Adam L. Silverman, PhD*
There is two sets of very different news about Congressman Paul's run for the Republican nomination making the rounds right now. The first comes to us from Maine, where it appears the Maine Republican Party may have rigged that state's caucuses. What seems to have happened is that they zeroed out votes in places where Governor Romney did NOT or was NOT winning and as a result he won the state by 194 votes. Brad Friedman, who has been all over every report of possible voting irregularity for as long as I can remember, also has all the coverage on this one. He also has coverage over the mess in Iowa too!
The second piece of interesting Congressman Paul for President news is his campaign's strategy for actually gathering up delegates to the GOP nominating convention in Tampa this summer. Basically the Paul Campaign has been quietly rolling up delegates while no one was looking.
*Adam L. Silverman is the Culture and Foreign Language Advisor at the US Army War College (USAWC). The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of USAWC and/or the US Army.
Well, as viewed from my corner of Maine, nobody cares much about any of this. They--the majority of the people in Maine, I would argue, were barely aware there WAS a primary. There were no ads that I saw on TV. Not one. Little coverage of it in the Press Herald. I hear there were robo calls. Romney came into the state, I think, the day before the Primary. But it was a low keyed thing. I didn't see him on the local news.
As to the Maine GOP Chairman, Charlie Webster....the guy mentioned in Brad Friedman's column. He's seen as an incompetent nut here by Dems, Independents, and Snowe-Collins Republicans. But he is certainly capable of pulling crap out of his hat.
People here are waiting to take their revenge out on the the uncouth GOP Gov Paul Lepage. THAT is what everyone is waiting for. Or most people anyway. But the very fact of the disinterest here may have led some people into thinking they might be able to get away with something.
My two cents.
Posted by: jonst | 20 February 2012 at 01:18 PM
This is pretty brazen. Honestly, if they have to go to such lengths to prop up Romney, what do they think the results of the General Election are going to look like?
Posted by: Medicine Man | 20 February 2012 at 01:31 PM
It would look like 2000 and 2004 elections.
Posted by: optimax | 20 February 2012 at 09:09 PM
So far substantial evidence in Iowa and Maine that the GOP is unable to govern itself much less the country! My guess is that a Romney loss next week in Michigan could be fatal to his effort whatever his willingness to pursue the nomination. Perhaps a number 2 on the ticket after a brokered convention? Perhaps not!
Is there any published discussion of the impact of the draft when it existed on MORMON males and its relationship to their two years of mission service for the LDS? Were MORMONs largely exempt from the draft?
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 20 February 2012 at 10:39 PM
jonst,
Thanks for that "postcard from Maine." Reminds me of a scene in the Porthole Restaurant almost a decade ago. The Porthole, if you aren't familiar with it, is located out on Custom House Wharf in Portland. It looks like it's been there since the 20's at least. Popeye and Olive Oil should be working the counter with Wimpy manning the grill. I was sitting at the bar having breakfast along with a group of characters that looked like old time lobstermen. The small TV above the bar was showing scenes of the looting of Saddam's palaces shortly after we took Baghdad. One youth was walking away with a massive flower arrangement. One of the old timers observed, "My gawd. They're even taking the gladiolas." A second gentleman added, "Must be his mother's birthday." Nothing more was said about the scene. I can't imagine any of these old timers caring about the republican primary either.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 20 February 2012 at 11:23 PM
Was THAT YOU TG? Seriously, I know the Porthole well. Still there, by gawd! My understanding is less than 1% if the Maine voters participated. We're used to no one giving a damn about Presidential Primaries up here. Just the way it has always been given the schedule. Mainers are just glad to see the New Hampshire one over. Both from jealousy over the attention that NH gets and weariness from the TV commercials in the southern part of Maine during the NH primary. So, suddenly, this year, after Romney lost those mid week primaries, there was a sense of urgency. I guess. Among some people. But it barely registered in the State. Now, like a dazed hit and run victim, we're waking up to the fact that we got a black eye nation wide. Oh well....it's been a damn fine and mild Feb, to go with a mild winter, and when that happens Mainers don't give a damn about much else. Hard to upset us. Except Gov LePage has. Leaving aside policy and ideology...man's a damn fool.
Posted by: jonst | 21 February 2012 at 05:30 AM