Ron Paul urges supporters to vote for a third-party candidate

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Texas libertarian, who garnered many fans in his failed bid for the GOP presidential nomination, has rejected calls to endorse John McCain. A third-party candidate could play the role of spoiler. By Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Ron Paul, the Texas libertarian who developed a big following in his failed bid for the GOP presidential nomination, has rejected entreaties to endorse his party's nominee and instead is urging his supporters to vote for one of several third-party candidates in the field.

At a news conference Wednesday with three third-party candidates, Paul said he had been urged by former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm to back Arizona Sen. John McCain. "Absolutely no," Paul said he told Gramm.

"It might diminish my credibility," said Paul, who was a distant also-ran in the GOP primaries and caucuses but inspired intense enthusiasm among his supporters and amassed a campaign war chest of almost $35 million, raised mostly via the Internet. "I don't like the idea of getting 2 or 3 million people angry at me."

It was a setback for McCain, who has been trying to unify the GOP with the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a darling of his party's conservative wing, as his running mate. But some analysts say there is little opening for any of the third-party candidates Paul urged voters to consider -- independent candidate Ralph Nader, Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney and Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, who all appeared with Paul. Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr, the nominee of the Libertarian Party, skipped the event and held his own news conference later.

Third-party candidates tend to do best when there is significant dissatisfaction with the major-party nominees -- as was the case in 1992, when H. Ross Perot drew enough GOP votes to undercut George H. W. Bush, and in 2000, when Nader drew crucial votes from the Democratic candidate, Al Gore.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na...0,1874271.story

[akdiver 3]

Well, I'm voting for Bob Barr - but it doesn't have anything to do with what Ron Paul has to say.

[kaydee457 13]

Did he have his tin foil cap on when making this recommendation? I ask because this is rather mainstream for him!

[peejay 327]

Oh...and you forgot to mention that he didn't endorse your wonder boy Obama either.

[Peikko 1,575]

Oh...and you forgot to mention that he didn't endorse your wonder boy Obama either.

Call it a quaint thought, but why would someone on the right hand of the political spectrum endorse someone on the left side? I can understand right to more right or even middle right, but right to left?

Of course, he's an independent now, he can go whichever way the wind blows

[kaydee457 13]

Oh...and you forgot to mention that he didn't endorse your wonder boy Obama either.

Call it a quaint thought, but why would someone on the right hand of the political spectrum endorse someone on the left side? I can understand right to more right or even middle right, but right to left?

Of course, he's an independent now, he can go whichever way the wind blows

Uh, didn't he want to be a Republican candidate?

RP has a distorted ego....Always did.

[Peikko 1,575]

Who, Obama?

Edited September 11, 2008 by Madame Cleo

[HAL 9000 96]

Oh...and you forgot to mention that he didn't endorse your wonder boy Obama either.

Which would suggest he doesn't want his followers to do the same- and vote for a 3rd party candidate. Which would suggest its not going to be someone on the more 'liberal' wavelength of things.

Which would suggest its a vote less for McCain.