Ron Paul wins the Louisiana caucus (almost)
Although Louisiana holds a presidential primary on February 9, the Republican Party chooses its delegates to the national convention with a two-step caucus/convention system. The first round was held on [January] 22, when approximately 10,000 Louisiana Republicans turned out to vote in eleven different cities for delegate to the state convention. Each U.S. House district chose 15 delegates.
It appears that Ron Paul supporters outnumbered the supporters of any of his opponents. But since this was predicted, the supporters of Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, cooperated to set up a “fusion” slate of unpledged candidates for Delegate. The “fusion” slate, labeled the “Pro-Life/Pro-Family” slate, beat the Ron Paul slate in each of the 7 U.S. House districts. Formally, the “fusion” slate billed itself as an “uncommitted” slate, and no one really knows how many supporters of each presidential candidate are on the fusion slate, except the campaigns themselves.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
So if Paul has the most people at the polls is he still not a top tier candidate?
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
So then he is the candidate with the single most votes.
What is the admission here? That they have to create a team (fusion slate) to beat Paul?
Paul should talk about this at the next opportunity.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
So Ron Paul won..
you cannot beat someone as undecided delegates..
those delegates still have to be split…per individual candidate.. Paul still gets the delegates.
This is weird.
Are they awarding the 27 delegates to the Fusion of four different candidates??
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Its a very complicated process. VERY complicated.
But actually,the counting is far from over. Over 650 provisional ballots were cast,and these are not included in the unofficial results.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
the state of David Duke, nuff said.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
This is so pathetic of the party. How dirty and cheap can they get. I am disgusted.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
not as dirty and cheap as Ron Paul
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I hope this gets LRC off their brokered-convention nonsense. The rest of the candidates hate RP more than eachother.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It’s shit like this that makes me want to go outside and bang my head on a freagin’ rock! Can this get anymore rigged than it is? I say , “Uh, NO” !
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
This is ridiculous.
See the following articles for more information (the articles are listed in the order of their release with the top article released 30 minutes ago, the bottom article released 3 hours ago):
Ron Paul Victorious in Louisiana Caucus
http://www.nolanchart.com/article1392.html
Ron Paul Wins in Louisiana
http://www.nolanchart.com/article1387.html
Something is afoot with Ron Paul in Louisiana
http://www.nolanchart.com/article1381.html
So…Who Won the Louisiana GOP Caucus?
http://reason.com/blog/show/124573.html
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Oh yeah, here is Louisiana Republican website, where the official results will be when they are available:
http://lagop.com/
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
the most left-wing of the Republican party (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Huck) had to gang up against the most principled and conservative man (Ron Paul) in the race. The libs love ‘dirty tricks’ and this is just another example. We’ll see if the tallies change after the provisionals are counted, if the LA GOP counts them without ‘loosing’ any.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
3:47 EST and nothing yet. This is pretty unbelievable. If the provisional ballots were cast by Romney supporters would there be this hold up? Doubt it.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
JP that is so weak?? Get and opinion!!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Did Dr. Paul win any delegates yesterday, January 22? Please correct the date on your announcement.
It is quite encouraging that the Zionist neocon warhawk candidates had to unite to defeat Dr. Paul. However, after they are all defeated, Dr. Paul should have no trouble getting the votes of the “uncommitted” delegates
who have some dedication to principles or at least a desire not to see Hillary win.
Breazen, the Enemy wants to demoralize us. Channel your anger in a more productive method so that they bang their heads against rocks.
JP, don’t be overly critical of Dr. Duke. (He recently earned a PhD in history for his thesis regarding a certain form of supremacism which he opposes.) He did get the majority of white votes in Louisiana in one election and you should know by now not to believe anything the Enemy media says about anyone without independent confirmation.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Paul is not the most conservative, his ACU rating is 72!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
and they did that coalition because nobody campaigned there except for Paul, everyone else is in Florida
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
This is so pathetic of the party. How dirty and cheap can they get. I am disgusted.
=This isn’t something new.
But it definally justifies why I am not with a major party.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Thank you, David Macko, for pointing out the typo…January 22 is the right date of what happened yesterday, not February 22. You win the “careful reader” award!
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
David Macko,
Defending neo-nazi KKK fascist David Duke gets you zero credibility. His PhD is from an anti-semitic organization. The fact that he got a majority of the white vote in Louisiana says nothing good about the white people of Louisiana, although that was a generation ago and he had to lie about being a “former” nazi/KKK racist to do it. Lo and behold later it emerged that he is still a vile racist white supremacist and associates closely with National Vanguard and other out in the open racist and nazi dens of snakes.
Speaking of which is it true that you were kicked out of a Bircher meeting in Western Pennsylvania for handing out racist, neo-nazi materials? Who exactly were they from? Do you believe in white supremacy or separatism,
or that Jews are the “enemy”? And if so, why are you a Libertarian? It seems to me that racist collectivism, national socialism and fascism is very antithetical to libertarian principles, and it seems counterintuitive for antisemites to attach themselves to a movement so strongly tied to Jews like Ayn Rand, Milton and David Friedman, Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard.
I’m just asking – unlike with David Duke, I don’t actually know the answers, but I do know that there is plenty of confirmation about Duke and you defending him does not speak well of you. He is a scumbag plain and simple. There’s no getting around that.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Jp, supply the link to where that # is listed.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
http://www.acuratings.org/2006all.htm#LA
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
excsue me, 76 ACU rating.
Duncan hunter by contrast is much higher. as is Brownback….George Allen had a near perfect rating
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Ron Paul lifetime rating 82.3, 2006 rating 76
Description of votes scored
http://www.acuratings.org/#
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
The link does not work properly. Here are ACU’s criteria for what constitutes their idea of conservative.
For example, voting against indefinite occupation of Iraq and against a $2.7 trillion with a t federal budget are liberal votes, so it’s no wonder that Ron Paul does not score as a 100% conservative – but why would anyone want to?
———————————————————-
1. Campaign Finance Restrictions
HR 513 (Roll Call 88) The House passed a bill imposing the same restrictions on grass-roots organizations as apply to political parties and political action committees, and permitting the Federal Elections Committee to control spending by such groups. ACU opposed this bill, which passed 218-209 on April 5, 2006.
TOP
2. Oil Refinery Permitting Process
HR 5254 (Roll Call 116) The House defeated an attempt to streamline the application process for building oil refineries in the U.S., to make more refining capacity available. ACU supported the bill, and although a majority of the House voted for it, a two-thirds vote was required under House rules. The vote was 237-188 on May 3, 2006.
TOP
3. Tax Rates
HR 4297 (Roll Call 135) The House adopted a bill extending $70 billion in tax cuts, including the capital gains tax cuts, through 2010. ACU supported the bill, which passed 244-185 on May 10, 2006.
TOP
4. Conservative Federal Budget
H Con Res 376 (Roll Call 156) The House defeated a conservative alternative to the budget that would limit total spending to $2.7 trillion, including $829 billion in discretionary spending, saving $358.3 billion over five years, extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, eliminate about 150 federal programs and increase defense and veterans’ spending. It also restructured a number of agencies, reduced foreign aid by $31 billion over five years, allowed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and eliminated highway earmarks. ACU supported this alternative, which was defeated by a vote of 94-331 on May 18, 2006.
TOP
5. Pork Barrel Spending
HR 5427 (Roll Call 205) The House defeated an amendment that would bar the use of taxpayer funds for the Juniata Ultra Low Emission Locomotive Demonstration in Pennsylvania. ACU supported this amendment, which was defeated 46-372 on May 24, 2006.
TOP
6. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
HR 5429 (Roll Call 209) The House passed a bill authorizing oil and gas production in a small portion of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ACU support the bill, which passed 225-201 on May 25, 2006.
TOP
7. Expanded Oil Refinery Construction
HR 5254 (Roll Call 232) The House passed a bill streamlining the application process for new oil refinery construction in the United States, including sites on closed military bases. ACU supported this bill, which passed 238-179 on June 7, 2006.
TOP
8. Federal Aviation Administration Labor Negotiations
HR 5449 (Roll Call 233) The House killed a bill that attempted to give union bosses more power to interfere in FAA labor negotiations. ACU opposed this bill. A majority of the House supported it, 271-148 on June 7, 2006, but under House rules, a two-thirds majority was required.
TOP
9. Network Neutrality
HR 5252 (Roll Call 239) The House defeated an amendment that would have impaired the property rights of Internet service providers. ACU opposed this amendment, which was defeated 152-269 on June 8, 2006.
TOP
10. Iraq War Resolution
H Res 861 (Roll Call 288) The House adopted a resolution declaring opposition to an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. armed forces from Iraq, affirming the U.S. commitment to establishing democracy in Iraq, and honoring Americans taking an active part in the war on terror and the sacrifices of the U.S. armed forces who have died or been wounded. ACU supported the resolution, which was adopted 256-153 on June 16, 2006.
TOP
11. Estate Tax Reduction
HR 5638 (Roll Call 315) The House passed a bill significantly reducing the estate tax (the so-called death tax) and indexing the reduction for inflation. ACU supported this bill, which passed 269-156 on June 22, 2006.
TOP
12. Line-Item Veto
HR 4890 (Roll Call 317) The House passed a bill authorizing the president to single out specific appropriations, spending, and special tax breaks for re-passage by the Congress under expedited procedures. ACU supported this bill, which passed 247-172 on June 22, 2006.
TOP
13. United Nations Headquarters
HR 5672 (Roll Call 342) The House defeated an amendment that would bar the use of taxpayer dollars to design, renovate, construct, or rent any headquarters for the United Nations at any location in the United States. ACU supported this amendment, which was rejected 131-288 on June 28, 2006.
TOP
14. Firearm Penalties
HR 5672 (Roll Call 343) The House adopted an amendment preventing implementation of certain anti-firearms penalties. ACU supported this amendment, which passed 230-191 on June 28, 2006.
TOP
15. Public Prayer
HR 5672 (Roll Call 345) The House adopted an amendment that would prevent a federal court in Indiana from banning prayer in the Indiana House of Representatives. ACU supported this amendment, which passed 246-174 on June 28, 2006.
TOP
16. Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
HR 4761 (Roll Call 356) The House passed a bill ending the federal moratorium on offshore exploration and development of oil and natural gas. The bill also gave states more control over drilling along their coasts. ACU supported this bill, which passed 232-187 on June 29, 2006.
TOP
17. Same-Sex Marriage Ban
H J Res 88 (Roll Call 378) The House failed to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. ACU supported this amendment, which received a majority vote of 236-187 on July 18, 2006. However a two-thirds majority is required to pass a constitutional amendment.
TOP
18. Embryonic Stem Cell Research
HR 810 (Roll Call 388) The House failed to override President Bush’s veto of legislation providing taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research. ACU opposed the effort to override the President’s veto, which failed on a vote of 235-193 on July 19, 2006. Although a majority of the House voted to override, a two-thirds vote is required to override presidential vetoes.
TOP
19. Border Fencing
HR 6061 (Roll Call 446) The House passed a bill that authorized the construction of a 700 mile fence along the Mexican border. ACU supported this legislation, which passed 283-138 on September 14, 2006.
TOP
20. Voter Identification
HR 4844 (Roll Call 459) The House passed legislation requiring individuals voting in federal election to provide photo identification, and after 2010, proof of citizenship in order to vote. ACU supported this legislation, which passed 228-196 on September 20, 2006.
TOP
21. Illegal Immigrant Detainment
HR 6094 (Roll Call 465) The House passed a bill that would set conditions under which illegal immigrants could be detained indefinitely pending their deportation, bar admission into the United States for gang members and allow alien members of certain gangs to be automatically eligible for deportation. ACU supported the bill, which passed 328-95 on September 21, 2006.
TOP
22. Immigration Law Enforcement
HR 6095 (Roll Call 468) The House passed a bill that would set new procedures to expedite lawsuits against the government involving immigration law, require the Justice Department to hire more attorneys to prosecute human smuggling cases, and clarify that state and local law enforcement agencies have the authority to investigate and apprehend illegal immigrants. ACU supported this bill, which passed 277-140 on September 21, 2006.
TOP
23. Parental Notification
S 403 (Roll Call 479) The House passed a bill making it a federal crime to take a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion in order to circumvent state parental notification and consent laws. ACU supported this bill, which passed 264-153 on September 26, 2006.
TOP
24. Military Tribunals
S 3930 (Roll Call 508) The House passed a bill authorizing military tribunals to try unlawful enemy combatants in the war on terror, and re-affirming a ban on evidence obtained through torture. ACU supported this bill, which passed 250-170 on September 29, 2006.
TOP
25. Property Rights and Eminent Domain
HR 4772 (Roll Call 511) The House passed a bill ensuring access to federal courts for individuals challenging government attempts to take their property under eminent domain. ACU supported this bill, which passed 231-181 on September 29, 2006.
TOP
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
You’re excused. And if you want to use 2006 numbers, again using their criteria, McCain’s rating is 65.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Wow, that’s eerie. McCain’s lifetime ranking is also 82.3
That pretty much proves this particular ranking scheme is quite worthless, given how many people Manchurian
ORC McCain disagrees with Ron Paul on.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Ratings from Council for Citizens Against Gov’t Waste for 2006:
Ron Paul: 95%
George Allen: 86%
Sam BrownBack: 79%
Duncan Hunter: 47%
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Paulie, it also shows that conservative and constitutional are not necessarily the same thing depending on the organization’s criteria.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
True.
Also, typo in comment directly above, people should be issues.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I heard somewhere that the PLPF slate consisted of the Fred delegates, who became unaffiliated after he dropped out. I don’t know whether or not this is true.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Rank the worst:
http://reason.com/blog/show/124571.html
I’m scratching my head with such a wealth of choices.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Matt,
Its true. The PLPF slate was not a full one until Fred dropped out,then the McCain campaign colluded with them to give them a full slate.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
As someone said, the ACU rating is by modern “mainstream conservative” standards of what makes someone a “conservative.” A better guide to how someone votes according to the Constitution is the John Birch rating.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Were Rudy’s Delegates part of this “Pro-Life Uncommitted” as well? If so talk about hypocrites.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
F#@k La , lets flood it again,and agin,and again!
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Sounds like Villere might break his arm patting himself on the back. To the rest of us Villere is a corrupt jerk. I would like to ask the man why Louisiana can’t have a simple primary where you vote for the candidate of your choice. I’m sure he won’t admit to the real answer. He wants to be able to manipulate the results and he can’t do that if we have an honest election.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Guess what?
The Republican Party is a private organization. Its members can make their own rules for how it operates and who it admits as members…
... and apparently Louisiana’s results show that the majority of the state’s activist Republicans want to vote Anyone But Ron Paul.
Ron Paul isn’t wanted by the party he supports. This has been a self-evident fact for years. The party machine doesn’t want him, and most of the long-time membership doesn’t want him. He’s not going to get the Republican nomination for President; in fact he never had a chance in the first place, no matter how much money he raises and spends.
Of all his many flaws, one of the largest is that, in spite of what he claims is his love of the Constitution and of freedom, Ron Paul chose to run as the candidate of a party opposed to both. That he did so, in my opinion, is good reason to question the strength of those beliefs…
January 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am
“Kris Overstreet Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Guess what?
The Republican Party is a private organization. Its members can make their own rules for how it operates and who it admits as members…”
A “private” organization that takes in millions – or more like billions – in tax payer funding.
Considering that they accept (or should I say STEAL) tax payers money I’d say that they should give up their “right” to be a private organization.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:55 am
“in spite of what he claims is his love of the Constitution and of freedom, Ron Paul chose to run as the candidate of a party opposed to both. That he did so, in my opinion, is good reason to question the strength of those beliefs…”
And this reflects badly on RP how exactly? Because he takes his oath seriously while virtually everyone else in congress does not? The flip side is to run for congress under the LP banner and lose. Nice alternative.
“The party machine doesn’t want him, and most of the long-time membership doesn’t want him.”
Ask yourself why? Because the machine doesn’t care about the oath, getting re-elected is far more important to them.
“That he did so, in my opinion, is good reason to question the strength of those beliefs…”
You’re trying to make a point out of the bizarro world yet you answer your own question. If you truly question the strength of RP’s constitutional beliefs, (which could easily be verified by checking a site like vote-smart), and believe he represents a party opposed to it, why does the same party shun him?
January 24th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Since David Duke has been referenced in this discussion
http://antiauthoritarian.net/NLN/?p=388
January 24th, 2008 at 1:39 am
What happened was politics 101 and we shouldn’t be suprised that it did happen. Can you imagine what laughing stocks the Louisiana GOP establishment would be among their fellow Republicans if they let Paul sweep all the Congressional districts and claim 22 delegates that day? That’s why they created this “fusion” ticket, because Paul was the only candidate that had a full slate of delegates and would have swept the field if this fusion slate did not exist. Unethical this effor may be (considering that this Pro-Life/Pro-Family group included supporters of Rudy Guliani) but nonetheless very clever on their part (organized largely by Thompson supporters).
However, there are still 650 provisional ballots to be verified and counted which should be done by tomorrow evening. If the “provos” break Ron Paul’s way then get the bulk of his supporters into the state convention and vie for delegates there.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Truth in advertising? They could have at least called it the George W. Bush Pro-War, Pro-Big Spending ticket…
January 24th, 2008 at 2:33 am
The “fusion” slate (bearing a picture or Ronald & Nancy Reagan) was set up because the only candidates that had any viable support were Ron Paul and Thompson, who had political friends here. Thompson pulled out leaving delegates with no one to support.
None of the candidates could get a full slate of delegates and alternates except Ron Paul, and the “fusion” folks are all pro politicians, most climbing their own way through local, regional and state government to get a slice of the pie. It’s smoke and mirrors people. Much like the coverage you saw of Katrina, though the destruction and loss of liberties, martial law etc. were quite real.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:39 am
BTW… Ron Paul and I have not “abandoned the party” they have abandoned us. Canadians are complaining that their government has also been hijacked by their president. It bears looking into.
Check out the NAFTA timeline…especially when it gets to about 1995
http://www.fina-nafi.org/eng/integ/chronologie.asp?langue=eng&menu=integ
January 24th, 2008 at 5:03 am
So some Ron Paul supporters could’ve been confused and voted to the Uncommitted Pro Life? I don’t see how they can declare of winner if the highest # was uncommitted.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Andy: A “private” organization that takes in millions – or more like billions – in tax payer funding.
Yes- like Ford, GM, Wal-Mart, Archer Daniels Midland, Haliburton, etc. etc. etc.
Jay: Ron Paul claims to stand for certain things, but if it comes to a choice between standing for those things by risking his political office or going along with the party and ensuring no serious competition, he’s chosen party over principle time and again. My view: he wants power more than he wants to change things.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Yes- like Ford, GM, Wal-Mart, Archer Daniels Midland, Haliburton, etc. etc. etc.
Good point. Those are not truly privately owned either.
My view: he wants power more than he wants to change things.
I disagree.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
“Yes- like Ford, GM, Wal-Mart, Archer Daniels Midland, Haliburton, etc. etc. etc.”
None of the companies that you mentioned are legitimate private organizations either. Not only do they take billions in corporate welfare and other government “benifits”, government entities own large chuncks of stock in all of them ( see www.CAFR1.com and www.cafrman.com for more detials).
So yes, I maintain my position that the Republican Party is not a true private organization.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Kris, your argument is non-existent. You can’t say he choses party over principle and then say the party machine doesn’t want him. If he was a yes man the party machine would want him. But he’s not, so they don’t. You’ve argued against yourself.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Identification of candidates with the various slates is not an official Party function and such analysis is provided solely as a courtesy to members of the press and as a response to the numerous inquiries received by the Party regarding this topic.
Results of provisional ballot analysis will be updated regularly on the Party’s website until a final count is reached.
Chairman Villere wishes to thank everyone who participated in the 2008 Louisiana Caucuses.
Please contact: Jason Dore
225-928-2998
January 24th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I’m getting a headache here. I don’t understand the Louisiana thing at all. What is a “slate”, do the voters vote for a Name? a Party? an Issue?
None of the above? WTF
Do the votes get counted? Or what? GEEZZZZZZZZ
January 25th, 2008 at 1:03 am
And the comedy of it all is that the MSM (sic) isn’t covering this theft of an election. But then again, why would they? They are blacking out all things Ron Paul. Hell, the pro-life ‘fusion’ slate, with Rudy supporters, is a story in itself, that the MSM would run with on any other day. Dr. Paul, I can’t wait until you give the MSM and the GOP the middle finger and go independent, sir. I’ll max out my donation to you again!
January 25th, 2008 at 11:17 am
When the folks that voted PLPF fing out that they are NOT all prolife, there’s gonna be hell to pay.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
They are afraid to have Ron as #1 in a state, as they would start to have real people wonder that the good doc is all about, and learn his message. Then of course vote for him, and the msm and elites can’t let that happen god forbid! Go Ron, you also get my vote.
January 26th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Mitt Romney bought Clear Channel Communications,Owns most of the TV and radio stations,news papers,ect. http://noworldsystem.com/2007/12/14/mitt-romney-to-buy-clear-
channel-communications/
GO RON PAUL!