The "Ron Paul Revolution" isn't over until Ron Paul says it's over. And he's not done yet.
Amid reports that Paul would formally end his presidential campaign, the iconoclastic Texas Republican congressman instead told supporters Thursday night that he intended to lead a "Campaign for Liberty" movement to give libertarians a bigger say within the GOP.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, June 14, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 108 words Type of Material: Correction
Ron Paul: An article in Friday's Section A on the former Republican presidential candidate's political plans said a rally he has planned for Sept. 2 at the University of Minnesota would be across the Mississippi River from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. The events are in the part of St. Paul that is on the same side of the river as the university. Also, Paul campaign signs were described as having the letters in "Revolution" transposed so that they read "Rloveution." The letters "evol" are not transposed; they are highlighted and the letters e and l appear backward, producing a mirror image of the word "love."
During his campaign over the last year, "something happened . . . I know we struck a chord," Paul said during a rambling speech at a hotel rally in Houston near the Texas Republican Convention.
Although Paul stopped short of a formal declaration at the rally that his presidential run was over, he acknowledged -- as he has before -- that he lacked enough delegates to win. Sen. John McCain of Arizona sewed up enough delegates in early March.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Paul characterized his latest move as a "technical change" and said his campaign was "going to shift gears."
But Paul, 72, had symbolically held off on conceding the nomination and said he did not intend to endorse McCain, with whom he clashed over the Iraq war and other issues.
Paul says he hopes the Campaign for Liberty will harness some of the enthusiasm his campaign generated to force grass-roots reforms on the Republican Party.
"We'll identify and support political candidates who champion our great ideas against the empty suits the party establishments offer the public," Paul said in a statement on the Campaign for Liberty website. "We will be a permanent presence on the American political landscape. That I promise you."
Paul's most notable achievement in the presidential campaign was the $34 million raised on his behalf, most of it by grass-roots supporters operating outside the campaign itself. That sum was more than twice the amount raised by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor. At the end of April, Paul still had $4.7 million in the bank.
Yet the fundraising success didn't translate into many votes. By the Associated Press' count, Paul garnered only 24 delegates and won no primaries or caucuses.
Paul's opposition to the war in Iraq made his campaign a political refuge for antiwar Republicans, and his insistence on a reduced international role for the United States attracted those uncomfortable with the size of the U.S. government.
