Ron Paul: Everything Republicans Say They Want

With wins in Michigan and Arizona, Willard Mitt Romney, the establishment candidate, appears to be back in the driver’s seat in the race to the Republican presidential nomination. Meanwhile, Ron Paul continues to add to his delegate count.

Establishment Republicans are a breed unto themselves. If you go to their long-term planning meetings, if you listen to them talk about their Party’s future, it’s like listening to well-known lyrics of familiar tunes. It’s all about broadening the base, getting more young people involved, becoming relevant, how to capture enthusiasm, more young people, using the internet, reaching out to young people, figuring out how to fundraise in the digital age, getting more young people.

Now, along comes Ron Paul, who offers them exactly what they want: young people, enthusiasm, an unbeatable social media campaign, devoted volunteers, better demographics, new fundraising success, a campaign worthy of the digital age, relevance, money, excitement, and (did I mention?) young people.

It’s exactly what they have wished for. Exactly what they need. And they turn their back on it.

What do Republicans actually do? They like to give their nomination to the candidate who they think deserves it. Principles and ideals are off the table. The Party’s future that they worry about is forgotten. Because all they really want to do is give the nomination to the candidate whose turn it is.

Look at Bush the Elder. The Reagan Republicans never liked him. In fact, I knew a delegate to the Republican convention that nominated Reagan in 1980 who typified that view. She even refused to vote for Bush to be on the ticket. Even though he was Reagan’s pick. But after Reagan, it was Bush’s "turn." He got the nomination.

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