COMMENTARY | Ron Paul finished a strong second to longstanding front-runner Mitt Romney in Tuesday's New Hampshire Republican primary. But not all of the 23 percent of primary voters who supported Paul expect him to win the GOP nomination. Romney cemented his front-runner status with a commanding 39 percent of the vote, and his nomination, though not yet certain, now appears likely. But Ron Paul might still win. Here's how. Paul's second-place finish in New Hampshire, combined with his strong third-place showing in the Iowa caucus, establishes him as the Republican candidate offering the sharpest contrast to Romney. New Hampshire State Senator Jim Forsythe confirmed this Tuesday, saying "Dr. Paul is clearly emerging as the alternative to Gov. Romney (and) the alternative to the status quo."
It's the second part of Sen. Forsythe's comment that caught my ear. Paul is more than just the Republicans' runner-up; he's their best alternative to the status quo. And for those of us who think the status quo is irreparably flawed, that makes Paul the primary's only real winner.
Paul and his staff have not yet giving up on winning the GOP nomination. Paul himself told supporters of front-runner Romney, "We're nibbling at his heels." He also claimed his New Hampshire performance consolidated the nomination contest into a two-man race. Still, most experts consider a Paul nomination a long shot.
But that doesn't mean Paul isn't winning anyway. Paul also responded to criticism that his campaign and stances on the issues are dangerous. "I sort of chuckle," Paul told his supporters of the criticism, "because we are dangerous to the status quo."
Therein lies the lasting value of a vote for Paul. Paul's political platform may play best in independent-minded states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, but his politics are capturing the hopes of frustrated lifelong Republicans and young people new to political engagement. Paul's supporters greet him with chants of "End the Fed, end the Fed," and Paul's unconventionally liberal positions on social issues appeal to many young fiscally conservative voters.
So when Paul told his supporters that there is "no way they are going to stop the momentum we have started," perhaps what he really means is not momentum toward the nomination, but rather what Paul calls "the cause of liberty." In other words, a vote for Paul is a vote for a totally unique brand of politics, one that surely threatens politics as usual.
Paul's strong New Hampshire showing might not position him for a third-party run, but it does reposition expectations for evolving intra-party political dynamics and party demographics. To the extent Paul represents the Republicanism of the future, a vote for Paul is a vote for new solutions via new ideas.
Even assuming he loses, a vote for Paul is at least one I, and many other Republicans, can cast with patriotism and pride.
Poster Comment:
From among comments:
America First: What a vote for Paul means is a big FU to the welfare state of "Israel", the Zionists continually marching our country to war against THEIR enemies, and the covetous, manipulative dirtbag bankers on Wallstreet, and in that Jewish banking cartel with a stranglehold on the US economy known as "the Fed." PAUL 2012 for OUR country back!!!
robbie1223 When are we going to wake up to fake wars like Iraq. Our goverment and media with its false and misleading infor caused the IRAQ WAR and 4600 troops died for a misleading lie. THE PRO ZIONIST TANK THINK PNAC WROTE THE IRAQ WAR PLANS AND PEDDLE IT TO A WEAK GOVERMENT AND A SHILL MEDIA. NEVER AGAIN WE WILL BE FOOLED RON PAUL IS THE TRUTH AND IF WE ONLY LISTEN 4600 TROOPS WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY
NobleOne Only the bought and paid for Lame stream media says Romney is leading, last month it was Gingrich, the month before was Cain, and before that it was Perry Ron Paul was cheated out of Iowa....#2 in New Hampshire , all with the dirty tricks The GOP is more interested in naked power grabbing than America , this is clear as glass My vote goes to Ron Paul
amyluvu28 Palmdale, California A vote for anyone but Ron Paul is a vote for Bush 3.0, more Wars, WWIII, more bailouts, a deep depression, NDAA, Patriot Act, Disappearances by an out of control Police State, the destruction of Our Bill of Rights, Gun confiscations, Martial Law, Mass Starvation (S.501), AIPAC Corrupted Congress, More Media Propaganda, $15/gal. gas, the dumbing down of Americans, and more birth defects.
A1 Ron Paul or write-in Nov.!
MichaelG no more wars for israel vote ron paul RON PAUL OR REVOLUTION 2012
Robespierre Minneapolis, Minnesota Wow! What happened to Yahoo's policy of only printing articles that vilify, defame, disparage, libel or otherwise besmirch Ron Paul in some fashion? Did the Yahoo editors take some sort of accountability pledge?