Paul suspends presidential campaign; forms new organization

[Dos Equis]

June 13, 2008
Paul suspends presidential campaign; forms new organization
Posted: 06:14 AM ET

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Texas Rep. Ron Paul announced Thursday he is suspending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination to focus his time on building an organization to help recruit and elect “limited government Republicans.”

“We want to elect constitutionalists, limited government Republicans across the country at the state and federal level,” said Paul spokesman Jesse Benton.

The congressman will speak about his political plans at the Texas Republican State Convention being held in Houston. Late Thursday afternoon, Paul launched a Web site for his new organization where he explained the decision to suspend his presidential campaign and form “Ron Paul Campaign for Liberty.”

“With the primary season now over, the presidential campaign is at an end,” Paul said in the letter. “But the larger campaign for freedom is just getting started.”

Arizona Sen. John McCain locked up the GOP nomination back in March, but unlike his fellow Republicans running for president, Paul never abandoned his White House bid.

Paul’s decision to leave the race is an acknowledgment he had no chance of winning the GOP nomination. But even in loss, Paul is one of a handful of candidates who walked away from this presidential contest a winner. His presidential campaign had a broad base of support that included traditionally fiscal and socially conservative Republicans to young people who were angry about the U.S. decision to wage war against Iraq.

The Internet helped to tie together his group of supporters who joined the “Ron Paul Revolution.”

“The work of the Campaign for Liberty will take many forms,” Paul wrote in the letter posted on his Web site. “We will educate our fellow Americans in freedom, sound money, non-interventionism, and free markets. We’ll have our own commentaries and videos on the news of the day. I’ll work with friends I respect to design materials for homeschoolers."

He added, “Politically, we’ll expand the great work of our precinct leader program. We’ll make our presence felt at every level of government, where just a few people with our level of enthusiasm can make a world of difference. We’ll keep an eye on Congress and lobby against legislation that threatens us. We’ll identify and support political candidates who champion our great ideas against the empty suits the party establishments offer the public.”

Paul will not endorse McCain, unless the Arizona senator “wants to change some of his positions,” Benton said. But Benton added that this effort in no way is intended to hurt McCain in November.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/13/paul-suspends-presidential-campaign-forms-new-organization/

[240 is Back]

Paul will not endorse McCain, unless the Arizona senator “wants to change some of his positions,”

[Bindare_Dundat]

Awesome.

[Hugo Chavez]

pretty cool.  I think he's making one big mistake and that's forgetting how much support he actually got from dems and or liberals.  Many here don't realise it, but he did.  A lot were attracted heavily to his anti-BS war message as well as his anti-free trade and at a time our Constitution is looking to be in danger, they were drawn to him there.  many dems were pissed as hell at their party bailing on impeachment and giving in on funding the war.  Paul was the voice filling the void.  He was recieved more favorably on progressive shows than he was on some rightwing shows where he actually found himself facing hostile hosts. So what I would suggest Ron Paul do is to support ANY candidate that fits the bill.  That also has the added benefit of reigning in the republican if it happens to be a dem opposing him that fits the bill more.  He got the money from a broad section of America, republican and dem, he would do good to play it the same.

[Decker]

pretty cool.  I think he's making one big mistake and that's forgetting how much support he actually got from dems and or liberals.  Many here don't realise it, but he did.  A lot were attracted heavily to his anti-BS war message as well as his anti-free trade and at a time our Constitution is looking to be in danger, they were drawn to him there.  many dems were pissed as hell at their party bailing on impeachment and giving in on funding the war.  Paul was the voice filling the void.  He was recieved more favorably on progressive shows than he was on some rightwing shows where he actually found himself facing hostile hosts. So what I would suggest Ron Paul do is to support ANY candidate that fits the bill.  That also has the added benefit of reigning in the republican if it happens to be a dem opposing him that fits the bill more.  He got the money from a broad section of America, republican and dem, he would do good to play it the same.

That's well said.

[Hugo Chavez]

That's well said.

thanks

[shootfighter1]

Agreed Hugo.  I think a lot of moderate democrats in this age would agree on many of Paul's platforms.  Many independents stay away from the rep party because of the neo-cons.  The democratic party has changed drastically from what it was in the 1950s.  My gradparents were all blue-collar democrats, but they don't have a lot in common with the party of today.

Smart decision by Paul.  If he ran as an independent, he had no chance in winning.  With a new organization, he can mobilize people and have a large voice of reason that the gov must acknowledge (if they are in enough #s).

[24KT]

Paul will not endorse McCain, unless the Arizona senator “wants to change some of his positions,”

The problem with this is McCain changes his position more often than most change their underwear!
...sometimes in as short a span as 11 minutes. you can belief a word that comes out of his mouth.