Editing Ron Paul (section)

== 2008 presidential campaign ==
<!--Before editing this summary section, please review WP: MOSBIO and WP:SUMMARY, and search the Talk page for recent discussion. Only major developments and events should appear in this section, which should remain brief. All other material should be added to the separate article "Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008". Avoid giving undue mention of third parties commenting on Paul's campaign (polls, blogs, etc.) rather than facts about the campaign itself.-->
{{Main|Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|2008 Republican Party presidential primaries}}

=== 2008 Republican primary campaign ===
[[File:RonPaul-June07-NHdebate.jpg|thumb|Paul campaigning for president in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], June 2007]]
[[File:RonPaulSupporters-DurhamNHdebate-5sept07.JPG|thumb|right|Supporters outside of the Fox News debate in September 2007]]
Paul formally declared his candidacy for the [[2008 Republican nomination]] on March 12, 2007, on [[C-SPAN]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html |title=Paul formally launches presidential bid |author=Martin, Gary |work=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=March 12, 2007 |access-date=March 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205085934/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html |archive-date=December 5, 2008}}</ref> Few major politicians endorsed him, and his campaign was largely ignored by traditional media.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blip.tv/paul-levinson-on-media-writing-science-fiction-and-freedom/ron-paul-s-mistreatment-by-mass-media-paul-levinson-talks-to-his-class-at-fordham-univ-452159 |title=Ron Paul's Mistreatment by Mass Media |date=October 26, 2007 |work=Blip.tv |access-date=December 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118073935/http://blip.tv/paul-levinson-on-media-writing-science-fiction-and-freedom/ron-paul-s-mistreatment-by-mass-media-paul-levinson-talks-to-his-class-at-fordham-univ-452159 |archive-date=January 18, 2012}}</ref> However, he attracted an intensely loyal grassroots following,<ref name=NYTSeelye07>{{cite journal |last=Seelye |first=Katherine Q. |author2=Wayne, Leslie |title=The Web Takes Ron Paul for a Ride |journal=The New York Times |date=November 11, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/us/politics/11paul.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |url-access=limited}}</ref> interacting through internet social media.<ref name=RPdigg>{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/blogs/news-desk/2007/5/9/ron-pauls-online-rise.html |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |title=Ron Paul's Online Rise |date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2007 |first=Chris|last=Wilson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3147940 |title=The Ron Paul Effect |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |first=Rick|last=Klein |date=May 5, 2007 |access-date=February 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tom|last=Englehardt |date=July 23, 2007 |url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070730/engelhardt |title=Why the U.S. Military Loves Ron Paul |work=[[the Nation]] |access-date=February 13, 2008 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090630152444/http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070730/engelhardt |archive-date=June 30, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In May 2007, shortly after the first televised primary debates, the blogs search engine site [[Technorati]].com listed Paul's name as the term most frequently searched for;<ref name=RPdigg/> and Paul's campaign claimed that Paul had more [[YouTube]] channel subscribers than [[Barack Obama]] or any other candidate for president.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/05/paul_1_obama_2.html |title=Paul #1, Obama #2 |date=May 20, 2007 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |publisher=[[Ron Paul 2008]]}}</ref> Paul fundraised more money than any other Republican candidate in the fourth quarter of 2007, as the primary season headed into the Iowa caucuses.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/ron-paul-tops-m.html |title=Ron Paul Tops McCain in Cash on Hand |access-date=July 7, 2007 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=July 6, 2007 |author-link=George Stephanopoulos |last=Stephanopoulos |first=George |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930200959/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/ron-paul-tops-m.html |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/02/news-shocker-ro.html |title=News shocker: Ron Paul was biggest GOP fundraiser last quarter |author=Malcolm, Andrew |date=February 1, 2008 |access-date=February 13, 2008 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-access=limited}}</ref>

Despite benefiting from campaign contributions from individual donors,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.asp?id=N00005906&cycle=2008 |title=Ron Paul Campaign Money |access-date=February 13, 2008 |work=[[OpenSecrets]] |department=Race for the White House |date=February 1, 2008 |archive-date=February 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213082956/http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.asp?id=N00005906&cycle=2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the supporters determined to keep his name a frequent topic of discussion on the internet,<ref name=RPdigg/> over the course of the campaign Paul was unable to translate the enthusiasm of his core supporters into large enough numbers of actual primary votes to unseat his rivals. Paul came in 5th place in both the January 4 [[Iowa caucuses]] (10% of votes cast)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Craig |first2=James E. |last2=Wilkerson |title=Republican Caucus History |journal=Des Moines Register |url=http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/data/iowa-caucus/caucus-history-gop/ |access-date=February 27, 2012 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707140142/http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/data/iowa-caucus/caucus-history-gop/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the January 8 New Hampshire primary (8%).<ref>{{cite web |title=Presidential Primary Election January 8, 2008 |url=http://www.sos.nh.gov/presprim2008/rpressum.htm |work=New Hampshire Secretary of State |access-date=January 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706124227/http://www.sos.nh.gov/presprim2008/rpressum.htm |archive-date=July 6, 2008}}</ref> With the exception of the Nevada caucuses January 19, where he came in 2nd (14%) behind [[Mitt Romney]] (51%), he did little better through the rest of January: Michigan 4th (6%), South Carolina 5th (4%), Florida 5th (3%). On Super Tuesday, February 5, he placed 4th in almost every state, generally taking in a mere 3–6% of the votes although he did better in the northern states of North Dakota (21%, 3rd place) and Montana (25%, 2nd place).<ref>{{cite news |title=2008 Primary Season Election Results |url=http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/votes/index.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=CNN Politics: Election Center 2008 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/dates/index.html#val=20080205 |website=[[CNN]] |access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref>

By March, front-runner [[John McCain]] had secured enough pledged delegates to guarantee that he would win the nomination, and Romney and [[Mike Huckabee]] had both formally withdrawn from the race. Paul, who had won no state primaries, knew that it was now impossible for him to win the nomination, as he had captured only 20<ref>{{cite news |last=Hume |first=Brit |authorlink=Brit Hume |title=Fox News Channel Special Report with Brit Hume |newspaper=[[Fox News]] |date=March 5, 2008}}</ref>—40 pledged delegates compared to more than 1,191 for McCain, yet he refused to concede the race and said that it was unlikely that he would ultimately endorse McCain.<ref name=ElkinsBeast>{{cite news |last=Elkins |first=Sarah |title={{-'}}I Feel Badly about Just Quitting': Ron Paul on Why He's Still Running for President |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/03/19/i-feel-badly-about-just-quitting.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=March 19, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Malcolm |first=Andrew |title=Ron Paul Lives! |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/03/ronpauldennisku.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Paul Says He's Still in the Race to 'Influence Ideas' |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/10/paul.campaign/index.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |newspaper=CNN.com |date=March 10, 2008}}</ref> Over the next few weeks, Paul's supporters clashed with establishment Republicans at several county and state party conventions over state party rules, the party platforms, and selection of delegates for the national convention.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Los Angeles Times |title=Paul Backers Claim Chunk of State Party |newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=March 24, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mannies |first=Jo |title=Ron Paul's Missouri Backers Muscle Up: They Say Caucus Strategy was to Get GOP to Return to Roots |newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |date=March 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=von Sternberg |first=Bob |author2=Duchschere, Kevin |title=Paul Backers Manage to Nab Delegates—in Minnesota and Elsewhere, Their Tactics Raised Eyebrows, but They're Hoping to Earn Him Stage Time at the GOP National Convention |work=[[Star Tribune]] |date=April 8, 2008 |page=1B}}</ref> In one instance, Nevada's state party leaders in response to Paul's supporters at the state nominating convention, resorted to prematurely shutting down the convention before selecting national delegates, with a plan to reconvene at a later date.<ref>{{cite news |last=Coolican |first=J. Patrick |title=Ron Paul Campaign Dominates Convention: Meeting Reveals a Party, in This State at Least, Far from United |url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/27/ron-paul-campaign-dominates-convention/ |access-date=February 27, 2012 |newspaper=Las Vegas Sun |date=April 12, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Ron Paul Backers Outmaneuver Nevada GOP Establishment |url=http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/18315884.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |publisher=KOLO-TV |date=April 28, 2008 |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215010543/http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/18315884.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On June 12, 2008, Paul withdrew his bid for the Republican nomination. He later said that one of the reasons he did not run in the general election as a third-party candidate, after losing the primaries, was that, as a concession to gain ballot access in certain states, he had signed legally binding agreements to not run a third-party campaign if he lost the primary.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dubner |first=Stephen J. |title=Ron Paul Answers Your Questions: Part One |url=http://www.freakonomics.com/2008/11/14/ron-paul-answers-your-questions-part-one/ |access-date=February 2, 2012 |newspaper=[[Freakonomics.com]] |date=November 14, 2008}}</ref> Some of the $4 million remaining campaign contributions was invested into the political action and advocacy group called [[Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/13/paul-suspends-presidential-campaign-forms-new-organization/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525191140/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/13/paul-suspends-presidential-campaign-forms-new-organization/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 25, 2012 |title=Paul suspends presidential campaign; forms new organization |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 12, 2008 |access-date=July 25, 2008}}</ref>

=== Endorsement after ending campaign ===
[[Image:Rally for the Republic.jpg|thumb|Paul's ''[[Rally for the Republic]]'', held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 2, 2008]]
At a September 10, 2008, press conference, Paul announced his general support of four third-party candidates: [[Cynthia McKinney]] ([[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]]); [[Bob Barr]] ([[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]]); [[Chuck Baldwin]] ([[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]]); and [[Ralph Nader]] (independent). He said that each of them had pledged to adhere to a policy of balancing budgets, bringing the troops home, defending privacy and personal liberties, and investigating the Federal Reserve. Paul also said that under no circumstances would he be endorsing either of the two main parties' candidates (McCain—Republican Party, or Obama—Democratic Party) because there were no real differences between them, and because neither of them, if elected, would seek to make the fundamental changes in governance that were necessary. He urged instead that, rather than contribute to the "charade" that the two-party election system had become, the voters support the third-party candidates as a protest vote, to force change in the election process.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 10, 2008 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/10/paul.endorsement/ |title=Ron Paul urges voters to skip McCain, Obama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408202249/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/10/paul.endorsement/ |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |work=CNN |access-date=September 10, 2008}}</ref><ref name="kugel">{{cite news |title=Ron Paul: Washington's True Maverick Talks Bailouts, the United States Constitution and Re-Making the US Dollar |first=Allison |last=Kugel |url=http://www.pr.com/article/1110 |newspaper=PR.com |date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=June 16, 2011}}</ref> Later that same day, Paul gave a televised interview with Nader saying much the same again.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ron Paul & Ralph Nader interview by Wolf Blitzer |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0809/10/sitroom.01.html |access-date=February 27, 2012 |publisher=CNN |date=September 10, 2008}}</ref>

Two weeks later, "shocked and disappointed" that [[Bob Barr]] (the Libertarian nominee) had pulled out of attending the press conference at the last minute and had admonished Paul for remaining neutral and failing to say which specific candidate Paul would vote for in the general election, Paul released a statement saying that he had decided to endorse [[Chuck Baldwin]], the [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]] candidate, for president.<ref name="campaignforliberty1">{{cite web |url=http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=547#. |title=A New Alliance |author=Paul, Ron |date=September 22, 2008 |access-date=September 22, 2008 |publisher=[[Campaign for Liberty]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212045449/http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=547 |archive-date=December 12, 2008}}</ref> Paul withdrew from active campaigning in the last weeks of the primary election period. He received 42,426 votes, or 0.03% of the total cast, in the general election.<ref>{{cite web |title=2008 Official Presidential General Election Results |url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/2008presgeresults.pdf |publisher=U.S. Federal Election Commission |date=January 22, 2009}}</ref>