Newt Gingrich may have dropped out of the GOP Primary last week but that doesn’t mean the race is over, even if there is no mathematical possibility that Ron Paul can defeat Mitt Romney. Paul and his team recently took to Maine and Nevada where they managed to win 21 of 24 delegates in Maine. Paul and his team then added 22 out of 25 delegate from the Nevada GOP convention that was held no Sunday.
While Ron Paul may have won the Nevada delegates a party rule in that state requires delegates to vote for caucus winner Mitt Romney at the RNC during the first round of balloting.
Largely a symbolic win the caucus victories could prove an excellent taking point for President Obama’s team as much of the country remains split over the GOPs choice in leadership, specifically its Presidential hopefuls.
Ron Paul’s supporters have long hoped that a brokered convention will give Ron Paul a bigger voice in the Republican party, although most admit that the chance of a win during the Republican convention is highly unlikely.
In the meantime Mitt Romney and his camp need to tread lightly, on the one hand they don’t see Ron Paul as a threat, on the other hand alienating his deeply loyal fan base could spell trouble when it comes time to vote against President Obama.
GOP strategist Mike Dennehy tells the Associated Press:
“I think he’s being very careful because he knows how important the Ron Paul voters are—they obviously represent a very different dynamic. They are the most passionate and the most frustrated of any voters heading to the polls. And many of them are independents.”