Re: What’s going to happen during 3 days of SCOTUS arguments on health care?

The state does not require me to buy auto insurance if I own a car....
It requires insurance for using that car on the public right of
ways.... the same goes for horses...

On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 9:48 AM, plainolamerican
<plainolamerican@gmail.com> wrote:
> No its not.  If I don't wanna drive, I don't have to buy car
> insurance.
>
> Please show me the same escape in OBambicare.
> ---
> I concede it's not the same ... in that you will forced to buy health
> insurance.
>
> the only point I was making is that the state DOES require you to buy
> auto insurance ... so they can require you buy health insurance ... if
> this OC is ok's by the USSC
>
> On Mar 29, 10:28 am, GregfromBoston <greg.vinc...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> No its not.  If I don't wanna drive, I don't have to buy car insurance.
>>
>> Please show me the same escape in OBambicare.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, March 29, 2012 9:51:03 AM UTC-4, plainolamerican wrote:
>> > but it does force you to buy auto insurance if you do drive.
>> > tom's point is valid
>> > Some states will allow you to post a bond instead of buying insurance
>>
>> > On Mar 29, 7:45 am, GregfromBoston <greg.vinc...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> > > The STATE government cannot force you to buy car insurance if you do not
>> > > intend to drive a car.
>>
>> > > The comparison falls down right there.
>>
>> > > On Tuesday, March 27, 2012 2:34:05 PM UTC-4, Tommy News wrote:
>> > > > If the government can force you to buy car insurance, and it does, why
>> > > > can't it ask you to buy health insurance?
>>
>> > > > On Mar 25, 1:56 pm, THE ANNOINTED ONE <markmka...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > > >  "If the
>> > > > > government can force you to buy health insurance, why can't it force
>> > > > > you to buy broccoli?"
>>
>> > > > > This is the crux of the matter.....
>>
>> > > > > On Mar 25, 12:30 pm, Tommy News <tommysn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/when-the-supreme-court-debates...
>>
>> > > > > > What's going to happen during 3 days of arguments on health care?
>> > > > > > By Jeffrey Rosen,  PROFESSOR OF LAW Published: March 23
>>
>> > > > > > Starting Monday, the Supreme Court has scheduled six hours of oral
>> > > > > > arguments over three days to consider the constitutionality of
>> > > > > > health-care reform, the most time given to a case in more than 45
>> > > > > > years. We're certainly in for a historic event — but it might be
>> > an
>> > > > > > entertaining one, too.
>>
>> > > > > > Oral arguments are always theatrical: The lawyers stand only a few
>> > > > > > feet from the justices, who loom above them on a curved bench, and
>> > > > > > they are barraged with so many questions that they often have
>> > trouble
>> > > > > > completing a sentence. The hearings are also an opportunity for
>> > the
>> > > > > > traditionally secretive Supreme Court to cut loose. In fact, the
>> > > > > > Roberts court is known as a "hot bench" — not a reference to the
>> > > > > > unusual sexiness of the justices but to the fact that eight of the
>> > > > > > nine are unusually chatty during oral arguments (Justice Clarence
>> > > > > > Thomas hasn't uttered a word since 2006). Even though the justices
>> > > > > > rarely change their minds during oral arguments if they already
>> > have
>> > > > > > strong views about a case, the hearings can clarify their
>> > thinking,
>> > > > > > offer some lively give and take, and occasionally lead to humor.
>>
>> > > > > > So, will the oral arguments over health-care reform produce some
>> > > > > > laughs? Here's a preview of what might transpire when the commerce
>> > > > > > clause becomes a punch line.
>>
>> > > > > > Justice Antonin Scalia
>>
>> > > > > > According to a 2010 study in the Communication Law Review, Scalia
>> > is
>> > > > > > the funniest member of the court, based on how many laughs the
>> > various
>> > > > > > justices have elicited in the courtroom. But his wit sometimes has
>> > a
>> > > > > > sharp edge. In 1988, when a lawyer fumbled for the answer to a
>> > > > > > question, Scalia exclaimed, "When you find it, say 'Bingo!' "
>>
>> > > > > > Expect some zingers from Scalia in the health-care argument,
>> > perhaps
>> > > > > > focused on the not-so-side-splitting subject of whether Congress
>> > has
>> > > > > > the authority to require people to buy health insurance as part of
>> > its
>> > > > > > power to regulate interstate commerce. Imagine, for example, the
>> > > > > > following exchange:
>>
>> > > > > > Solicitor General Donald Verrilli: "In 2005, Justice Scalia, you
>> > held
>> > > > > > that Congress has the power to prevent California from authorizing
>> > > > > > people to grow marijuana for their own use. Surely, the decision
>> > not
>> > > > > > to buy health insurance has a far greater impact on the economy."
>>
>> > > > > > Justice Scalia: "Depends on what part of California you're from."
>>
>> > > > > > Justice Stephen Breyer
>>
>> > > > > > Breyer's jokes often follow a long question identifying the
>> > hardest
>> > > > > > issue in the case. He cares about legislative history and may
>> > focus on
>> > > > > > a striking irony in the health-care law briefs: During the debate
>> > over
>> > > > > > the legislation in Congress, Republicans insisted that the mandate
>> > to
>> > > > > > buy health insurance should be considered a tax, and Democrats
>> > > > > > countered that it shouldn't. The moment President Obama signed the
>> > > > > > bill, though, both sides rushed to court to claim the opposite:
>> > > > > > Democrats now insist that the mandate is absolutely a tax (and
>> > > > > > therefore authorized by the taxing clause of the Constitution),
>> > and
>> > > > > > Republicans are equally confident that it's not.
>>
>> > > > > > This debate is also relevant to whether the court has the power to
>> > > > > > hear the case in the first place. If the mandate is a tax,
>> > according
>> > > > > > to a 1867 law, litigants may have to wait until it goes into
>> > effect in
>> > > > > > 2014 to challenge it. If Breyer can get a laugh out of the "is it
>> > a
>> > > > > > tax?" debate, he deserves to be promoted to funniest justice.
>>
>> > > > > > Chief Justice John Roberts
>>
>> > > > > > All eyes will be on Roberts to see whether he is inclined to
>> > interpret
>> > > > > > the commerce clause of the Constitution as narrowly as he did in
>> > an
>> > > > > > opinion that gave rise to one of his most memorable one-liners as
>> > an
>> > > > > > appellate judge. In 2003, Roberts dissented from a ruling holding
>> > that
>> > > > > > the federal government could use the Endangered Species Act to
>> > prevent
>> > > > > > development on the habitat of the arroyo toad. He said the federal
>> > law
>> > > > > > couldn't be applied to "a hapless toad that, for reasons of its
>> > own,
>> > > > > > lives its entire life in California." Verrilli will try to
>> > convince
>> > > > > > Roberts that the interstate economic effects of thousands of
>> > uninsured
>> > > > > > sick people are far greater than those of the hapless toad, all
>> > the
>> > > > > > while avoiding the word "toad."
>>
>> > > > > > As the crucial swing vote, Kennedy is most frequently flattered in
>> > > > > > Supreme Court briefs. Some libertarians hope that he will strike
>> > down
>> > > > > > the health-care mandate by invoking the same right to privacy that
>> > he
>> > > > > > recognized when he reaffirmed Roe v. Wade in 1992. "At the heart
>> > of
>> > > > > > liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of
>> > > > > > meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life,"
>> > Kennedy
>> > > > > > wrote; Scalia later ridiculed this as the "sweet mystery of life"
>> > > > > > passage. For Scalia and the other conservatives, Roe v. Wade is
>> > the
>> > > > > > root of all constitutional evil. So if Paul Clement — who will
>> > argue
>> > > > > > before the court for the health-care law's challengers — wants to
>> > > > > > appeal to Kennedy without alienating the other conservatives, he
>> > may
>> > > > > > try to murmur "sweet mystery" so quietly that only Kennedy can
>> > hear
>> > > > > > it.
>>
>> > > > > > Justices Elena Kagan
>> > > > > > and Sonia Sotomayor
>> > > > > > These justices weren't yet on the court during the period covered
>> > by
>> > > > > > the 2010 laughter study, but Kagan may have her eye on Scalia's
>> > > > > > "funniest justice" title. She delivered the best one-liner of the
>> > > > > > current Supreme Court term. Noting that the Federal Communications
>> > > > > > Commission had interpreted its TV indecency policy to allow the
>> > > > > > cursing in "Saving Private Ryan" and the nudity in "Schindler's
>> > List,"
>> > > > > > she said: "It's like nobody can use dirty words or nudity except
>> > for
>> > > > > > Steven Spielberg."
>>
>> > > > > > It will be hard to top the "Spielberg exception," but perhaps
>> > Kagan
>> > > > > > can make something of the "Romney exception" — namely, the fact
>> > that
>> > > > > > the same arguments about the economic effects of self-insurance
>> > that
>> > > > > > Mitt Romney used to justify health-care reform in Massachusetts
>> > are
>> > > > > > the ones that lawyers challenging the Affordable Care Act are
>> > > > > > rejecting before the Supreme Court.
>>
>> > > > > > Sotomayor has made her mark in oral arguments and in recent
>> > separate
>> > > > > > opinions by wondering aloud whether long-established Supreme Court
>> > > > > > doctrines should be reexamined. During arguments in the Citizens
>> > > > > > United case in 2009, she suggested looking again at the idea that
>> > > > > > corporations are people. "There could be an argument made that
>> > that
>> > > > > > was the court's error to start with," she said. In the health-care
>> > > > > > argument, perhaps Sotomayor will press the government to explain
>> > why,
>> > > > > > if corporations are people, they can't be forced to buy health
>> > > > > > insurance, too.
>>
>> > > > > > Justices Ruth Bader
>> > > > > > Ginsburg and Samuel Alito
>>
>> > > > > > Though not prone to punch lines, both are respected by lawyers for
>> > > > > > asking the most technically difficult questions about a case.
>> > > > > > Ginsburg, who once taught civil procedure, may be especially
>> > > > > > interested in the complicated question of whether, if the court
>> > > > > > strikes down the individual mandate, it should grant the
>> > government's
>> > > > > > request to wait for future cases to decide whether other
>> > provisions
>> > > > > > should be struck down as well.
>>
>> > > > > > Alito may be interested in the
>>
>> ...
>>
>> read more »
>
> --
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Mark M. Kahle H.

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Re: Can Ron Paul’s Delegate Strategy Confound Conventional Wisdom?

nothing would please me more than to have RP beat Obama ... but it's
probably not going to happen.
the gop wants a zionist interventionist in office ... which which is
what they'll get with O

On Mar 29, 10:50 am, MJ <micha...@america.net> wrote:
> Can Ron Paul s Delegate Strategy Confound Conventional Wisdom?Written by Michael Tennant
> Monday, 26 March 2012 12:15
> Don t count Ron Paul out yet. The Texas Congressman may not have secured any headline-grabbing victories in state primaries and caucuses. He may be trailing in the unofficial delegate counts based on these contests. But he is cheerfully pressing onward, confident that he can keep right on going all the way to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa and possibly even come out of the convention the GOP s nominee for President.
> Even among Paul s most ardent supporters, few would now argue that the 76-year-old physician is anything but a long shot for the nomination. Long shots, however, occasionallypay off. And Paul has a strategy that he believes just might produce one of the most unexpected come-from-behind victories in U.S. political history.
> The Paul campaign understands what few observers of the political scene -- and even many players within it -- realize: A significant number of the state primaries and caucuses covered by the national media as if they determined the Republican nominee are, as the Paul campaign likes to put it, beauty contests that make for an exciting horse race but may have little to do with who ultimately gets the nomination. The media report the popular vote results from a particular state and, unless it is a winner-take-all state, assume that each candidate will receive delegates to the RNC in roughly equal proportion to his share of the popular vote. Thus, reports typically state that Paul has only a tiny fraction of the delegates that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has and that therefore he has no chance of being the GOP nominee.
> In fact, saysThomas Mullenof theWashington Times'Communities website, no one knows how many delegates any of the candidates has -- not even the Republican Party itself. We know that the delegates from winner-take-all states such as Florida will be bound to vote for the winners of their respective states primaries during the first round of voting at the convention. Likewise, in some states (Nevada, for instance), during the first round delegates will be bound to certain candidates on the basis of the popular vote. Beyond that, Mullen writes, very little is certain:
> In other states, the process is not that simple. A popular vote is held, but it s really no more than a preference poll or straw poll. After the straw poll is closed, a series of meetings commence in which delegates are elected from a precinct, district or county, which then elect delegates to a state convention, which then elect the delegates to represent that state at the RNC. This process typically takes months after the straw poll is over and the resulting delegates for each candidate may bear little resemblance to the vote percentage that candidate won in the straw poll.
> Paul s campaign believes that his supporters, typically more enthusiastic and devoted to his candidacy, are more likely to remain after the straw poll and participate in the delegate selection process. There is some evidence that they are correct. For example, the Iowa Republican Partyconfirmsthat delegate assignment has nothing to do with the straw poll and that Paul may secure the most delegates from Iowa.
> Missouri provides additional evidence that Paul s delegate strategy could succeed. While former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum swept the state in the nonbinding presidential primary in February, he did not perform as well during the later caucuses.
> The local caucuses chose over 2,000 delegates to regional conventions, which will then send people on to the state convention, where delegates to the RNC will be bound to vote for certain candidates. In several local caucuses Paul and Romney supporters teamed up to deny most or all of the delegates to Santorum. In at least three counties Santorum didn t get a single delegate while Paul got a majority of the delegates. In Greene County Paul got 65 delegates; Romney, 40; and Santorum, just six.
> We are focusing on caucus states, just like we always have, Paul Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton toldU.S. News & World Report. It puts us in the driver s seat to easily win many. There is still work to be done, and we understand that we are going to have to stay on our game to maintain our position.
> The campaign believes that it may very well walk away with a majority or plurality of the delegates in several states.
> We are training people to go, show up and go through the delegate process, Benton added.
> The campaign is also hoarding cash in order to make a good showing in California and Texas, Benton toldMSNBC. Doing well in the popular vote in those big states would almost certainly secure some bound delegates from them. It could also provide a boost to fundraising and encourage more people to sign on as Paul delegates in the belief that he could win the nomination after all.Howhe could win it is another matter. He is still highly unlikely to overtake Romney in the quest for a majority of the delegates to the RNC. However, if at least 1,144 delegates do not vote for Romney on the first ballot at the convention, there will be a brokered convention. Delegates will vote a second time (and successive times if necessary); but after the first vote they are no longer committed to any particular candidate. Then they can vote their conscience, Paul told Jay Leno last week. Then I believe we ll get a lot of their votes.
> Of course, one s conscience does not always win out over one s desire for partisan victory. People often vote for the candidate they think can win the general election even if they agree more with another candidate. In the event of a brokered convention, Paul will need to convince the now-unbound delegates that he is the one candidate who can defeat Barack Obama in November.
> To that end, the Paul campaign has repeatedly highlighted polls showing that Paul is indeed a contender in a head-to-head matchup with the sitting President. Most recently, the campaign issued apress releasetrumpeting the results of a recent survey from Public Policy Polling that showed Romney losing to Obama 48 percent to 44 percent, but Paul leading him 46 percent to 43 percent. With the poll s margin of error being +/- 3.3 percentage points, that means Obama would defeat Romney, while he and Paul would be statistically tied. The poll also showed that Paul would perform better among independent voters, Hispanic voters, and 18-to-29-year-old voters than any of the other Republican candidates.
> The media may find an inevitability about Romney becoming nominee, but it is clear that with anyone other than Ron Paul as nominee a second term for Obama is the inevitability, Benton said in the press release.
> With a brokered convention still a distinct possibility, the campaign will need to continue to drive home the message that Paul can become the next President of the United States if the Congressman hopes to win the nomination on a second or later ballot. Otherwise, the delegates previously committed to candidates other than Romney may very well hold their noses and cast their votes for the ex-Governor they think will return the White House to Republican hands.http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/11312-can-ron-pauls-delegate-strategy-confound-conventional-wisdom

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Re: New Zimmerman video: How seriously was Trayvon Martin's killer injured?

How seriously was Trayvon Martin's killer injured?
---
it doesn't matter

what matters is whether or not he was attacked

On Mar 29, 10:56 am, Tommy News <tommysn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> New Zimmerman video: How seriously was Trayvon Martin's killer injured?
>
> New Zimmerman video: How seriously was he reportedly injured?
>
> New Zimmerman video: How seriously was he reportedly injured?
>   Comments 6
>
> March 29, 2012, 7:35 a.m.
> Newly emerged video reportedly shot by surveillance cameras at the
> Sanford, Fla., Police Department on the night of the Trayvon Martin
> shooting offers the public the first look at Martin's assailant,
> George Zimmerman, on the night of the shooting.
>
> ABC News, which obtained the video and released it Wednesday night,
> said it shows "no blood or bruises" on the handcuffed, trim- and
> muscular-looking suspect as he steps out of the back of a police
> cruiser, is frisked by an officer and walks escorted into the police
> building.
>
> The quality of the video is not very high, but it appears to suggest
> that if Zimmerman was injured that night, the injuries were not
> serious.
>
> The 28-year-old Zimmerman, who claims he acted in self-defense, has
> not been charged with any crimes, igniting a firestorm of controversy.
> Martin, the shooting victim, was an unarmed African American teenager.
> Zimmerman is half-Latino and half-white.
>
> A Sanford police officer who responded to the incident, Timothy Smith,
> noted in his police report that when he arrived on the scene,
> Zimmerman had a bloody nose and blood on the back of his head. His
> back was wet and covered in grass, "as if he had been laying on his
> back on the ground," Smith wrote.
>
> Smith said Zimmerman was placed in the back of the squad car, where he
> was given medical attention by the Fire Department.
>
> It is not clear what effect the video will have on the competing
> claims about what happened in the crucial moments after Zimmerman, a
> volunteer neighborhood watch captain, called police and reported
> Martin as a suspicious person in his neighborhood, and followed him
> around.
>
> An attorney for Martin's family says that Martin's girlfriend was
> speaking with him on the phone when she overheard Martin say, "Why are
> you following me?" to someone. A man's voice replied, "What are you
> doing around here?" according to the attorney's account of the call.
>
> Sanford police concluded that Zimmerman lost sight of Martin and was
> walking back to his SUV when he was confronted and punched by the
> youth.
>
> Video and more here:
>
> http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-martin-zimmerma...
> --
> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
> Have a great day,
> Tommy
>
> --
> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
> Have a great day,
> Tommy

--
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New Zimmerman video: How seriously was Trayvon Martin's killer injured?

New Zimmerman video: How seriously was Trayvon Martin's killer injured?

New Zimmerman video: How seriously was he reportedly injured?

New Zimmerman video: How seriously was he reportedly injured?
Comments 6

March 29, 2012, 7:35 a.m.
Newly emerged video reportedly shot by surveillance cameras at the
Sanford, Fla., Police Department on the night of the Trayvon Martin
shooting offers the public the first look at Martin's assailant,
George Zimmerman, on the night of the shooting.

ABC News, which obtained the video and released it Wednesday night,
said it shows "no blood or bruises" on the handcuffed, trim- and
muscular-looking suspect as he steps out of the back of a police
cruiser, is frisked by an officer and walks escorted into the police
building.

The quality of the video is not very high, but it appears to suggest
that if Zimmerman was injured that night, the injuries were not
serious.

The 28-year-old Zimmerman, who claims he acted in self-defense, has
not been charged with any crimes, igniting a firestorm of controversy.
Martin, the shooting victim, was an unarmed African American teenager.
Zimmerman is half-Latino and half-white.

A Sanford police officer who responded to the incident, Timothy Smith,
noted in his police report that when he arrived on the scene,
Zimmerman had a bloody nose and blood on the back of his head. His
back was wet and covered in grass, "as if he had been laying on his
back on the ground," Smith wrote.

Smith said Zimmerman was placed in the back of the squad car, where he
was given medical attention by the Fire Department.

It is not clear what effect the video will have on the competing
claims about what happened in the crucial moments after Zimmerman, a
volunteer neighborhood watch captain, called police and reported
Martin as a suspicious person in his neighborhood, and followed him
around.

An attorney for Martin's family says that Martin's girlfriend was
speaking with him on the phone when she overheard Martin say, "Why are
you following me?" to someone. A man's voice replied, "What are you
doing around here?" according to the attorney's account of the call.

Sanford police concluded that Zimmerman lost sight of Martin and was
walking back to his SUV when he was confronted and punched by the
youth.

Video and more here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-martin-zimmerman-video-20120329,0,809426.story
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy

--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy

--
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Can Ron Paul’s Delegate Strategy Confound Conventional Wisdom?

Can Ron Paul's Delegate Strategy Confound Conventional Wisdom?
Written by Michael Tennant   
Monday, 26 March 2012 12:15

Don't count Ron Paul out yet. The Texas Congressman may not have secured any headline-grabbing victories in state primaries and caucuses. He may be trailing in the unofficial delegate counts based on these contests. But he is cheerfully pressing onward, confident that he can keep right on going all the way to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa and possibly even come out of the convention the GOP's nominee for President.

Even among Paul's most ardent supporters, few would now argue that the 76-year-old physician is anything but a long shot for the nomination. Long shots, however, occasionally pay off. And Paul has a strategy that he believes just might produce one of the most unexpected come-from-behind victories in U.S. political history.

The Paul campaign understands what few observers of the political scene -- and even many players within it -- realize: A significant number of the state primaries and caucuses covered by the national media as if they determined the Republican nominee are, as the Paul campaign likes to put it, "beauty contests" that make for an exciting horse race but may have little to do with who ultimately gets the nomination. The media report the popular vote results from a particular state and, unless it is a winner-take-all state, assume that each candidate will receive delegates to the RNC in roughly equal proportion to his share of the popular vote. Thus, reports typically state that Paul has only a tiny fraction of the delegates that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has and that therefore he has no chance of being the GOP nominee.

In fact, says Thomas Mullen of the Washington Times' Communities website, "no one knows" how many delegates any of the candidates has -- not even the Republican Party itself. We know that the delegates from winner-take-all states such as Florida will be bound to vote for the winners of their respective states' primaries during the first round of voting at the convention. Likewise, in some states (Nevada, for instance), during the first round delegates will be bound to certain candidates on the basis of the popular vote. Beyond that, Mullen writes, very little is certain:

In other states, the process is not that simple. A popular vote is held, but it's really no more than a preference poll or "straw poll." After the straw poll is closed, a series of meetings commence in which delegates are elected from a precinct, district or county, which then elect delegates to a state convention, which then elect the delegates to represent that state at the RNC. This process typically takes months after the straw poll is over and the resulting delegates for each candidate may bear little resemblance to the vote percentage that candidate won in the straw poll.

Paul's campaign believes that his supporters, typically more enthusiastic and devoted to his candidacy, are more likely to remain after the straw poll and participate in the delegate selection process. There is some evidence that they are correct. For example, the Iowa Republican Party confirms that delegate assignment has nothing to do with the straw poll and that Paul may secure the most delegates from Iowa.

Missouri provides additional evidence that Paul's delegate strategy could succeed. While former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum swept the state in the nonbinding presidential primary in February, he did not perform as well during the later caucuses.

The local caucuses chose over 2,000 delegates to regional conventions, which will then send people on to the state convention, where delegates to the RNC will be bound to vote for certain candidates. In several local caucuses Paul and Romney supporters teamed up to deny most or all of the delegates to Santorum. In at least three counties Santorum didn't get a single delegate while Paul got a majority of the delegates. In Greene County Paul got 65 delegates; Romney, 40; and Santorum, just six.

"We are focusing on caucus states, just like we always have," Paul Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton told U.S. News & World Report. "It puts us in the driver's seat to easily win many. There is still work to be done, and we understand that we are going to have to stay on our game to maintain our position."

The campaign believes that it may very well walk away with a majority or plurality of the delegates in several states.

"We are training people to go, show up and go through the delegate process," Benton added.

The campaign is also "hoarding cash" in order to make a good showing in California and Texas, Benton told MSNBC. Doing well in the popular vote in those big states would almost certainly secure some bound delegates from them. It could also provide a boost to fundraising and encourage more people to sign on as Paul delegates in the belief that he could win the nomination after all.

How he could win it is another matter. He is still highly unlikely to overtake Romney in the quest for a majority of the delegates to the RNC. However, if at least 1,144 delegates do not vote for Romney on the first ballot at the convention, there will be a "brokered convention." Delegates will vote a second time (and successive times if necessary); but after the first vote they are no longer committed to any particular candidate. "Then they can vote their conscience," Paul told Jay Leno last week. "Then I believe we'll get a lot of their votes."

Of course, one's conscience does not always win out over one's desire for partisan victory. People often vote for the candidate they think can win the general election even if they agree more with another candidate. In the event of a brokered convention, Paul will need to convince the now-unbound delegates that he is the one candidate who can defeat Barack Obama in November.

To that end, the Paul campaign has repeatedly highlighted polls showing that Paul is indeed a contender in a head-to-head matchup with the sitting President. Most recently, the campaign issued a press release trumpeting the results of a recent survey from Public Policy Polling that showed Romney losing to Obama 48 percent to 44 percent, but Paul leading him 46 percent to 43 percent. With the poll's margin of error being +/- 3.3 percentage points, that means Obama would defeat Romney, while he and Paul would be statistically tied. The poll also showed that Paul would perform better among independent voters, Hispanic voters, and 18-to-29-year-old voters than any of the other Republican candidates.

"The media may find an inevitability about Romney becoming nominee, but it is clear that with anyone other than Ron Paul as nominee a second term for Obama is the inevitability," Benton said in the press release.

With a brokered convention still a distinct possibility, the campaign will need to continue to drive home the message that Paul can become the next President of the United States if the Congressman hopes to win the nomination on a second or later ballot. Otherwise, the delegates previously committed to candidates other than Romney may very well hold their noses and cast their votes for the ex-Governor they think will return the White House to Republican hands.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/11312-can-ron-pauls-delegate-strategy-confound-conventional-wisdom