Sound Politics Public Blog: Paul takes Whatcom County

March 17, 2008

Paul takes Whatcom County

In this article from The Bellingham Herald we learn that despite McCains narrow win in the first round of Caucuses, Paul is coming out ahead in delegates at some of the county conventions. Why?

My answer to that question is he inspires people to actually support him whereas McCain inspires no one. McCains support comes from the media telling people he is the nominee. It looks like it will become self fulfilling.

While McCain attempts to take the party further to the left, Paul Supporters seem to be saying, 'Hell No!" WIth more and more Paul delagates moving on to higher rounds across the state and country we can expect to see more libertarian small government state and local GOPs and possible even a respectable national GOP platform.

Posted by tpahl at March 17, 2008 09:16 PM | Email This

Comments

1. I'm sorry that you believe it matters.

Posted by: Hinton on March 18, 2008 01:04 PM

2. Hinton:

You do not beleive the direction of the GOP matters?

Posted by: Lysander on March 18, 2008 05:56 PM

3. Wow, just add 1,170 delegates and this guy could get the nod!

Posted by: AD on March 18, 2008 11:00 PM

4. AD:

You are missing the point which I think I made pretty clear. It is not about who will become the nominee, it is about what direction the party will head despite their chosen nominee.

Posted by: Lysander on March 19, 2008 05:06 AM

5. Lysander, you equate Whatcom county to the party? Apparently the party overall has not decided that the Ron Paul direction is the way they want to head. If the party had decided that Ron Paul would have party nomination and not John McCain, but I would not expect a Ron Paul supporter to understand logic.

Posted by: TrueSoldier on March 19, 2008 06:37 AM

6. Travis: My answer to that question is [Paul] inspires people to actually support him whereas McCain inspires no one.

LOL. Wow. Um, no. It is not that McCain inspires no one, it is that everyone already assumes McCain has won, so there is no point in bothering.

This is OBVIOUSLY what is happening. You won't win people over if you won't acknowledge reality.

Posted by: pudge on March 19, 2008 10:02 AM

7. Pudge:
Are you suggesting that the party platform is not important? Paul supporters understand quite well that McCain has it wrapped up. But they after far more than a failed GOP bid for president, they are after change and to do that you have to work the conventions and change the platform.

You said after the conventions that you thought Pauls support would only decrease in each round. Do you still stand by that statement?

True Soldier:
It sounds like you just want to bash on Paul supporters but I will respond anyways... I understand the party will nominate McCain. What I am saying is the direction the party is headed is not in the direction of McCain. McCain will lose the general (that much is obvious) and after the dust settles we will have a party that does not resemble what McCain represents assuming Paul supporters continue to do as they are doing.

AS for equating Whatcom county to the whole GOP... No I have not done that. I used it as an example of the state GOP. I also linked to an article talking about the same phenomon happening in Missouri. Whatcom and Missouri are just two locales that have had decent articles about this happening. it is being reported on blogs across the country.

Posted by: Lysander on March 19, 2008 09:04 PM

8. Lysander, I will give Paul supporters one thing they dont give up (which is a great quality). With that said I would like to point out that the latest ZOgby poll shows McCain beating Obama 46% to 40% in the Genereal election. Now this may not be due to McCain's campaigning as much as it is to Obama's own problems. I would also like to point out that I really doubt the party is moving towards the direction of Ron Paul. From what I have seen of Paul he is very much the isolationist and that is not where the party is heading. I do agree we need to secure our borders, but we dont need to shut ourselves out from the outside world and that is the message I get from Paul.

Posted by: TrueSoldier on March 20, 2008 05:59 AM

9. True Soldier:
Actually McCain is much closer to an isolationist than Paul. Paul is 100% for free trade and full diplomacy with all nations. McCain supports alot of protectionist policies, embargoes, and favors war over diplomacy in resolving conflict.

Where the party is headed deends on how you define it. My point is if you define it by its platform or party activists then it is most definitly headed in the Paul direction. Is it there yet? No but it appears to have turned around and headed in the right direction.

Posted by: Lysander on March 20, 2008 04:05 PM

10. THIS JUST IN: Ron Paul dropped out of the race a month ago. Maybe you didn't get the memo.

Posted by: Reality Bites on March 20, 2008 05:20 PM

11. Reality Bites:

1. He did not drop out.
2. You are missing the point being made. It is not that Paul will win the nomination, it is that Pauls ideas will win out over McCains in the partys platforms.

Posted by: Lysander on March 20, 2008 08:36 PM

12. Travis: Are you suggesting that the party platform is not important?

No. Nothing I said implies that at all.

You said after the conventions that you thought Pauls support would only decrease in each round.

Show me where I said that.

Posted by: pudge on March 20, 2008 10:13 PM

13. You said in 6 that since McCain won there is no point in attending any of the state level conventions. This is where platform is decided. So it would seem a fairly small leap to assume that you are implying that you think the state platform is not important, no?

As for when you said you thought that Paul support would decrease, I will attempt to look for it but I am not sure how to get to older posts on this page.

Posted by: Lysander on March 21, 2008 05:49 AM

14. comment 11 @ http://soundpolitics.com/archives/010126.html

Pudge says, "I'd say RP's delegate count is as much a maximum as a minimum:"

Posted by: Lysander on March 21, 2008 03:33 PM