:58 PM
I’m not sure I’d use the word “honest” and Paul in the same sentence.
jp on April 26, 2008 at 5:05 PM
Also…I think you give too much credit to the influence wielded by the NAACP. First, blacks voters are, according to all the polls, 85% voting for Obama. Second, remember when Dubya snubbed the NAACP dinner? Did it hurt him, or the GOP?
The NAACP is, has been said, a wing of the Democratic party anyway. Nothing they do or say will hurt the Republican ticket.
JetBoy on April 26, 2008 at 5:07 PM
I know some NC GOP voters, contemplating voting for Paul as a “protest” vote to GOP and McCain. i.e. making Paul their useful idiot. Problem is I’m not sure the message they think they are sending will be interpreted as anything positive. Too many don’t know everything about Paul, never bothered to learn and just assume he’s an eccentric libertarian.
anyone who panders to Alex Jones, politicize the Constitution, flat out Lie about important issues, call Ronald Reagan a traitor, etc. is unfit for command.
jp on April 26, 2008 at 5:07 PM
media and the dems will attempt to lable Repubs. racist for opposing Obama, and if the moderates buy it we are doomed. but that means anyone running against obama is doomed if too much of the nation are that brain dead and PC.
we must takeover the media.
jp on April 26, 2008 at 5:09 PM
Well, as we’ve seen recently, some Obamites have tried to label the Clintons as racist…so yeah. But, and Thack mentioned that McCain once voted “no” on MLK day as a holiday, it won’t be easy to make any racist stuff stick to McCain.
And I think the voters are tired of the whole racist accusations…especially when they’re baseless.
And no…I don’t want, nor ever expect, a media take-over. I truly want an unbiased media, but then…I’m a dreamer.
JetBoy on April 26, 2008 at 5:17 PM
If Ron Paul runs, I’m voting for him.
BANNED.
Allahpundit on April 26, 2008 at 1:39 PM
ROFLMAO
jerrytbg on April 26, 2008 at 5:22 PM
Speaking of lightweights…..
Kowboy on April 26, 2008 at 5:25 PM
From thehinzsightreport.com :
Sounds like a plan to me.
Kowboy on April 26, 2008 at 5:43 PM
I don’t think the numbers are so indicative as a protest vote as much as people simply didn’t care since McCain already won the nomination. Paul’s high percentage of the vote is because Stormfront’s Stormtroopers are militant little kooks.
Seriously, Paul got more than Huck. If you’re looking for the protest vote, look in the Huck column.
BKennedy on April 26, 2008 at 7:27 PM
Hill and Barry’s cage match made me forgot what sublime fun it was to listen to the GOP’s crazy great uncle and his swooning Paulistinians.
He’s an unorthodox Libertarian, maybe, barely. Conservative Republican? No way. Frankly, the guy makes my skin crawl with his appeal to neofascists, incoherent rants about constitutional purity, isolationism and 19th century economics.
McCain’s a nasty old coot who does things (many of them wrongheaded) his way, but he’s light years better than the Chocolate Messiah or Her Cankleness.
melkor on April 26, 2008 at 7:48 PM
He was an obstreperous obstetician, but he couldn’t deliver one state.
Back to the fishsticks, Dr.P.
profitsbeard on April 26, 2008 at 8:59 PM
We know what the odds are…?
Dude McCain already has enough delegates… wtf..
If this guy retarded or what?
Chakra Hammer on April 26, 2008 at 9:36 PM
It’s amazing to see how many followers this nutbag was able to brainwash. I laugh everytime I see a Ron Paul bumper sticker. Seeing him wearing the commander in chief uniform would be equal to having the late Barney Fife star in his tribute movie that will hopefully be produced soon after the election. If only Don Knotts was still here!
Travis1 on April 27, 2008 at 4:57 PM
If Ron Paul runs 3rd party, McCain is in deep trouble. Perhaps that’s why he’s been running headlong to the left since sewing up the nomination; he’ll replace the motley Ron Paul constituency with independents.
*shrug* Might work, might not. Depends on whether Ellsworth can credibly make an end-run to the center after securing the nomination. At this point, he’s made so many unforced errors and proven Shelby Steele so right that I’m not sure he can, even with McCain trying to clear a path for him every chance he gets. But, if Ellsworth does successfully make it to the center, McCain will collapse under the weight of his lack of electability. A Ron Paul 3rd party candidacy will simply buttress that outcome against October surprises from the McCain campaign.
spmat on April 27, 2008 at 5:10 PM
spmat, I don’t think that a Paul candidacy would spell doom for McCain. Based on Paul’s performances in the primary, namely his inability to win majorities or pluralities of people already disposed to vote for him, I see nothing that tells me he’ll suddenly leap to legitimacy in the general.
Plus, one of the biggest strengths of Paul has been his irrelevancy. Between his kooky newsletter (and non-denial denials), his earmarks, and his kooky voting record, there’s a lot of fodder there for rather pointed MSM questions that he hasn’t had to face yet. The MSM hasn’t bothered much because he is irrelevant. But that can easily change…
JohnTant on April 27, 2008 at 5:26 PM
Suffice it to say that “F*** it, McCain” isn’t the motto of many Ron Paul supporters. And about 75% of the Paul supporters I know would usually be inclined to vote for the Republican nominee, or have in the past. Even if it’s 4%, that could be enough to sink him.
Preemptive retort to the “Hope you enjoy President Obama” people: it’s not my fault that the Republican nominee sucks. Blame the morons who voted for McCain.
Mark Jaquith on April 27, 2008 at 5:56 PM
yeah, this stuff is probably why he won’t run in general as 3rd party and why so many of his non kool-aide drinking supporters will remain clueless about him.
jp on April 27, 2008 at 7:47 PM
Who said anything about legitimacy? Or about Paul winning? Or even pulling double digits in the general? Heck, even breaking 5%?
McCain’s only strength is his ability to win independents. That strength is only a strength when it’s first secured by a loyal (”I support John McCain”) or semi-loyal (”F it.. McCain”) base. Sans a Paul 3rd party run, that semi-loyal base is well-disposed to stay stable as a voting block, and as the election approaches, that base then has the ability to solidify into an actual campaign infrastructure. With Paul as an alternative, the weakest parts of the base are likely to use it as an excuse to leave. I.e., “F it, McCain” to “F You, McCain.”
Essentially, Ron Paul as a 3rd party candidate represents a slit in the hose for a campaign that’s currently desperate to maintain hydraulic pressure. Ellsworth has no such worry; neither does Hillary.
My main point, though, is that the predictive value of the above analysis is predicated on whether or not Ellsworth can credibly make it back to the center after his (current) bush-league performance in the primary. Obama could sink his general candidacy by making it impossible for independents to convince themselves that he’s really just “misunderstood,” which they will want to to do once the media has gotten a hold of them.
George Bush’s win in 2004 was far from decisive. That was against the least electable candidate the Democrats had put up since Dukakis, with Bush enjoying a vibrant and extremely active base donating to and working tirelessly on his behalf. McCain has no such base. McCain doesn’t even have Rush Limbaugh.
Heck, all he has here is folks whose best argument is “If you don’t vote for McCain, you’re responsible for the death and dismemberment of this country.” While that may be true, it’s a pretty crappy campaign strategy.
spmat on April 27, 2008 at 8:07 PM
from recent Politico report hinting Paul might possibly support Ralph NADER
jp on April 27, 2008 at 8:08 PM
It’s not surprising that Paul is doing as well as he is.
Why should McCain supporters go through the hassle of voting. It’s over. Paul supporters on the other hand are still motivated to send the nation a message.
Additionally, many Republican voters have re-registered to vote in the Democratic primary.
MarkTheGreat on April 28, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Ok, but even in states that had open primaries, where anyone could vote, Paul didn’t pull much in the way of those independents. That doesn’t say much to me about Paul’s ability to woo independents away from McCain. Quite honestly, in looking at Paul’s base we’re talking about people who aren’t going to vote at all for anyone else. Expecting McCain to woo them or else is to overestimate the Ronulans importance.
As for McCain’s base, he has enough of one to have won the primary against a fairly decent field. Whether it translates to the general or not is certainly an open question, but that’s a question that does not involve Ron Paul or his blimp.
JohnTant on April 28, 2008 at 8:53 AM
Check this out:
Ron Paul supporters, I agree with you that John McCain does not deserve the Republican nomination. I applaud your efforts to do everything you can within the law to force a brokered convention.
You may want to look into whether or not you can find any evidence of McCain supporters illegally tampering with the results of the Republican primary in Washington state.
Red Pill on April 29, 2008 at 1:17 PM
I am a NC voter and will be voting for Mike Huckabee on Tuesday May 6th.
Red Pill on April 29, 2008 at 1:20 PM
jp still spewing his ignorance…
Hey jp, gold hit $1,000…and is in a nice pullback before the next run…. Ya bettah get sum!
The economy is fine…
The dollar is strong…
Meanwhile, food, oil and gas are skyrocketing…
But hey…at least housing is falling! …erm, wait..that’s not good…
Ron Paul was right and has been for 30 years when it comes to the economy. Anyone with half a brain knows this.
Fed Up
Fed Up on May 2, 2008 at 2:18 PM
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