You're all aware, I'm sure, of Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty, which will be holding essentially a counter-convention in St. Paul from the 31st to the 2nd, though you might be surprised to learn that Grover Norquist and Jesse Ventura are addressing the attendees. What you might not know about is the tussle between Paul and McCain delegates to the GOP convention from Nevada, which may leave the state without any representation. And we kvetched over Michigan and Florida; check out the GOP's woes.
The Wall Street Journal had the story a few days ago:
In April, riding high on a second-place showing in the Silver State, the grass-roots Paul supporters were well represented and well organized at the Republican state convention. Winning a key rule change, the Paul delegation began electing a majority slate for its candidate, when party officials dropped the gavel, turned out the lights and adjourned the convention indefinitely.
The state party leadership went on to appoint a slate of McCain delegates to the national convention by private conference call. Meanwhile, the spurned Paul faction gathered for its own "reconvention" to produce a competing delegation. In a decision Aug. 5, the national party's contest committee recommended against seating either slate, citing flaws in the selection process. The fate of Nevada's 34 seats at the Republican National Convention may not be decided until the final days before it begins.
See a problem here? Aside from terrible optics from a GOP that complained about the lights being turned off on them during the August recess, the GOP has done absolutely nothing to reconcile Paul's supporters. They are pompous concern trolls when Hillary Clinton is mentioned, but they've continued to alienate their libertarian wing. Paul supporters are going to attempt a quorum call at the GOP convention, though I don't expect that to amount to much. Paul has studiously avoided an endorsement, though he has said this:
"The contest is to get as many votes as we can to not support the two major candidates." Electing a third-party candidate "would be the best thing for the country," Paul said. "Whether (Obama) wins or McCain wins, policies won't change."
Since Paul is -- and ran as -- a Republican, and has delegates in his name being denied seats at the GOP convention, one guess where this goes. At some point, Paul will tell his supporters that Bob Barr is their best way to send a message. Barr's Veep nominee, by the way, is
Wayne Allyn Root, a sports handicapper who, natch, comes from Nevada, where the current polling according to Nate is plus 1.9, McCain.