McCain looking for Paul’s backing
Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by bile Tags: Bob Barr, Credentials Committee, Iraq, Jesse Benton, John McCain, Libertarian Party, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rally for the Republic, Republican National Committee, Republican Platform Committee, Ron Paul, Rules Committee, Sarah Palin, Target Center, Texas, United States, University of Minnesota, Williams ArenaThe McCain campaign, acting through the Republican National Committee, has been negotiating with Rep. Ron Paul to win his support and acquire the names of his sympathizers among the 4,607 delegates and alternates at the Republican National Convention, according to a senior aide to the Texas congressman.
The aim is to try to win support for the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket from Paul sympathizers, some of whom formally committed to Mr. Paul during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and others of whom are closet sympathizers of his libertarian brand of Republicanism.
Sen. McCain and national party strategists worry that Mr. Paul’s sympathizers will vote for Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate and former Republican congressman who shares many of Mr. Paul’s views.
Mr. Paul has refused to endorse Mr. McCain, and Mr. McCain’s operatives have refused to let him address the Republican National Convention.
As a result, Mr. Paul decided to hold a rally of his own Tuesday billed as the “Campaign for Liberty.” Initially set to be held at the University of Minnesota’s 11,000-seat Williams Arena, it has been moved to the far-larger Target Center in Minneapolis. Mr. Paul said in an interview that he expects to attract up to 18,000 people.
Mr. Benton said Mr. Paul is negotiating with convention officials - who are in effect McCain campaign representatives - for permission to make the rounds on the convention floor Wednesday in the company of his personal security guard, communications director and political aides.
Earlier negotiations to have Mr. Paul address the convention fell through because the congressman would not change his position on the war in Iraq, which he opposes as needless and self-defeating for the United States.
He also was denied permission to address the Republican Platform Committee last week in Minneapolis, Mr. Benton said. He said Mr. Paul wanted to discuss the foreign-policy planks in the platform, but the McCain forces who controlled the platform proceedings, as well as the Rules Committee and the Credentials Committee, objected.
I’m not surprised. McCain would love some of the Paul zeal. He won’t get it though. Most Paul supporters wouldn’t even consider McCain. Those that did would likely be canceled out by the Obama leaning Paul supporters.
I think most Paul supporters will be staying home, voting for Barr or Baldwin.
