Ron Paul had a modest showing in the 2008 New Hampshire Primary, garnering 8 percent of the vote. Supporters say the Texas Congressman could have received more votes if he hadn't been excluded from participating in a final debate hosted by Fox News. They maintain that many voters were led to believe that Paul had dropped out of the race. That claim may or may not have some credence to it. His exclusion from the debate may have been unfair, but it did result in an enormous amount of publicity for his campaign, especially after the New Hampshire Republican Party backed out of the event as a result.
Ron Paul signs autographs after a 2007 campaign event in New Hampshire
It seems clear that Paul intended to pass the baton to Gary Johnson. But for the devotion of his supporters, I don’t think Paul would even be considering another run.
ReplyDeletePaul has opened up space in the GOP for a genuine libertarian voice. It’s good to see that the appetite for real small government reform is still there in force.