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Ron Paul See other Ron Paul Articles Title: Ron Paul Aims to Build on Caucus Groundwork - WSJ.com * The Wall Street Journal * POLITICS * JANUARY 4, 2012 Paul Aims to Build on Caucus Groundwork By DOUGLAS BELKIN DES MOINES, Iowa—After a strong third-place finish here Tuesday night, Ron Paul's presidential campaign is placing its chips on states that hold caucuses instead of primaries, a strategy that could keep him a potent force through the Republican nominating convention in August. A survey of voters showed Mr. Paul benefited from an influx of independent voters, vaulting him to finish third, after Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Mr. Romney beat Mr. Santorum by a razor-thin margin of just eight votes, with each candidate receiving about 25% of the vote, compared with Mr. Paul's 21%. "We are going to keep scoring, like we did tonight," Mr. Paul told supporters late Tuesday after early results trickled in. The 76-year-old, libertarian-leaning Republican's campaign has spent years building networks in other caucus states as well, such as Louisiana, Minnesota and Maine, where a small band of devoted volunteers can exert an outsized influence. Unlike a primary, where residents simply cast their ballots, a caucus is a local gathering where voters openly decide which candidate to support—a format that favorshopefuls with a dedicated and organized following like that of Rep. Paul (R., Texas). If he is able to win a plurality of just five delegations from any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., or the five territories, Mr. Paul can vie for the nomination at the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla. That would allow him a seat at the table when the party decides its platform, giving him leverage to push his antiwar and antitax message. In the Running Jesse Benton, Mr. Paul's campaign manager, said the goal is to win the nomination or force a brokered convention. Short of that, the campaign hopes "to have a sizable chunk of delegates, enough to influence the platform and stop these big-government conservatives," he said. The strategy runs "through the caucus states," he said. Mr. Paul's libertarian message was widely considered on the fringe in 2008, when he earned less than 1% of the delegate count. But the ascent of the tea-party movement has since pushed the Republican Party to the right, and concern about the national debt has made the libertarian fiscal positions Mr. Paul has championed for 20 years much closer to the emotional center of U.S. politics. Mr. Paul has said he would cut a trillion dollars off the top of the federal budget in his first year as president, as well as abolish the federal income tax, Medicare and Social Security. Mr. Benton, who was Mr. Paul's spokesman in 2008, said the campaign wasmore professional than it was four years ago. He said it has a more advanced data system to reach out to donors and a more organized effort in place targeting supporters in critical caucus states. That combination could well deliver five delegations for Mr. Paul. If he wins five delegations, Mr. Paul "will be a force to be reckoned with, because they won't be able to dismiss him as a kook," said David Kozak, a professor of political science at Gannon University in Erie, Pa. "He will be able to demand some concessions, and that will make the turn back to the center that much harder for the nominee." If he doesn't receive concessions, he could walk out of the convention, fracturing the Republican Party, Mr. Kozak said. Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann told high schoolers at an event in Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday that she intends to abolish the existing tax code and put in place a new 'pro-growth' tax code. Photo: AP. Rep. Ron Paul said Tuesday his supporters are responsible for pop star Kelly Clarkson's uptick in album sales after she endorsed the congressman. (Photo: Getty Images) As soon as Mr. Paul cracked the top tier of candidates in Iowa, the possibility of such a scenario prompted party elders to attack. John Bolton, President George W. Bush's ambassador to the United Nations, condemned Mr. Paul's noninterventionist foreign policy. "You cannot live in fantasy land," he said. "The rest of the world is not going to leave us alone, and we need a commander-in-chief who understands that." The Republican presidential candidates followed suit. Newt Gingrich said that, should Mr. Paul win the nomination, he would not vote for Mr. Paul because he is "totally out of the mainstream of every decent American." Jon Huntsman, citing old newsletters published by Mr. Paul containing racist statements, launched a web ad calling him unelectable. Michele Bachmann said that, as president, Mr. Paul would be "dangerous." Criticism has focused on Mr. Paul's isolationist foreign policy, as well as his opposition to the illegality of recreational drug use and prostitution. "A strong finish for Ron Paul in Iowa puts a very bright spotlight on all his policy issues, and that will be a game changer," said Katon Dawson, the former South Carolina Republican Party chairman. Still, Mr. Paul is drawing large crowds, and his strong showing in Iowa means he will leave the state with momentum. Christian Ferry, the deputy campaign manager for John McCain in 2008, said Mr. Paul should be taken seriously by his opponents. "In 2008, after John McCain was the presumptive nominee, we spent a lot of time and effort and money fighting back Ron Paul at the Maine convention and the Nevada convention and lot of other places where delegates get awarded," Mr. Ferry said. "He's even better organized this time." Write to Douglas Belkin at doug.belkin@wsj.com  Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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