The planners of this year’s Republican National Convention will let Ron Paul speak, and even to hold a rally nearby. The planners are, frankly, afraid to let him speak, and of what he might say. But they are more afraid of trying to stop him, or worse yet, succeeding and having his followers resent them for it.

The Ron Paul delegate count

Representative Ron Paul (R-TX-14). Photo: US House of Representatives

The Ron Paul campaign says that the Texas congressman has pluralities of eleven State delegations. That’s enough to have the right to speak. Mainstream reports say no. All agree that Ron Paul did not get a plurality in Nebraska. The mainstream media said that was his last shot. That prompted “Dr. Eowyn” at Fellowship of the Minds to lament that whether he would speak or not, was for the convention planners to decide.

Eowyn didn’t think that the planners would let him speak. But yesterday, USA Today said they would.

Ron Paul supporters have feuded with state Republican parties across the country, battling for delegate seats at the national convention. But the national party is welcoming Paul and his supporters to the event with open arms, even helping the Texas congressman organize his troops.

To be more specific, Mitt Romney has the “first ballot bound votes” to nominate him. But Paul has the warm bodies. Whether those warm bodies may vote as they please, is in doubt. Hence the disputed delegate counts.

So maybe Mitt Romney wants those warm bodies to vote for him on the first ballot anyway. If the planners shut Paul out, Mitt Romney will get the blame. Romney knows this. Hence the kid-gloves treatment.

Whom will Ron Paul endorse?

Former Governor Mitt Romney at a townhall in Sun Lakes, Arizona. Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic License

Ron Paul has not made up his mind to endorse anyone. (See video here.) He knows that Mitt Romney and his team are “scared” of what he might say. If so, the idea that Paul might endorse, say, Libertarian Gary Johnson, or maybe “go third party” himself, scares them even more. Ron Paul’s spokesman, Jess Benton, told Freedom Outpost:

They’ve (The GOP) just treated us like a friend and like a coalition. They have been honest brokers in working with us and treated us with respect.

The GOP did not show that kind of respect four years ago. At the Twin Cities in 2008, they “dissed” Ron Paul completely. So Paul held a counter-rally across the street from the convention hall. Paul’s followers sat on their hands, and the Republicans lost. Mitt Romney does not want to risk that this year.

Ron Paul is not seriously trying to get the Republicans to nominate him anymore. He wants Republicans to put his ideas into the platform. One subject he might speak on: auditing the Federal Reserve.

Mitt Romney wants one thing: for Ron Paul’s voters to vote for him in November, and not sit on their hands.

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