Ron Paul’s forces pulled off “a bloodless coup” in Minnesota, as one observer put it, winning 12 of 13 Republican National Convention delegate slots in St. Cloud.
But what’s the point, given that the Texas congressman has effectively ended his campaign for lack of funds to carry on in the states yet to hold GOP primaries?
The campaign is more than the 2012 presidential election, Representative Paul told supporters this past week.
“It is about the campaign for Liberty, which has taken a tremendous leap forward in this election and will continue to grow stronger in the future until we finally win,” he said in a website posting.
And how does he intend to do that?
“Our campaign will continue to work in the state convention process,” Paul said. “We will continue to take leadership positions, win delegates, and carry a strong message to the Republican National Convention that Liberty is the way of the future.”
That’s exactly what happened in Minnesota on Saturday.
“The Paul crowd pulled off a bloodless coup,” the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. “Unlike other states where brawls broke out between Paul fans and Romney supporters, the Minnesota convention was a relatively civil affair. There were no fistfights or shouting matches on the convention floor.”
In a nutshell, that sums up what Paul needs to do as the Republican Party works its way toward the nominating convention in August: Keep supporters of his “revolution” revved up, laying the groundwork for what he hopes will be a prominent role in Tampa, Fla., while not coming across as a political curmudgeon trying to undermine the candidacy of presumed front-runner Mitt Romney (with whom, it’s been reported, he has a good personal relationship).
Sometimes he’s had a hard time reining in his boisterous supporters.
A week ago, Paul supporters booed Josh Romney (Mr. Romney’s son) off the stage at the Arizona Republican Party convention. At the recent Oklahoma GOP convention, Paul enthusiasts booed Gov. Mary Fallin and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as they spoke on behalf of Romney.