Ron Paul's Ninja Delegates

[Wrecking Ball and Chain]

Ha, I still have my "REPUBLICANS ARE FILTH/REPUBLICANS ARE ASSHOLES" cardboard sign I found at the RNC. Nice souvenir. And I know tons of people who were arrested at the 2008 RNC.

But here's a big difference, most of the "protests" weren't protests at all, just dumb anarchists breaking things that had absolutely nothing to do with the RNC, the worst damage was done to the Macy's in downtown St. Paul. That's quite different from internal discontent amongst the delegates themselves.

[Meeker]

I don't really think that makes much of a difference. The only way I see the media caring enough to make a Paul rebellion a big thing is if the RNC completely loses control of the choreography of the event (and unfortunately the RNC is smart enough not to).

Don't get me wrong - the Paul people will probably do something and there will probably be some coverage of it. But I don't see the big story at the end of the week being the trouble the Paul people caused.

[Matthew]

How many delegates will Ron Paul get out of Minnesota? Ton of delegates there an he was second.

[Bacon King]

How many delegates will Ron Paul get out of Minnesota? Ton of delegates there an he was second.

If this pattern holds and he keeps getting 100% of state delegates from all his strong BPOU's and still ~50% from the places he did poorly, it's within the realm of possibility that he might get every single one of Minnesota's RNC delegates.

[King]

Even if Romney were to eek out a majority committed and the stealths were forced to go to Romney on first ballot, could they not simply walk out for the first vote and be forced abstinations to pull him under?

[Mynheer Peeperkorn von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe]

They should burn down the place and start the real revolution there.

[Bacon King]

Even if Romney were to eek out a majority committed and the stealths were forced to go to Romney on first ballot, could they not simply walk out for the first vote and be forced abstinations to pull him under?

They may not even need to walk out- per RNC bylaws, it's apparently still legal for a delegate to vote "present" even if they're pledged to somebody.

[Bacon King]

Oh hey, there's apparently a Paultard effort to take in stealth delegates from Florida, too!

Some random county (45 state delegates total)

38 Ron Paul supporters
3 Romney supporters
2 Gingrich supporters
1 unrepentant Herman Cain supporter

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Oh hey, there's apparently a Paultard effort to take in stealth delegates from Florida, too!

Some random county (45 state delegates total)

38 Ron Paul supporters
3 Romney supporters
2 Gingrich supporters
1 unrepentant Herman Cain supporter

My favorite part of that video is the uploader's username.

[redcommander]

This effort is only trying to get delegates allocated for Paul in the first round of voting right? It doesn't actually have a say in the men and women selected specifically from each state to go to the Convention does it?

[Bacon King]

This effort is only trying to get delegates allocated for Paul in the first round of voting right? It doesn't actually have a say in the men and women selected specifically from each state to go to the Convention does it?

Not at all. This is an effort to get bona fide Pautards to the RNC by any means possible, even if they have to be pledged to another candidate in the first round.

[wormyguy]

This effort is only trying to get delegates allocated for Paul in the first round of voting right? It doesn't actually have a say in the men and women selected specifically from each state to go to the Convention does it?

Not at all. This is an effort to get bona fide Pautards to the RNC by any means possible, even if they have to be pledged to another candidate in the first round.

The Paul campaign claimed last time (when it was a much more haphazard effort) that they had 260 delegates including ninjae, so they could be quite the significant force this time.

[redcommander]

This effort is only trying to get delegates allocated for Paul in the first round of voting right? It doesn't actually have a say in the men and women selected specifically from each state to go to the Convention does it?

Not at all. This is an effort to get bona fide Pautards to the RNC by any means possible, even if they have to be pledged to another candidate in the first round.

Why hasn't the RNC stopped this? Do they really want a bunch of Paulistas embarrassing them on the convention floor?

[mokbu]

I don't think "ninja delegates" are even obligated to vote for any candidate during the first round. They are pledged, but I imagine they can cast their vote for whoever they want. I.e. most delegates vote for the winning candidate at the convention in a show of party unity.

[wormyguy]

I don't think "ninja delegates" are even obligated to vote for any candidate during the first round. They are pledged, but I imagine they can cast their vote for whoever they want. I.e. most delegates vote for the winning candidate at the convention in a show of party unity.

Delegates can technically vote for whomever they like, but they can be removed from the convention and replaced with other delegates if they vote for a candidate while still pledged to another, and many states have laws against delegates voting for candidates while pledged to another.

[redcommander]

I don't think "ninja delegates" are even obligated to vote for any candidate during the first round. They are pledged, but I imagine they can cast their vote for whoever they want. I.e. most delegates vote for the winning candidate at the convention in a show of party unity.

What if they make a commotion by wearing pro-Paul clothing, or shout, or do something silly like that? Is there a good chance the majority of delegates are going to be Paul affiliated chosen ones, because this is now starting to worry me if it distracts from the Convention's focus on Obama.

[Paleobrazilian]

Could the Credentials Comitte deny seating those Paulites if they say they're going to vote Paul on 1st ballot, even if they're bound to someone else? If yes, the GOP is safe.

[Korwinist]

Could the Credentials Comitte deny seating those Paulites if they say they're going to vote Paul on 1st ballot, even if they're bound to someone else? If yes, the GOP is safe.

To my understanding, they could vote Romney/Santorum/what have you on the first ballot then switch to Paul on the second if they think he'll win. Alternatively, the Romney!Paul delegates could simply abstain (I think that's allowed) while the other ninjas vote to prevent Romney from winning the required delegates, and then switch to Paul in round 2.

[Mynheer Peeperkorn von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe]

I can see the fear in redcommander's eyes.

[Progressive Realist]

Paul will be the wild card when Romney and Santorum deadlock at the Convention.

[Erc]

Even if crazy Paul antics could cause issues at the convention, no other candidate is going to try to depend on it; if Romney has the pledges (by whatever definition) of 1144 delegates in June, Santorum will drop out and endorse him.  Even if the Paulistas try to pull something, they'd still be a minority at the convention, and it would be a bit late for the Santorum folks to try to put together an effort at the convention several months after dropping out.

[Paleobrazilian]

Could the Credentials Comitte deny seating those Paulites if they say they're going to vote Paul on 1st ballot, even if they're bound to someone else? If yes, the GOP is safe.

To my understanding, they could vote Romney/Santorum/what have you on the first ballot then switch to Paul on the second if they think he'll win. Alternatively, the Romney!Paul delegates could simply abstain (I think that's allowed) while the other ninjas vote to prevent Romney from winning the required delegates, and then switch to Paul in round 2.

I guess those bound delegates would not want to vote Romney in round 1 and risk letting Mittens win, and I'm not sure if bound delegates can abstain. Plus, if those delegates abstain, would Romney still need 1144 delegates to get the nomination, or would the number get lower? In the end, Paulites could be really tempted to break the bounding rules, and that's why I think the Credentials Comittee could step up and deny seating bound ninja delegates - after all, that could save the GOP from an epic embarassement.

[Zarn]

The GOP already is an embarrassment.

Paul gaining the nomination would reverse that.

It's funny how RINOs don't mind that the media supports their candidates and their corporate supporters. Unfair advantage?

The tactics in place now by Paul supporters were no different than the tactics used against them in 2008. They just learned how to play the game.

[Zarn]

Booing terrible candidates also helps. It means not everyone approves of having the wool being pulled over their eyes.

[Mehmentum]

Even if crazy Paul antics could cause issues at the convention, no other candidate is going to try to depend on it; if Romney has the pledges (by whatever definition) of 1144 delegates in June, Santorum will drop out and endorse him.

I could imagine the establishment might try to take advantage of Paulite mischeif by promoting a compromise candidate.  The establishment doesn't like Romney, they merely tolerate him because all of the other options are worse.