Ron Paul’s “Stealth” Delegate Strategy

Similar to James Antle’s piece at The American Spectator earlier this week, Rachel Wiener breaks down Ron Paul’s recent successes at The Washington Post:

Remember Ron Paul?

He has yet to win a primary. All his other fellow long-shots have dropped out (or will by the end of the day). The Republican National Committee is calling former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney the “presumptive nominee.”

Yet at state conventions around the country, Paul supporters are increasing the candidate’s support by taking over state party committees and educating fellow Paul fans in arcane rules.

While at many conventions Romney backers are split between numerous would-be delegates, Paul supporters are showing up in droves and voting with discipline for a delegate slate.

With a plurality of delegates from five states, Paul supporters could nominate him from the convention floor — the goal of at least some Paul supporters…

Here’s the latest on Paul’s strength in state committees and conventions:

At Massachusetts’ state convention less than half of Romney’s 27 chosen delegates won tickets to Tampa. Paul supporters were chosen instead. While all of the state’s delegates are committed to vote for Romney, the delegates get to decide on the party chairman, platform, and VP nominee.

Paul backers in Alaska were elected as party chairman and co-chairman but failed to change the rules to give Paul the state’s 24 delegates. (He will get six.)

Paul supporters are a majority in the Iowa GOP’s State Central Committee…

They dominated the caucuses in Louisiana…

In Minnesota, Paul won 20 of 24 delegates allocated at congressional district conventions, and he’s expected to take more at the statewide convention.

Paul supporters teamed up with backers of former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum in Colorado to get 13 delegates.

The candidate has also picked up small delegate gains in states where Romney won big — for example, five delegates in Pennsylvania and four in Rhode Island.

Attempts to replicate these successes are taking place in other states across the country — for example, the upcoming state convention in Nevada…

When all the various state conventions are over we’ll see how much support he’s gathered — and whether Romney should have paid more attention. 

Read more at Ron Paul-Restore America Now