Ron Paul Minnesota Performance Uncovers Liberty Movement's Long-Term Game

Impact

The media has already bequeathed Mitt Romney with the nomination for the GOP ticket in November. As far as the Republican National Convention is concerned, the former governor of Massachusetts is headed to the November ballot. But for some reason, the unusually dedicated "Paulians," or supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, are showing no signs of giving up or accepting the nomination of the more moderate Mitt. So, what is the Ron Paul strategy, and why are his supporters still gunning for nominees and State GOP control?

Conservatives and Republicans have long supported a top-down ideology toward elected leadership, such as majoring on presidential and congressional races, while often neglecting state and local elections. The American left, on the other hand, has long pursued an under-the-radar process of electing liberals to local positions, such as city and county governments, or school boards, or even state positions. This has resulted in a continual uphill battle for Republicans trying to garner support for their presidential candidates, causing them to work harder to energize a more lackadaisical populace to vote or work in local politics.

What conservatives have missed is how much the local politics set the stage for future governance; liberals are routinely appointed to state and appellate courts, later to be promoted (like Sonia Sotomayor) to higher positions, and eventually the Supreme Court, while conservatives content themselves with fighting over the final product, inevitably losing more than they win.

However, it appears that the Liberty Movement, the swelling Ron Paul supporting libertarian base re-energizing the Republican party, has realized that politics begin at the local level. Paul supporters have been elected to multiple local and State GOP positions, including more than one State Chairman, and others are offering ideas on how to increase the pervasiveness of the Ron Paul libertarian philosophy.

While even Paul's campaign seems to have given up the idea of winning the nomination, Paul's fervent supporters don't seem to have slowed down, as Minnesota looks to fill all but seven of its delegate slots with Ron Paul delegates. Whether Ron Paul is trying to sneak into the nomination, or whether he just wants to dominate the GOP at all levels, it seems that the standard operating procedure of the Grand Old Party has changed, and with it comes the opportunity to revitalize and rebuild a flagging, declining party.