Virginia's Super Tuesday: A Possible Win for Ron Paul?
Will Virginia's Gingrich and Santorum backers sandbag Mitt Romney by voting for Ron Paul? One political observer thinks it's a possibility.
With three recent wins by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum this week making the GOP presidential primary more competitive, has Super Tuesday and Virginia's role taken on more significance? And with only two contenders on the ballot, where does that leave those who wanted to vote for Santorum or former Speaker Newt Gingrich?
"Probably the best that Romney's conservative opponents can hope for is to somewhat embarrass him by giving some substantial support to Paul," said Mark J. Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason University.
"Virginia is unusual this year in that only two candidates qualified to be on the ballot—Mitt Romney and Ron Paul," he noted.
In less than a month, Virginians will vote in the GOP presidential primary on Tuesday, March 6, although absentee voting has already started in the state. So far in Fairfax County, 236 ballots have come in and 56 people have voted "in person absentee" as of Wednesday, said Cameron Quinn, the county's chief elections officer.
How much support do the two who are on the ballot have? At least financially, they both come out on top. Here's the breakdown on the donations that Virginians have made, as of Feb. 2, to each GOP presidential candidate remaining in the primary, according to the Center for Responsive Politics:
- Mitt Romney: $1,982,427
- Ron Paul: $303,688
- Newt Gingrich: $254,870
- Rick Santorum: $87,837
Virginia, which holds an open primary—meaning any qualified voter can vote—has 49 delegates up for grabs, handed out proportionally depending on the votes each candidate receives.
"The GOP race remains unsettled, although all will acknowledge that Romney still retains most of the advantages," Rozell said. "Chances are very strong that two or three of the remaining challengers to Romney will still be in the race by Super Tuesday."
The fact that there are only two candidates on the ballot in the state could mean Virginia will see very little campaigning by the candidates here, Rozell predicted.
"I see very little outreach by any of the candidates in Virginia given the fact that two of the four remaining candidates are not even on the ballot and then there is little doubt at this time as to the likely outcome," he said.
With Gingrich and Santorum off the ballot in Virginia, the Romney and Paul camps possibly won't feel a need to buy much advertising in Virginia to fend off the competition. The situation could mean lost ad dollars for Virginia media. Although they're not spending as much as in previous years, the GOP presidential campaigns, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, as well as outside groups, have spent $28.9 million so far.
Before it's all over, the presidential campaign season is expected to see upwards of $3.2 billion in ad spending according to Ken Goldstein, president of Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group.
Maine Halyard
12:41 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Come on, people. Bring the troops home and give them their due. It's time to call an end to the profiteering off of American patriotism. Bring them home.
Veterans for Ron Paul March on Washington.... February 20, President's Day.
T Ailshire
4:35 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
This veteran would vote for Obama before I'd vote for Paul.
I haven't decided whether to hold my nose and vote for Romney (which I may do to counteract the Paul acolytes) or stay home.
Nathaniel Seeley
1:38 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Go Ron Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Raymond Henker
2:11 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul is the only viable candidate.........honesty, integrity, common sense, and a return to the Constitution. All of the others, who represent the status quo, do not deny that Ron Paul predicted the economic crisis and the runaway spending - we must face the facts. If the others get elected, the crisis will continue because they all want war with Iran. The madness has to end.
RON PAUL 2012
Mike Lee
2:39 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul is the chosen one!
CHRIS
2:40 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Look at the people that voted for Ron Paul on the none scientific poll. That just shows that the votes are being messed with. I am an American and this country is pissing me off with all the lying!!! Ron Paul is the clear winner!!!!
Gary Mylard
4:29 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Key word UNSCIENTIFIC.
Why? Because all you pathetic children flood the internet polls to vote for him to make so sad point. But when you are backing REAL (non-joke) candidates, you don't feel the need to do that.
You KNOW your life is sad when you are looking to unscientific polls and saying they are more reliable to the scientific ones. But then again, it is not the first time Ron Paul and "ignoring science" has gone together. Being that he insists the world is just 5000 years old and all. (That's ALL this country needs now...a President who refuses to accept science right when all American kids are falling behind in that...the most important subject.
Steven Burke
9:18 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Actually the scientific polls show that Paul is in 2nd place nationally and he's one of only two GOP candidates that consistently match up against Obama.
I guess being an MD you'd have to assume logically that Ron Paul knows more about science than any other candidate including POTUS.
kem63
10:11 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Gary Mylard: I was reading the article and saw the poll. I don't ever look for polls, there all BS none of them are scientific ones.
and Ron Paul would never stop children from learning science you ding bat. Ron Paul is a doctor he believes in science, he does not believe in evolution. if anyone believes in God they don't believe in evolution. God is a belief, most believe the theory of evolution has not been proven scientifically so there must be a God. but it is up to the individual on which one they want to believe. Romney & santorum & Gingrich don't believe in evolution or they don't believe in God and they have been lying this whole time.
I personally believe in the theory of evolution and I still like Ron Paul. he is the only one that cares to bring the troops home which is a lot more then I can say for a lot of Americans.
Jonny H
4:49 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Yeah, he's just an educated M.D. who's delivered thousands of babies. He doesn't know anything about science. Riiiiiiiight.
LeoBaoig
5:31 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul!
brian
5:53 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
People tend to write Ron Paul off without listening to his views and explanations- I did, but then I started listening and realized this guy is RIGHT on the money about so many of these issues. It was the media that casts him in a negative light because he is truthful and tells it like it is and won't be manipulated by pundits with their own bias persuasions. GO RON PAUL!!
Camille Abigail
6:14 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
RON PAUL 2012! HE AMERICAS LAST HOPE FOR FREEDOM!
Kenneth Wayne
6:33 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Come on Virginia: Peace and Paul 2012!
John St Croix
7:16 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
No One But Paul. The GOP will learn that the hard way
Luis Javier Del Valle
7:50 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Puerto Rico for Ron Paul. Our Republican Party Primary is in March 18, 2012.
Find Ron Paul Puerto Rico on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/ronpaulpr/
kem63
9:22 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
I don't see how anyone can be so heartless and not want our troops home, they are fighting battle's that they should not be in. bin laden is dead why are our troops still overseas fighting. those countries government can take care of there own terrorists which is not that many. there is only 100 in Afghanistan.
The US needs to take care of it's own country and people before the U.S goes bankrupt. Ron Paul is the ONLY ONE that will bring the troops home. and he does not need congress to do it.
Gregory Mathers
9:42 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Actually Ron Paul is the one with the best chance of winning the general election. Many people voted for "Hope and Change" and all they got was continuation of the same elitist policies as the several previous administrations. Many people from all sides will come to vote for Ron Paul. I am a conservative and I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils and will stay home if Romney or Gingrich gets the nomination. Ron Paul is the only one that will shrink government.
27Reasons
11:14 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Willard, Newt, and Rick, stand NO CHANCE against Obama in the general; NONE. Ron Paul is the ONLY one who CAN beat him. If conservatives can't see this, they are truly blind to reality.
Louise Perreault
9:52 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Not so fast Virginia... I just recently started door to door canvassing and have yet to meet an already declared Ron Paul supporter. It's shocking (and somewhat disturbing) how little they know about ANY of the candidates' positions -- yet they will vote.
27Reasons
11:12 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
VERY sad! These same people take what they hear on television as the end all and be all.
Wien
12:40 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ugh...door to door canvassing. Just as bad as the explosion of median signs. I can't wait for the election cycle to be over.
People need to do their own research and read candidate positions and review their history...not base their vote on a pamphlet in their door or a sign in the median.
kem63
2:30 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
I reaserched all of the canidates, all 3 are for bigger government and dont want the troops home. Obama tought me the leason to do my reaserch. 2007 all I had to go by was TV news and I fell for his lies, I will never fall for anouther canidates lies again. if I can't reaserch them I will not vote.
no way
10:06 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
America is cursed and given over to Marxist globalists, Ron Paul has no chance to win unless there was a civil war in the usa which will never happen again. I am very sad that America will never return to what it was, it is now a tool for the globalist UN/IMF/OECD Marxist media government, and a future slave to the coming world antichrist government as foretold of in the Bible. Ron Paul was like a sign unto you, but even in Jesus' time his own family members thought he was insane too. Conservative party has been taken over by whore Marxist trojans and greedy atheist lovers of money, they are so frothing in hate against Ron Paul I fear for the guy's life sometimes. God bless Ron Paul, not perfect but one fading last hope before America brings its own end upon itself.
27Reasons
11:11 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
DO NOT LOSE HOPE! Ron Paul wins EVERY online poll by LANDSLIDE victories. He is the clear champion of citizens who actually care enough to do their homework and comment on blogs like this one, citizens who care about the future of this country, not just the right-now of this country.
27Reasons
11:09 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul is the ONLY choice worth making; the rest are more of the same old B.S.
Dan O
12:02 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
The unfortunate mislead masses are to lazy to educate themselves and really get to know the candidates. Mainstream media has gathered them instead like a flock of sheep. Giving scientific proof the masses believe most of what they see and hear and leaves great doubt they even read as source of candidate research. It becomes obvious Ron Paul supporters take pride to best inform their choice by reading. If your a Ron Paul supporter be proud to share your knowledge and encourage those less informed to read from the broad quiver of articles you do. If your not do yourselves a great service by expanding your sources of candidate information and read all you can.
Zeb Mendiola
12:42 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
~Ron Paul 2012~
Because liars, flip floppers, & warmongers suck!
Jay Waters
12:54 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
I would love to vote for Rick Santorum. But, since I cannot do that, I will be voting for Ron Paul to lessen the number of VA delegates Romney can win.
Mary Ann Barton
1:37 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Thanks for participating but please, no name-calling. Thank you!
Kim
2:28 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Newsletters published by Ron Paul in the 90s contain multiple racist and anti-Semitic remarks.
Fu Wzhe
3:40 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Kim - the author of the articles in those newsletters has been found. It was James B. Powell. A tiny little news station did the work and tracked it down. It turns out that James Kirchick, the man that is making this big stink about it, intentionally removed the Powell's name.
Remember, you can trust our media - after all, we ended that weapons of mass destruction program in Iraq, didn't we?
You won't believe it but it's true - we don't have a media in the United States. It's nothing more than propaganda.
Tommy Funebo
5:12 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Since Ron Paul neither uttered a word publicly nor submitted a bill in Congress remotly similar to the aforementioned newsletters this is clearly a non issue in the race for president.
Kim, once in a while you really have to stop and think if this is a democratic process in an empire where the sun never sets or if it is some back alley street fight.
Mary Ann Barton
1:37 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
That last message was for Kim; thanks!
Mark Hrey
2:09 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Virginia for Ron Paul!! Virginians understand freedom and liberty.
kem63
2:35 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
I expect all of them will lie some, but when it come to certain important things I expect the truth. right now obama is trying to do some good but people are not thinking what is he going to do after he is re-elected, his first year was not all that bad his second he took our right to choose away. and did not bring all the troops home. theres things I don't like about Ron Paul but there is more things I don't like about the rest of them, If Ron Paul don't win, hope he does but if he don't we are moving to Canada where there will be more freedom.
Fu Wzhe
3:42 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Obama kept EVERY policy of Bush that the Democrats complained about, rightfully I might add, and he did this when he had a Democratic congress that could have put an end to all of it.
Stop making excuses for Obama. He's George W. Bush after a diction class and an incredible suntan, that's it. Stop making excuses for him. He's a Neocon, not a Democrat. You are smarter than this.
Steven Burke
2:50 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Like I said, feel free to find a SINGLE video where Ron Paul echoes the comments from the newsletters. You simply can’t do it, which means the newsletters are a mainstream media smear campaign designed to ensure that a corporatist fascist wins the GOP nomination so that there will be no difference whether Obama wins or Romney/Gingrich/Santorum wins. They’re all the same.
But you go ahead and believe word in print versus what actually comes out of the man’s mouth if it helps you sleep better at night knowing your civil liberties will continue to be flushed down the toilet.
Perhaps you should spend some time looking into the NDAA instead, who wrote the offending section (John McCain), who he endorses (Mitt Romney), who signed it (Obama), who agrees with it (Romney).
Top Contributors 2012 campaign:
Mitt Romney
1) Goldman Sachs 2) Credit Suisse Bank 3) Morgan Stanley
Ron Paul
1) US Air Force 2) US Army 3) US Navy
Oh and of course Obama (2008) was also Goldman Sachs.
You want to keep letting companies like Monsanto run the food industry in the US, vote for Obama, Romney, Santorum or Gingrich.
You want to keep letting the pharmaceutical companies run the health regulatory agencies, vote for Obama, Romney, Santorum or Gingrich.
All corporatist fascists. Those newsletters are clearly an absolute pile of BS and you Kim, are a sheep. Bleat! Bleat!
Kim
4:00 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul didn't publish the Ron Paul newsletter? Okay.
BTW, please don't call me names. It's not polite.
Kathy Richute
3:11 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Dear Kim, Your accusations are untrue and unfounded. They have been proven to be false. The articles were not written by Ron Paul. They were written by a disgruntled ex-employee. If you educated yourself, rather than be brainwashed by the Mainstream Media, you might be able to make rational statements. Good luck, you are going to need it, unless you get your head out of the sand.
Tommy Funebo
5:13 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
...and there is ample proof on youtube. Go to "Reality check" and watch for yourself.
Tommy Funebo
3:12 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul is not a politican. If anything, he comes across as the Anointed One in the realm of worldly politics. Seriously, if you study all the old Ron Paul speeches from Congress that are published on Youtube you realize that he even to an extent can foresee the future.
The other day a New York City newspaper ran an article on desillusioned democrats who have turned away from Obama and become Paulites. Here is a quote:
"I read email after email from people who admitted to becoming “obsessed” or “addicted” to watching Ron Paul YouTube videos after feeling disappointed with Obama. One guy told me that he was “consumed” with listening to Paul speeches in his car and had started secretly reading libertarian literature at work."
Jackson Baer
3:46 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Ron Paul did well in Minnesota and underperformed in the other two yesterday. It's frustrating to see the Republicans reject freedom & liberty while voting for more government control. Can Ron Paul win Maine this weekend? I hope so. I hope he keeps running as a Republican, building a base and then runs third party. Some say that will ensure Obama gets re-elected but we don't know what will happen in a 3-man race and Obama won't be any worse than Romney, Gingrich, or Santorum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=262l6tbHSlU RON PAUL 2012.
http://www.whatthehellbook.com/the-book/
Tommy Funebo
5:17 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
There is really no point in choosing any other republican candidate in the Virginia primary. Enough people will write Paul's name in on the ballot in November to secure Obama's reelection, should Romney, Santorum or Gingrich win the upcoming brokered convention.
Steven Burke
5:13 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Learn why the CIA and active duty military overwhelmingly support Ron Paul's foreign policy of non-interventionism - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQs5hoHW_Qc
Ron Paul's military contributions are substantially more than Gingrich, Romney and Santorum combined (AND the other GOP candidates that are no longer running). He also has more military contributions than Goldman Sachs' man Obama.
If you understand blowback, you would understand why Ron Paul has so much military support.
Blowback, and why they hate us - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJLMtRt88ZU
David Platt
5:51 pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Those who would vote for Obama are voting for ternary, oppression, a police state, loss of liberty, freedom and a country destine for bankruptcy. An if your one of those who depend on government handouts from Obama, don't be surprised if he cuts you off as soon as he gets a second term. We are being set up for his global domination objectives. I am sure Obama would like to do away with inconvenient elections and a constitution and Bill of Rights that he ignores anyway.
gtrew
9:40 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2012
write "END THE FED" on all of your federal reserve notes and put them in your neighbors mailbox. Ron Paul 2012
T Ailshire
8:01 am on Friday, March 2, 2012
I believe in using my vote to send a message. Since Virginia does not permit me to write in "NONE OF THE ABOVE" in this primary, my plan is to attempt to cast a blank ballot.
Ron Paul hypocritically states he believes abortion rights are up to the states, but continues (what five times? more?) to introduce his "sanctity of life" act in the FEDERAL congress. He continues to introduce earmarks then vote against the overall bill that he knows will pass, so he can say "I don't vote for earmarks." He is a politician, pure and simple.
Mitt Romney is probably the better choice for America - we need his business leadership. But his waffling on issues in order to make himself appear more palatable to voting blocs, his pandering to the theocratic right, and his distaste for personal freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights is disgusting. Additionally, he is supported by Bob McDonnell, and I have vowed not to vote for a ticket endorsed by or including McDonnell unless he vetoes the ultrasound (and personhood, should it get to him) bills.
Olderndirt
9:22 am on Tuesday, March 6, 2012
I intend to cast a vote for Ron Paul. I am in total agreement with his Fiscal analysis and his position on the financial affairs of this country. I do feel that Newt Gingrich is the one candidate who is strong and is prepared enough to get a lot of things done with the Senate and Congress. I like Romney well enough, but I feel he is not as strong as Newt to be able to persuade Congress and Senate to do what is needed.