Ron Paul delegates may have found a way to even the odds with abstention
Photo credit: Ron Paul 2012
The 2012 Republican nomination for president is now down to two candidates, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich is expected to suspend his campaign on Tuesday, leaving his campaign over 4 million dollars in debt. The Republican National Committee endorsed Mitt Romney last week, on the very day that the Gingrich campaign started to discuss exiting the race.
Ron Paul supporters will not let this news get them down. In fact, supporters of the 12-term Congressman from Texas have continued to grasp delegate positions in states where, despite the caucus winners, delegates are unbound. There are thirty states where delegates are able to vote for whomever they chose, regardless of primary and caucus results.
The act of abstention is when a participant in a vote is present for the roll call before the vote, but then purposefully casts either a blank vote or marking the ballot incorrectly. In many cases, the abstention of voting may be considered an act of protest. In fact, during the Republican National Convention in 2008, 14 delegates did not vote. These delegates were present during the roll call, but would not vote for any of the candidates at the time. Ron Paul supporters claim this would improve the ratio of votes in Ron Paul's favor. An example of this is explained with no one abstaining (and a tiny voting pool) Mitt Romney would get ten votes while Ron Paul would get five votes. Mitt Romney would win, having obtained the 50% +1 needed to grasp the nomination. With delegates abstaining, this could change drastically. Mitt Romney could get five votes, Ron Paul would maintain his five votes, and five voters would abstain. As long as all the abstentions had participated in the roll call, no one would win the 50% +1 votes needed to become the nominee and on to the next round and a brokered convention.
This was a considered option for Hilary Clinton supporters in the 2008 election and was widely discussed. The question remains will delegates be kicked out of the convention if they abstain from voting.
RNC for Life discusses, state by state, how many delegates are bound and how many are unbound after the primaries, but it has no mention of the Republican state laws regarding abstaining from voting. There are fines of up to $1,000 for "faithless electors" who do not vote as bound, and many are considering this to apply to the Republican National Convention. These are not applicable. An elector is not a delegate. An elector is a member of the Electoral College, voting in the final election.
Many in the Republican Party are "outraged" at this suggestion by Ron Paul supporters. They dislike the concept of these "Ron Paul Republicans" breaking the party's rules to support their candidate. However, Ronald Reagan's campaign considered the exact same option in 1976. Check out this 1976 headline: "Reagan Forces May 'Steal' Ford Votes".
It seems that each delegate must analyze the Republican Party rules in their own state to see if this form of protest voting would cause the delegate to be kicked out of the convention. At least 14 delegates did this in 2008. It seems the Republican race is not over yet.
Ron Paul supporters will not let this news get them down. In fact, supporters of the 12-term Congressman from Texas have continued to grasp delegate positions in states where, despite the caucus winners, delegates are unbound. There are thirty states where delegates are able to vote for whomever they chose, regardless of primary and caucus results.
"The dirty little secret is: At the end of the day, these guys and gals can vote any way they want," said a Republican who has attended national conventions for decades. "Each state has different (laws) on pledged delegates."Ron Paul supporters claim to be dedicated to a movement, not a candidate, and have announced they will support "no one but Paul". They have currently been discussing whether bound delegates may legally abstain from voting in the first round of voting at the Republican convention.
The act of abstention is when a participant in a vote is present for the roll call before the vote, but then purposefully casts either a blank vote or marking the ballot incorrectly. In many cases, the abstention of voting may be considered an act of protest. In fact, during the Republican National Convention in 2008, 14 delegates did not vote. These delegates were present during the roll call, but would not vote for any of the candidates at the time. Ron Paul supporters claim this would improve the ratio of votes in Ron Paul's favor. An example of this is explained with no one abstaining (and a tiny voting pool) Mitt Romney would get ten votes while Ron Paul would get five votes. Mitt Romney would win, having obtained the 50% +1 needed to grasp the nomination. With delegates abstaining, this could change drastically. Mitt Romney could get five votes, Ron Paul would maintain his five votes, and five voters would abstain. As long as all the abstentions had participated in the roll call, no one would win the 50% +1 votes needed to become the nominee and on to the next round and a brokered convention.
This was a considered option for Hilary Clinton supporters in the 2008 election and was widely discussed. The question remains will delegates be kicked out of the convention if they abstain from voting.
RNC for Life discusses, state by state, how many delegates are bound and how many are unbound after the primaries, but it has no mention of the Republican state laws regarding abstaining from voting. There are fines of up to $1,000 for "faithless electors" who do not vote as bound, and many are considering this to apply to the Republican National Convention. These are not applicable. An elector is not a delegate. An elector is a member of the Electoral College, voting in the final election.
Many in the Republican Party are "outraged" at this suggestion by Ron Paul supporters. They dislike the concept of these "Ron Paul Republicans" breaking the party's rules to support their candidate. However, Ronald Reagan's campaign considered the exact same option in 1976. Check out this 1976 headline: "Reagan Forces May 'Steal' Ford Votes".
"In secret strategy sessions, Reagan aides have toyed with the idea of asking delegates to abstain as long as their state laws require them to honor the primary verdicts. This would prevent the President from riding up an early-ballot victory. Then, in subsequent ballots, they could legally switch to Reagan."In fact, Rick Santorum, before suspending his own campaign, had hinted at the fact that he may ask delegates to abstain from voting for Mitt Romney. Gingrich seemed to imply the same thing. Ron Paul supporters and looking into this without any urging from the Ron Paul campaign.
It seems that each delegate must analyze the Republican Party rules in their own state to see if this form of protest voting would cause the delegate to be kicked out of the convention. At least 14 delegates did this in 2008. It seems the Republican race is not over yet.
Breaking News from Western Journalism
Apr 30, 2012 02:48 pm | Doug Book
On
April 25th the Tennessee State Senate voted unanimously to allow
federal and state law enforcement officials full access to the medical
records of the citizens of Tennessee. According to SB 2407, “…state and
federal law enforcement personnel authorized to have… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:47 pm | Thomas Lucente
There
he goes again.
We’ve all grown accustomed to President Barack Obama spending our money
like water but most of the time it is for his communist … I mean liberal
… political agenda of creating a single class —… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:38 pm | Alan P. Halbert
Part
11: Conclusion
Facts and nothing but the facts with documents that have been deemed
forgeries by a credible Law Enforcement Agency of the State of Arizona
A press gaggle had been hastily called on the afternoon of April 26,… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:35 pm | Floyd Brown
Apr 30, 2012 02:34 pm | Cagle Cartoons
Apr 30, 2012 02:33 pm | Breaking News
Barack
Obama opened last night’s White House Correspondents Dinner – an annual
chuckle-fest with D.C. reporters and pop culture celebrities – with a
pair of jokes and a wink about his supposed Hawaii birthplace.
He began with more veiled joke… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:33 pm | Herbert W. Titus and William J. Olson
On
April 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Arizona
v. United States, involving the constitutionality of the State’s effort
to combat illegal immigration. In one sense, it was a rematch between
former Solicitor General Paul Clement,… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:31 pm | Kris Zane
Apr 30, 2012 02:30 pm | Breaking News
(CBS
News) — House Republicans investigating the Fast and Furious scandal
plan to pursue a contempt citation against Attorney General Eric Holder,
senior congressional aides told CBS News.
The resolution will accuse Holder and his Justice Department of
obstructing the… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:30 pm | Floyd Brown
Apr 30, 2012 02:27 pm | Matt Vespa
YES!
It is finally here! A reality television show that pits two of the most
visible and vociferous political grassroots groups against each other
in a battle of epic proportions. Occupy vs. Tea Party is the brainchild
of Mr. Gordon… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:26 pm | Matt Vespa
The
core team at Resistance 44 had a conference call last Wednesday night
to codify their mission statement and their objectives. In other words,
they were preparing for war with the left-wing dependency culture and
it is about time!
1)… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:26 pm | Marita Noon
The
revelation of the EPA’s “philosophy” used in their regulation of oil
and gas companies—“crucify” and “make examples” of, just as the Romans
crucified random citizens in areas they conquered to ensure
obedience—provides proof of what many have known: policy… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 02:25 pm | Kris Zane
Apr 30, 2012 01:57 pm | Kevin Probst
1.
This administration’s sense of entitlement:
Obama has played over 100 rounds of golf since becoming president. He
has taken or sent his family on more vacations than we can count. He
has no concern about the fact that he… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 01:33 pm | Floyd Brown
Apr 30, 2012 01:19 pm | Breaking News
Despite
media fixation on the scream of the week, most Americans remain focused
on the essentials, and their views on them are consistent over time,
even if the Political Class continues to ignore them.
Take the auto bailouts. They’ve been… Continue to Post
Apr 30, 2012 12:33 pm | Floyd Brown
Apr 30, 2012 12:19 pm | Breaking News
Forget
Competing Theories … What Do the Facts Say about Quantitative Easing?
Paul Krugman says that QE, expansive monetary policy and inflation help
the little guy (the 99%) and hurt the big banks (the 1%).
Of course, followers of the… Continue to Post
Weekly Republican Address 4/28/12: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
April 28, 2012
In this week's address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan
discusses the House Republican Budget, The Path to Prosperity. It is a
responsible budget that tackles our fiscal crisis and protects future
generations from a crushing burden of debt. This weekend (April 29)
marks exactly 3 years since the Democrat-controlled Senate last passed a
budget. That's inexcusable. We must stop Washington's reckless spending
to save our country from fiscal collapse.
April 30, 2012 Sessions marks three years without budget: ‘Deliberate plan’ by Democrats
WASHINGTON - MARCH 24: Sen. Jeff Sessions
(R-AL) speaks during a press conference on President Obama's proposed
budget at the U.S. Capitol March 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. Republicans
contend that the budget with double the size of the national debt by
2016. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
April 29, 2009 was the last time the Senate passed a budget — three years ago today. Articulating a budget for the United States is among senators’ legally required duties.
Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, told The Daily Caller that Senate Democrats’ obfuscation is to blame.
“This is a deliberate plan that the Democratic majority has executed for three years to avoid the responsibility of laying out a financial plan for America,” he said in an interview.
The Democratic majority in the Senate, Sessions said, “cannot lead.”
“When your party cannot coalesce around a plan that your members can support and the American people can support, then you’ve got a very deep, serious problem. And I think that is basically what it is,” he explained.
“So you’ve got to hide that by avoiding any public accountability. So you have secret meetings, the gang of six, and those kind of things — trying to move along without every having to lay out their vision.”
In the three years since the Senate last passed a budget, the federal government has spent $10.4 trillion and accumulated $4.5 trillion in debt, an amount that equals $13,000 in new debt for every individual American and $34,000 per family.
While Republicans lodge thir protests, Senate Democrats claim the blueprint for 2013 was decided upon with the August debt ceiling compromise.
“We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year — it’s done, we don’t need to do it,” Majority Leader Harry Reid said of the 2013 federal budget in February.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad has indicated that he likely will not mark up a budget until after the November election, canceling a planned budget markup and vote last week.
Sessions said such delays are par for the course with this Congress, whose modus operandi in recent years has been last-minute patch-up jobs.
“The only thing that has worked is when we get into a crisis, like when we had to have the debt ceiling raised and the Republicans were able to force $2.1 trillion in spending reductions over ten years,” Sessions said. “It was a step — not enough — a step”
“Already they are trying to undermine that. The president’s budget wipes out half of that $2 trillion in savings. All we’ve done is lurch through deadlines and crises, which is not good for the economy.”
He added that he believes the American people should take this into account when the vote in the fall.
“The message of the 2010 election was not heard by the majority party in the Senate,” Sessions said. “I mean, they demanded more public accountability on their representatives, that you do something about the debt course of America, and you stand up and be accountable.”
“I think it is fair to say it has gotten worse. There is nothing but secret meetings and an effort to avoid public debates and votes.”
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Personal Liberty Alerts
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What About Mitt Romney? Dear Mr. Livingston: At a crucial point in the presidential campaign, I find it appalling that you will distribute a newsletter urging the financial support of a Congressional candidate from Arizona, which follows a newsletter some months ago, encouraging support for Rick Santorum in his presidential campaign. Other organizations have sent out similar newsletters urging support for Newt Gingrich. However, not once has Personal Liberty Alerts or any other religious and/or non-profit organization sent out a newsletter on behalf of Mitt Romney who has been the frontrunner of Republican Party for many months; and after winning five large primary elections last night it is obvious that he will be the nominee. Bob's Response » | ||
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