Campaigning for re-election to Congress down in Texas, Ron Paul admits that the Presidential campaign is basically done for:
AUSTIN (AP) — Acknowledging his imminent failure, maverick Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Saturday that he won’t get back into the race for the White House as an independent candidate once a GOP nominee is solidified.
“I have no plans to do that,” Paul told a small group of reporters before a rally. “I would suspect that if we don’t win, if the trends continue we’re not likely to win, that I will run for Congress.”
The 10-term congressman from Texas has became a fundraising phenomenon, but he lags in the delegate race behind front runner and likely nominee Sen. John McCain. During the campaign, Paul brought in a record $6 million in one day, and $18 million in less than three months, though he still registers in single digits in most polls.
(…)
Later in the day, Paul gave his limited-government stump speech to a crowd of about 4,000 people on the University of Texas at Austin campus.
For longtime supporter Jeff Kantoff, 42, the speech was bittersweet.
He said he was disappointed that the campaign seemed destined for failure, but amazed that so many people had been attracted to Paul’s message. He blamed the media for marginalizing Paul in favor of better-known candidates.
“He’s doing the right thing, he needs to stay in Congress,” Kantoff said. “Hope isn’t in the presidency, it’s in Congress.”
Only if you’re naive enough to place your hope in the hands of politicians.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Doug Mataconis,
Doug has done nothing but undermine Ron Paul every since he as been in the race…. He even lied to his readers at “The Liberty Papers” and affirmed his support for Ron Paul. But in the end as I predicted Doug Mataconis proved himself a liar and stated he would not support Ron Paul.
I would suggest to those who read anything that Doug posts you do so with cation and realize the Doug is just as twisted as the MSM…… Spin, spin, spin.
What Doug has failed to tell his readers is that Ron Paul has not failed….. That’s right liberty lives on in the heart of men and women even brighter then before. In several states we have noticed a win for 3 congressional seats as Ron Paul Republican’s by my count there are 28 more running and it appears 14 of them will have a great opportunity to win. There is one Senate member running who Paul has supported and I know of at least 3 more in the senate.
How does if feel Doug to oppose Ron Paul who was the only person in the race who supported the law of the land? To your own demise you may have swayed a few your way but in the end it will be Ron Paul Republicans who help save our nation.
I suppose you can either join us or continue to write and support your own pessimistic view but in the end you have a choice. What will you choose Doug to support Ron Paul Republican’s or BMW?
February 24th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Darel,
Yep, its all spin.
Ron Paul hasn’t won a single primary. He has fewer delegates than anyone. And nobody in the Republican Party is taking him seriously.
And it’s all my fault.
My masters at the CFR are quite pleased with my work I hear.
February 24th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
CFR be dam***, it’s all ‘below the belt’ comments once again. Funny how some are called unsuccessful bids while others must for their own reasons call it imminent failure. it all depends on how desperate you are to make a candidate look bad. Let’s see how many others are referred to as ‘imminent failures’? oh yeah. NONE
February 24th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Mike Huckabee. 230 delegates. imminent failure
Hillary Clinton 1100 delegates. imminent failure
Ron Paul 45 delegates. imminent failure.
February 24th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
My god. It’s amazing how people rush to idolize “leaders” and not ideas. Paul will fail. Liberty does not have to. I don’t know how much most Paulians know about political science, but from what I’ve seen, the pool of knowledge is shallow.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
America’s real bitch is with CONGRESS not the presidency. A spineless weasely congress has LET Bush get away with the trampling of the constitution and 9 TRILLION debt. In reality congress is the perfect place for someone like Paul. The problem is Paul is surrounded by moral and fiscal zombies merely pushing the party line. Congress MAKES the laws,the president merely enforces them. If you want real change, it won’t come from the presidency. Having said that…GO RON PAUL !