Ballot evidence suggests Ron Paul planning to run as third party candidate

[Fozzledick]

August 17, 2012 by Beatweek


Mitt Romney will not be on the ballot in Washington State, if a lawsuit from the Libertarian party succeeds. Citing a legal technicality which disqualifies the republican party from being considered a “major party” due to its failure to get a senate candidate on the ballot in 2010, libertarians appear to have the law on their side which would disqualify the republican party from being able to place its candidate on state ballots in November. That would remove Romney from the ballot, which would still allow his supporters to write in his name but would likely suppress the number of votes he would receive. Such ballot shenanigans are nothing new, as the republican party is working to rig voting hours in Ohio so that only percents which traditionally vote republican can show up early. But this isn’t Obama or the democratic party trying to get Romney removed from Washington ballots. It’s the libertarian party, which is far more closely allied with the republican party. In fact, while Ron Paul routinely runs for president as a republican candidate, he’s a libertarian who simply prefers to try to change the republican party from within (or prefers the greater spotlight provided by a major party) rather than trying to run as a third party candidate. Except now the libertarian party is attempting to suppress the Romney vote, even though most libertarians would rather see a republican win than a democrat if it were a two-man race. The bizarre yet very real explanation, then, is that Ron Paul is indeed planning to run as a third party candidate…

In past presidential elections, after Ron Paul failed to win the republican nomination, he stepped aside entirely. But 2012 may be different in that Mitt Romney is behind in every national poll and continues to fall, even as his brewing tax scandal threatens to implode his entire campaign. The best evidence of Romney’s lack of momentum is that when he chose ultra-conservative hero Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, it made no positive impact on the polls whatsoever – a historical rarity which suggests he’s out of gas. This may have given Ron Paul second thoughts about running as a third candidate after all, and the sudden libertarian attempt to get Romney removed from the ballot may be the strongest clue yet…

http://www.beatweek.com/blog/12956-libertarians-romney-ballot-is-ron-paul-going-to-run/

Seems dubious to me, but it would sure throw an interesting monkey wrench into the works.

[Politicalboi]

1. Go Paul Go!

If Rmoney somehow gets disqualified, it may be because of Ron Paul. He has more to win by exposing Rmoney and his possible felony tax evasion.

This is getting good.

If Ron Paul gets in, he will be the only one to debate Obama. Rmoney is going to be too afraid to debate with or without Ron Paul.

[Booster]

2. Oh, shit. Ron Paul just might win. Then we're still screwed.

[Ilsa]

3. Maybe not.

If Ron Paul ends up taking the R nom, he'll look too nutty to beat Obama.

Interesting, though, that there is a closeness in names: Ron Paul - Paul Ryan.
I wonder if some GOPers would get confused.

[CrispyQ]

14. This:

Ron Paul - Paul Ryan.
I wonder if some GOPers would get confused.

[Motown_Johnny]

4. I saw some Ron Paul lawn signs today (multiple locations) and had not seen any for weeks.

At first I thought it strange but then decided it was just a coincidence ant that my mind was playing tricks on me.


Maybe not.

I hope he picks his son as his VP. How funny would that be?

[AlinPA]

15. I saw two new Paul yard signs yesterday. (W. PA)

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. I thought Gary Johnson was their nominee

How would they slot Paul in there?

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Yes-- decided at their May convention...

and they'd bust up against a bunch of state laws if they tried to change that now.

But, ya never know... maybe he thinks there's a place for him in the Conservative Party.

Maybe he thinks the Tea Party is a real one.

Doubt he thinks much at all, though.

[davidpdx]

12. Very true

And I don't see Johnson stepping aside for Paul. Paul could have dropped out or suspended his campaign as early as February and still tried to run on the Libertarian ticket. The problem is he was betting on A) The establishment not getting behind Romney and B) Coming up with the majority of delegates in enough states to be listed on a ballot at the convention and C) A contested convention. Paul did a very bad job of reading the odds and lost on all three counts. When you make a bet on something and it doesn't pan out, then you have to live with it.

[Blue Owl]

6. Perfect -- a Nader for Romney/Ryan!

[Marzupialis]

7. Where's the evidence that Ron Paul will run?

I see none in that "beatweek.com" article.

[Fozzledick]

11. The article is pretty much just speculation.

But when did Ron Paul ever care about evidence?

[Third Doctor]

9. Go Ron!

If we can get you on enough ballots you can take some votes from Mitt. With Johnson in the mix it may work out well.

[Pab Sungenis]

13. The obligatory

"fuck Ron Paul" response.

But if he can hurt Mittens in any way, I am for that.

[Pisces]

16. Wish it would happen, but doubt it seriously. He wants Rand to have a career.

[WI_DEM]

17. Romney will be on the washington ballot, Paul will not run as a third party candidate and if he did

it isn't automatic he wouldn't hurt Obama as much as he would hurt Romney. A lot of people on the left, particularly young people, like his anti-war stands.

Anyway, he won't run as an independent.

[Maeve]

18. Run, lemmings, er, Ron, run!!!!eom

[TroyD]

19. Ron Paul attacks Paul Ryan's budget

Not as cutting too much, but not cutting enough!

Still, as always, the one thing I like about Ron Paul is he is the one Republican who understands that the massive amount of money spent on the war machine and military-industrial complex is a big part of the reason there isn't enough money to pay for other things.

http://investorcentric.blogs.nuwireinvestor.com/2012/08/ron-paul-slams-paul-ryans-budget-plan.html